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Auction: 5011 - Stamps & Covers of the World
Lot: 635

Crime and Punishment Crimes Deception 1849 (26 Dec.) envelope and original printed enclosure from Joseph Ady (the notorious fraudster and impostor), addressed to George Roskell of Flint, unfranked (as usual) with very fine black h.s. ´2´ and London despatch d.s., the insert tells the recipient that ´I promise you £100 at least, minus Legacy Duty´ but only upon receipt of twenty shillings to cover ´cost and trouble´!; minor faults in no way detracting. A fine example of this man´s ´work´. Note: Ady´s scam involved persuading people that they were entitled to part of an inheritance settlement but that only he had authority to act on their behalf. His downfall probably owed more to his habitual practice of sending these letters without prepayment, rather than the main criminal deception – he sent thousands of such letters and, as more people refused to pay the postage due upon receipt, the Post Office used a new law to prosecute him: Ady spent the rest of his life in an out of debtors´ prison until his death in 1852. Photo for part Estimate £ 300-350

Sold for
£270