Terms of SaleBid IncrementsGradingLinksContact

Sale 50: United States Postal History

Previous ChapterTable of ContentsNext Chapter

Transatlantic Mail from Germany (1855 to 1868)

Lots 331-340 Lots 341-350 Lots 351-356

Lot 331    

1855 (Feb. 20) Mainz, Hesse-Darmstadt to Boston, Mass., mourning cover with "Mainz, 20 Feb 1855" double circle date stamp, black "PD" paid direct h.s., large circled "P." prepaid h.s., red London (2.23) transit and red manuscript "16" credit to the U.S., carried by Collins Line Pacific from Liverpool Feb. 27 to New York arriving Mar. 14, "Boston Am. Pkt. Mar 15" backstamp and matching "5" cent due rating h.s., Very Fine.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

Prepayment shown lower left in magenta ink, 9 kreuzer internal and 38 kreuzer (or 10¾ silbergroschen) for transit fees beyond the German-Austrian Postal Union under Anglo-Prussian Convention of 1852. British credit included 8d transatlantic and 4d British internal fees. Since American packet carried letter across Atlantic, G.B. credited 16¢ to U.S.

email this lot to a friend

Lot 332    

1855 (Aug. 22) Bremen to Baltimore, Md., folded letter with "Bremen 22/8" origin cds and matching "By U. St. Mail" script straightline, red "3½ sgr." script Bremen credit rating to G.B., red London "Paid 24 AU 1855" transit, carried by Collins Line Atlantic from Liverpool Aug. 25 to New York arriving Sep. 6, black "New-York Am. Pkt. Sep 6" exchange cds with "42" cent due rating h.s., Very Fine, less than five recorded examples of both script style Bremen markings.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Letter prepaid 7 silbergroschen for transit fees to G.B. under Anglo-Prussian Convention of 1852. Bremen struck "3½ sgr." credit marking in red. Bremen also struck the very scarce marking "By U.St. Mail" to explain desired routing from England. G.B. sent letter to U.S. in British open mails. Although Bremen considered letter a single rate, New York marked 2x21¢=42¢ postage due, double British Open Mail rate by American packet for a letter over ½ oz.

Realized: $850

email this lot to a friend

Lot 333    

1855 (Aug. 26) Bremen, Germany to Baltimore, Md., folded letter with Bremen Thurn & Taxis (8.26) origin cds with "PD." oval h.s. and red crayon "14/4" on reverse, Havre (8.29) backstamp, carried by Havre Line Arago from Havre Aug. 29 to New York arriving Sep. 11, "N. York Am. Pkt. '20' Sep 11" arrival debit cds, Very Fine.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

Letter taken to the Thurn & Taxis Post Office in Bremen and paid 18 grote (28 kreuzer) for transit by the Thurn & Taxis Post to Havre, a very scarce route for letters to the U.S. The Thurn & Taxis Post marked the breakdown of the transit fees beyond the GAPU border on the reverse in red crayon, 4 kreuzer to Belgium and 14 kreuzer to France, the rate for a single letter. New York marked letter for 20¢, the incoming American packet rate by direct steamer from Havre.

Realized: $260

email this lot to a friend

Lot 334    

1856 (Jun. 6) Bremen to Philadelphia, Pa., folded letter carried by Vanderbilt Line North Star Bremerhaven Jun. 6 to New York arriving Jun. 24, "New-York 'Ship 5cts' Jun 25" cds, Very Fine, A scarce non-contract steamship voyage.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

The Vanderbilt Line inaugurated service to Bremen via Southampton in May 1856. This cover was carried on the return of that first voyage to Bremen and the only Vanderbilt Line voyage to Europe in 1856. Some ship letters were carried on this voyage as illustrated by this cover.

Realized: $500

email this lot to a friend

Lot 335    

1856 (Jun. 16) Schleswig to New York, N.Y., folded letter endorsed per "Hammonia" and showing "Schiffes Brief Post, Hamburg, 30 Jun 1856" rimless cds, carried by Hapag Line Hammonia from Hamburg Jul. 2 to New York arriving Jul. 18, New York "6" due h.s. for the ship letter fee, Very Fine, Carried on the Maiden Voyage of Hapag Line Hammonia. One of only four recorded covers carried under the U.S.-Hamburg informal agreement prior to the 1857 Treaty.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

Letter carried privately from Schleswig to Hamburg, where the SchiffsBrief Post placed letter on board HAPAG Hammonia on its maiden voyage. Soon after this voyage, an informal agreement between the U.S. and Hamburg resulted in mails being carried between Hamburg and the U.S. on the HAPAG steamers. Only 10,606 letters were carried before the treaty went into effect on 1 July 1857.

