Lot
505 
1838 (Sep. 5) Milan, Lombardy-Venetia to Morrisville, Pa., folded letter from U.S. Navy surgeon George Clymer to his sister in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, about his travels in northern Italy, while awaiting a new flagship in the Mediterranean Squadron, Milan (9.5) datestamp and "F.C." h.s., Paris (9.13) backstamp, carried by Union Line Baltimore from Havre Sep. 25 to New York arriving Oct. 25, red "New-York 'Ship' Oct 25" cds with manuscript "12" rating, Very Fine, A scarce steamship voyage via Great Britain from Austrian Lombardy to the United States. Estimate $200 - 300.
Under 1831 Franco-Austrian Postal Convention, France was entitled to 65 centimes per 7½ grams letter weigh (approx. 71 Austrian centesimi) for transit from Austria through the Kingdom of Sardinia to France. The Austrian internal fee that had to be prepaid was an additional 40 Austrian centesimi for the 42 km from Milan to the Sardinian border. "F.C" handstamp in red applied at Milan to indicate letter paid to the Kingdom of Sardinia border. The letter, as endorsed, was placed on a sailing packet at Le Havre for New York.
Realized: $850
Lot
506
1842 (Mar. 14) Naples, Sicily to Washington, D.C., folded cover carried privately to Paris and posted, red Paris (3.30) cds and "22" decimes prepaid rating on reverse, red manuscript "1/-" shilling credit to G.B., red London Paid (4.1) and Liverpool (4.2) transits, carried by Cunard Line Britannia from Liverpool Apr. 5 to Boston arriving Apr. 20, manuscript "Free" rating as letter was to Adj. General Jones, F.-V.F., a scarce incoming free transatlantic cover. Estimate $200 - 300.
Letter carried privately to Paris and posted. Prepayment consisted of 12 decimes to G.B. and 10 decimes retained by France for internal postage. Boston marked letter "free" as it was addressed to the Adjutant General of the Army, General Jones, who enjoyed a free franking privilege.
Realized: $160
Lot
507
1844 (Aug. 9) Naples, Sicily to Philadelphia, Pa. via London, folded letter entered mails with Marseilles (8.14) entry cds, red London (8.20) datestamp with manuscript "1/3" paid by agent and reposted to Philadelphia with red manuscript "1/-" shilling packet fee prepaid, carried by Cunard Line Britannia from Liverpool Sep. 4 to Boston arriving Sep. 17, Philadelphia "20¾" (the "/4" is red crayon), Very Fine, scarce example of the red Philadelphia 20¾ rate handstamp. Estimate $200 - 300.
Letter carried by ship to Marseille, where it entered French mail system. At London, forwarding agent Heath, Furse & Co. (handstamp on reverse) paid 1s3d for ¼-½ oz letter, crossed thru their name in the address, and paid 1s packet postage to U.S. Letter rated at Philadelphia and not at arrival port of Boston. Postage due consisted of 2¢ ship fee plus 18¾¢ U.S. inland fee from Boston to Philadelphia. Italicized version of Philadelphia rate stamp in red quite scarce since color shifted to blue soon after its was introduced.
Realized: $1,000
Lot
508
(Retaliatory Rates) 1848 (Dec. 4) Palermo, Sicily to New Orleans, La. via London, folded letter carried from Trapani, Sicily to Marseille on French steamship Tancrede of the Malta-Constantinople service, normally picked up at Messina by French Italian coastal steamer but the call was stopped for two months because of an epidemic on Sicily, London "1/3" rating due paid by forwarder and placed in letter bag for New York, carried by Ocean Line Hermann from Southampton Dec. 23 to New York arriving Jan. 3; some minor erosion in redirect notation, red "New-York 'Ship 34cts. Jan 4" cds for 10¢ inland plus 24¢ packet fee, Very Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
Letter placed in ship letter bag and not posted in British mail system, thereby avoiding the 1 shilling discriminatory charge imposed by the British. Hermann put into Nantasket Roads (entrance to Boston harbor) short of coal. Mails were put off and sent to New York, arriving three days before the steamer.
