1900 Postal Card Cuba Kansas Loan Business Message J. J. Sedgwick 1 Cent For Sale

This item is a United States Postal Card issued in 1900, featuring a one-cent denomination and bearing the printed inscription "POSTAL CARD - ONE CENT" along with "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" within an ornate rectangular banner. The card also displays the directive "THIS SIDE IS FOR THE ADDRESS ONLY," indicating it was designed for address placement on the verso while the message occupied the front. The stamped date of DEC 17 1900 appears in green ink at the top right, establishing this as a document from the very dawn of the twentieth century. The correspondence originated from Cuba, Kansas, a small community in Republic County, and the handwritten message is executed in clear black cursive script that has retained its legibility despite the passage of more than a century.The content of the message reveals a business communication concerning loan documentation, with the sender, J. J. Sedgwick, requesting the transmittal of papers related to several specific loans. The text references "J. A. Kaliondo" as the party associated with the matter, and notes that "Loan #450" carries a due date of January 2, 1901. Additional loan numbers appear in the message, including "Loan #47/2463" and "Loan #37/2393," the latter accompanied by an underlined notation regarding the balance of papers. The phrase "Party wants to pay" suggests an urgency to settle obligations before the new year, reflecting the financial practices of an era when postal cards served as an efficient medium for time-sensitive commercial correspondence. The card exhibits typical age-related toning consistent with its vintage, while the handwritten ink remains dark and distinct, and the stamped date is similarly well-preserved. This artifact offers insight into early twentieth-century lending operations and the utilitarian role of postal stationery in facilitating rapid communication between financial parties in rural Kansas.