Realized: $525

email this lot to a friend

Lot 336    

1856 (Jun. 30) Hamburg to New York, N.Y., folded cover with "Schieffsbrief-Post Hamburg 30 Jun 1856" rimless postmark and manuscript "6" schillinge prepaid rating, carried by Hapag Line Hammonia from Hamburg Jul. 2 to New York arriving Jul. 18, New York "6" cent due rating, Very Fine, One of only four recorded covers carried under the U.S.-Hamburg informal agreement prior to the 1857 Treaty.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

While an informal agreement between the U.S. and Hamburg had been concluded for mails to be carried between Hamburg and the U.S. on the HAPAG steamers, and the letter sender paid the appropriate fee (equivalent to 10¢), New York's treating this letter as an incoming ship letter indicates they had not been advised of the agreement by mid-July 1856.

Realized: $525

email this lot to a friend

Lot 337    

1856 (Sep. 30) Hamburg to New York, N.Y., folded letter with "Hamburg/30 Sep 1856" postmark and manuscript "5" cent debit to U.S., carried by Hapag Line Borussia from Hamburg Oct. 1 to New York arriving Oct. 17, "N. York Brem. Pk. '10' Oct 17" integral due cds used since New York did not have a Hamburg cds at this time, Very Fine, One of only four recorded covers carried under the U.S.-Hamburg informal agreement prior to the 1857 Treaty.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

The 10¢ postage due in New York and 5¢ debit marked by Hamburg suggests an international fee, split equally between the two countries.

Realized: $400

email this lot to a friend

Lot 338    

1857 (May 6) Bremen to Baltimore, Md., folded letter with Bremen (5.8) cds, carried as endorsed by European & American Steam Shipping Line Indiana from Bremen May 9 to New York arriving May 31, "New-York 'Ship 5cts' Jun" debit cds, This letter was carried on maiden voyage of the Indiana, and the second round voyage of the European & American Steam Shipping line. Only one other letter carried by this line has been recorded. A scarce non-contract steamship voyage.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

In April 1857, the European & American Steam Shipping Company commenced operations between Bremen, Southampton, and New York. Only eleven round voyages were made before the company went out of business. The Bremen post office put the letter on the steamer, presumably unpaid. New York marked the letter for 5¢ postage due (2¢ ship and 3¢ inland fees).

Realized: $950

email this lot to a friend

Lot 339    

1857 (Jun. 30) Hamburg to New York, N.Y., blue folded cover with Hamburg datestamp and matching "5" cent debit to U.S., carried by Hapag Line Hammonia from Hamburg Jul. 1 to New York arriving Jul. 16, "N. York Hamb. PKt. '10' Jul 16" exchange debit cds, New York carrier pencil "12" final due rating, hor. file fold, Very Fine, This was carried by Hammonia on the first mails into New York under the new U.S.-Hamburg Treaty on this voyage.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

The U.S.-Hamburg treaty went into effect on July 1, 1857. Hamburg debited the U.S. 5¢, this time with a handstamp (only example recorded of this accounting mark). The pencil "12c" was marked by a New York letter carrier reflecting the 2¢ carrier charge in the postage due. Such chance notations are quite scarce on transatlantic covers.

Realized: $1,050

email this lot to a friend

Lot 340    

1857 (Jul. 7) Schwientochlowitz, Prussia to New York, N.Y., cover with Schwientochlowitz (7.7) origin cds and sent unpaid, Bremen (7.9) and manuscript "10/20" debit rating, carried by Vanderbilt Line Ariel from Bremerhaven July 11 to New York arriving July 29, "N. York U.S. Pkt. '30' Jul 29" exchange debit cds, some light aging and wear, Fine, the discovery example of N.YORK U.S. PKT. 30 cds, Ariel brought the first contract mails into New York for the Vanderbilt Line.
Estimate    $400 - 600.

This was the first trip advertised to carry regular post office mails by the Vanderbilt Line. Prussian post office marked 2x2=4 silbergroschen for internal German transit fees. Bremen showed breakdown of total fees, 10 grote (10¢) German and 20 grote international fees for double rate letter.

email this lot to a friend

Lots 331-340 Lots 341-350 Lots 351-356

Previous ChapterTable of ContentsNext Chapter