Antique 1895 C.W. Antrim & Sons Advertising Postal Card - "Cameo Soap" Fable Receipt
Up for sale is a fantastic, highly cross-collectible piece of late 19th-century American postal history and vintage advertising. This is an original 1894-issue 1-Cent Thomas Jefferson United States Postal Card (Scott UX12), customized by the prominent Southern wholesale firm C.W. Antrim & Sons of Richmond, Virginia.
FRONT DETAILS: POSTAL STATIONERY & CANCELLATION
Postmark: Sharp, beautifully "tied" circular date stamp (CDS) reading CHAPEL HILL, N.C. MAY 3 1895 with a matching horizontal bar killer line cancellation.
Addressee: Cleanly typewritten to Mr. H. H. Patterson of Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Stamp: Clear impression of the standard 1¢ Jefferson profile stamp printed directly onto the buff cardstock.
REVERSE DETAILS: "CAMEO SOAP" & "KING SOLOMON" FABLE
The back features a wonderful piece of period marketing, utilizing a humorous moral story to collect on invoices and pitch their newest household cleaning line:
The Story: Titled “King Solomon," featuring an early illustrated character graphic of a dapper gentleman with a top hat and cane, followed by a story about the biblical king smiling when paid his bills.
The Receipt: Stamped with a matching date stamp of MAY 3 1895 and features a massive handwritten ledger entry reading *"received, $186.80"*—an enormous sum for a wholesale grocer order in the 1890s!
The Product: Advertises **CAMEO SOAP!** stating: “He Also Wore Very Fine Linen; and had he known about it, would have had his washing done with CAMEO SOAP!"* Promotes pricing at $3.35 per box of 100 solid 12 oz. bars.
The Firm: From **C.W. Antrim & Sons, Importers, Jobbers, and Manufacturers' Agents out of Richmond, VA (Established in 1877, later famous for "Old Mansion Brand" Coffee & Spices). Early soap-related ephemera from this company is exceptionally uncommon.
CONDITION & DIMENSIONS
Dimensions: Measures exactly 5.5 inches by 3.5 inches.
Condition: Excellent antique condition with fantastic display appeal. Text and cancellations are incredibly crisp and perfectly legible. Features a natural, light aged patina to the cardstock with minor, expected edge wear and slightly rounded corners typical for a 130+ year-old piece of mailed ephemera. No heavy staining, tears, or pinholes. (Currently safely housed and shipped in a crystal-clear protective sleeve).
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