Cape of Good Hope 1865 1d Triangle Cape Town "Drop" Letter

1865 CAPE TOWN PENNY RATE LOCAL "DROP" LETTER:
Charming small format blue envelope posted locally within Cape Town (cds AP 16 65 (?)) to "Miss Maclear / c/o Surveyor General's Office / Cape Town".
Franked 1d rose (SG 5a) triangular full to just-touched-in-places margins neatly tied by numeral BONC 1 (of Cape Town) leaving Hope unobscured.
VF, fresh for this period.
An elusive example of this local 1d franking (within the City).
Accompanying Holcombe certificate comments "An extremely scarce local postage rate for a ½oz letter sent within the City, only a very small number of covers are known bearing the Perkins Bacon printing using this rate."
A rare piece for the postal history connoisseur.
Photo-cert & Signed: Holcombe. Ex Dillaway.
See additional image and of certificate.
The term "Drop Letter" refers to those letters mailed within the municipal boundaries of a town providing the service/rate. It was effective in Cape Town from 15th September 1860 and from 1st May 1861 in Port Elizabeth, a requirement being that at least twice-daily services existed between the dispatch/receiving offices. PILLAR BOXES were provided in select locations, thus the term "Drop Letter". As postal services expanded the reduced rate came to apply to regional mailings, examples still uncommon, but not to be confused with true within-city-limits Drop Letters.

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