Realized: $500
Lot
509
1849 (Feb. 17) Genoa, Sardinia to New York, N.Y. via Jamaica, folded letter with red "Genoa, 17 Feb." postmark and matching "P.F." h.s., manuscript "32" soldi paid for transit fees to G.B., red "Dopo La/Partenza" two-line h.s. indicates letter posted after mails departed, French and London (3.1) transits, carried by RMS Teviot from Southampton Mar. 2 to Havana arriving Apr. 1, "Kingston-Jamaica AP 7 1849" backstamp, red partial "Mobile Ala. May 5" cds and matching "Ship" and "12" rating handstamps; light toning, F.-V.F., an early Mobile RMSP cover and very scarce routing for this transatlantic cover. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Instead of placing letter in open mails to the New York London sent letter to West Indies by the Southampton steamer. Since letter not paid sufficiently for this routing, it is unknown why British sent it this way. Letter placed by error in Jamaica mails and left on Teviot until arrival in Jamaica instead of being put off with American mails at Havana. Branch RMSP Co. steamer "Tay" took letter back to Havana and branch steamer Severn took letter from Havana to Mobile, Alabama where letter marked as incoming ship letter and rated for 12¢ postage due.
Realized: $2,000
Lot
510
1850 (Jul. 17) Palermo, Sicily to Williamsburgh, N.Y., folded letter sent unpaid by sailing ship to Liverpool, "8 AU 1850 Liverpool Ship" framed backstamp with manuscript "32cts" debit rating to U.S. (8d ship plus 8d transatlantic fee), carried by Cunard Line Europa from Liverpool Aug. 10 to Boston arriving Aug. 21, "Br. Packet Boston 21 Aug" cds with final manuscript "37" cent due (5¢ British Open Mail plus 32¢ debit), Fine, combined ship/contract mail rates were allowed by treaty, examples of which are scarce. Estimate $150 - 200.
British debit to U.S. included 16¢ ship letter rate to G.B. from Palermo and 16¢ transatlantic sea postage. To this, Boston added 5¢ British open mail rate by British packet for a total postage due of 37¢.
Lot
511
1852 (Nov. 2) U.S.S. Cumberland, Spezia, Sardinia to Washington, D.C., folded cover with "U.S. Ship Cumberland" endorsement, Spezia (11.2) origin cds with prepaid "17" rating of 1L 70c, Pont de Beauvoisin (11.7) entry cds with "P.D." h.s., carried by Cunard Line America from Liverpool Nov. 13 to Boston arriving Nov. 24, black "Boston Br. Packet '5' Nov 24" debit exchange cds, Extremely Fine. Estimate $300 - 400.
Letter from U.S.S. Cumberland, flagship of U.S. Navy's Mediterranean Squadron. Prepayment included all transit fees from Kingdom of Sardinia through France to G.B. and British transport to U.S. harbor. French entry marking, applied at Paris, indicated entry at Pont de Beauvoisin. Letter addressed to 4th Auditor, Navy Department, who enjoyed free franking privilege. Postage due of 5¢ in Boston postmark crossed through in red crayon at Washington, D.C. as no postage was due.
Realized: $200
Lot
512
1856 (May 13) Trapani, Sicily to Kingston, Mass., folded letter with red "Trapani" oval postmark, red Marseilles (5.27) cds and "PD" framed h.s., Havre (5.29) backstamp, carried by Compagnie Franco-Américaine Line Alma from Havre Jun. 3 to New York, black "New-York 'Ship 5 cts' Jun 29" cds for 3¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee, edgewear, F.-V.F., Covers carried by the Compagnie Franco-Américaine steamship company, which made only 12 voyages to New York, are quite uncommon. A scarce non-contract steamship voyage. Estimate $200 - 300.
Letter was carried to Marseilles from Messina on French Compagnie des Messageries Impériales steamship "Danube". French postal officials at Marseilles sent the letter to Havre for transport to New York by Compagnie Franco-Américaine steamship "Alma". To date, a mail contract has not been located for this steamship line to carry French mails to New York, therefore this cover is considered a non-contract steamship cover. "Alma" put into Southampton with propeller damage and departed there on June 14 to resume the voyage to New York.
Realized: $325
Lot
513
1863 (May 4) Messina, Italy to New York, N.Y., folded letter sent privately to London where blue oval "Heath & Co./London" forwarder backstamp was applied and posted unpaid, carried by Cunard Line China from Queenstown May 10 to New York arriving May 22, "London MY 9 '63" d.s. and "19/cents" debit h.s. to U.S., New York "34" depreciated currency rating h.s.; file folds, F.-V.F., a very early depreciated currency cover. Estimate $300 - 400.
Letter carried privately to London where forwarding agent, Heath & Co. posted letter unpaid to the U.S. Starting 1 May 1863, exchange office postmasters were authorized to collect on unpaid letters from Great Britain and Ireland, France, Prussia, Hamburg, Bremen or Belgium the postage due in coin or depreciated greenback currency, with a premium calculated daily on the latter. This letter was due either 24¢ in coin or 34¢ in greenback notes.
Realized: $375