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Sale 50: United States Postal History

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Transatlantic Mail to Great Britain (1837 to 1849)

Lots 358-367 Lots 368-377 Lots 378-384

Lot 358    

1837 (Mar. 20) New Orleans, La. to London, England, folded cover endorsed "Express Mail" with blue "New Orleans La. Mar 20" cds with matching "Paid" h.s. and red manuscript "75" rating, carried by Swallowtail Line Ontario from New York Apr. 3 to Portsmouth arriving Apr. 24, "Portsmouth/Ship Letter" stepped h.s. and manuscript "1/4" 1s4d due rating, London (4.24) arrival backstamp, file folds, Very Fine, scarce express mail transatlantic usage.
Estimate    $400 - 600.

Express mail rate was triple or 3x25¢ = 75¢ from New Orleans to New York. Postage due consisted of 8d ship fee plus 8d inland fee for 72 miles from Portsmouth to London.

Realized: $850

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Lot 359    

1840 (Jul. 31) Utica, N.Y. to Kirk Patrick, Isle of Man, folded letter with fancy red "Utica N.Y. July 31" oval datestamp and matching fancy "Paid" h.s. with manuscript "18¾" rating for postage to New York, carried by Blue Swallowtail Line Patrick Henry from New York Jul. 8th to Liverpool arriving Jul. 28th, "Liverpool/Ship Letter" backstamp, black "8" pence due rating h.s., Very Fine, a scarce cover to Isle of Man.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Even though letter was marked for a sailing ship, sender avoided paying the freight money fee by paying only the domestic postage to New York. Here the postmaster could send the letter on a vessel of his choosing.

Realized: $290

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Lot 360    

1840 (Oct. 30) New York, N.Y. to London, England, folded letter carried privately to Boston where blue "Harndens Boston" oval handstamp applied, carried by Cunard Line Acadia from Boston Nov. 1 to Liverpool arriving Nov. 15, red London "16 NO 1840" backstamp and manuscript "1" shilling due rating for packet service, Very Fine, the Harnden's Boston oval is very rare struck in blue, used during 1840 only.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

Realized: $2,100

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Lot 361    

1842 (Jan. 14) New Orleans, La. to London, England, folded bill of lading, carried by Sailing Ship Sidney from New Orleans about Jan. 14 to London arriving about Feb. 23, red London (3.24) arrival backstamp, red "Exempt. Ship Lr." crown h.s. and black "2" pence due h.s., F.-V.F., a very rare London ship letter exemption usage.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Letter was a bill of lading that accompanied a shipment of 300 bales of cotton carried on the Sidney. Since 1710, the British allowed letters of merchants and ship owners related to the cargo carried on a vessel to be exempt from the ship letter fees. From 1840, these letters were marked with a handstamp in either red or black ink and charged only the normal prepaid inland fee plus the Master's Gratuity of 2 pence. Because this letter was not going beyond the arrival port only the Master's Gratuity was charged, marked with a black handstamp 2. Known handstamps for exemption were used at London and Liverpool only. This is one of the London markings. All uses of these markings are scarce.

Realized: $290

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Lot 362    

1842 (Apr. 7) Baltimore, Md. to Longtown, England, envelope with letter with blue "Baltimore Md. Apr. 7" cds with matching "Paid" h.s. with blue manuscript "37½" rating for double-weight to Boston, carried by Cunard Line Britannia from Boston May 1st to Liverpool arriving May 15th, black "1/-" shilling due rating, Longtown (5.17) framed arrival datestamp, Very Fine, a scarce example of a pre-1845 envelope on transatlantic mail.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

In the U.S., letters were charged by the number of sheets of paper until the shift to a weight basis in July 1845. Because envelopes were charged as a sheet of paper, they were seldom used in this country before July 1845.

Realized: $240

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Lot 363    

1842 (Aug. 29) Philadelphia, Pa. to London, England, folded letter with strong strike of red "Harnden & Co. Phila." company circular handstamp, entered mails with blue "Philadelphia Pa Aug 29" cds and framed "Paid" handstamp with manuscript "18¾" rating, carried by Cunard Line Britannia from Boston Sep. 1 to Liverpool arriving Sep. 14, reverse with London "15 SP 1842" cds and manuscript "1/-" shilling due rating for the packet fee, fresh and Extremely Fine, a choice Harnden's Philadelphia usage.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $2,100

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Lot 364    

1843 (Oct. 11) New York, N.Y. to Lirby Lonsdale, England, folded letter with British packet agent red "Boston" straightline postmark, carried by Cunard Line Acadia from Boston Oct. 16 to Liverpool arriving Oct. 29, Liverpool "America/L" oval backstamp and black "1/-" shilling due h.s. rating, Very Fine, scarce British Post Office marking applied in U.S.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

When Britain introduced its West India service with a branch line to the US in 1842 it also tried to establish consular offices in Boston, Charleston, Mobile, New Orleans, and New York. The American Postmaster General became aware of the breach of Sovereignty and by early 1844 had these offices closed. The office at Boston is recorded as using a straight line "BOSTON" handstamp from 2nd December 1842. Letter originated in British consulate of New York and sent privately to British packet agent in Boston, who applied BOSTON handstamp and placed letter in steamship's letter bag avoiding the U.S. postal system.

Realized: $450

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Lot 365    

1844 (Jun. 3) New Orleans, La. to London, England, folded cover carried out of mails to New York, flap with manuscript "Grinnel & Minturn" forwarder's endorsement, red "Forwd. by T.W. Ward, Boston" oval h.s. with matching "Pr. Caledonia" name-of-boat straightline, carried by Cunard Line Caledonia from Boston Jun. 16 to London arriving Jun. 29, London (6.29.44) arrival backstamp and manuscript "1" shilling packet rating, Very Fine, a scarce Ward name-of-boat marking.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

T.A. Ward of Boston used a series of handstamps with names of the early Cunard steamships to indicate the ships that carried the letters.

Realized: $625

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Lot 366    

1844 (Aug. 17) New Orleans, La. to London, England, folded cover carried out of mails to New York, reverse with red "Grinnel, Minturn & Co." and "Forwd. by T.W. Ward, Boston" forwarder's ovals, front with matching "Pr. Acadia" name-of-boat straightline, carried by Cunard Line Acadia from Boston Sep. 1 to Liverpool arriving Sep. 14, London (9.15.44) arrival backstamp and manuscript "1" shilling packet rating, Very Fine, a scarce Ward name-of-boat marking.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

There are two versions of this Ward name of boat straightline, one with a large "R" in "PR", and the other with a small cap "R".

Realized: $500

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Lot 367    

1845 (Feb. 14) New Orleans, La. to London, England, folded cover carried out of mails to New York, red "Forwd. by T.W. Ward, Boston" forwarder's oval and with bold strike of "Pr. Hibernia" name-of-boat straightline, carried by Cunard Line Hibernia from Boston Mar. 1 to Liverpool arriving Mar. 17, London (3.18.45) arrival backstamp and manuscript "1" shilling packet rating, Very Fine, a scarce Ward name-of-boat marking.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $725

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Lots 358-367 Lots 368-377 Lots 378-384

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