Lot
1325 
(Restored Rate) 1849 (Jan. 8) Morrisville Pa. to London, England, cover with datelined letter from the sister of the surgeon aboard U.S. Frigate St. Lawrence, care of Baring Brothers London, manuscript "Morrisville Pa., Jany 8 - /49" postmark and "Paid 5" rating to New York, carried by Cunard Europa from New York Jan. 10th to Liverpool arriving Jan. 22nd during the restored rate period, Liverpool manuscript "1/-" one-shilling due rating for packet; slight toning and sealing-wax stain., F.-V.F., Carried on the first of only three eastbound sailings in the restored rate period. Estimate $300 - 400.
No American packets sailed to the U.K. during the restored rate period.
Realized: $250
Lot
1326
(Restored Rate) 1849 (Jan. 21) Trenton N.J. to London, England, buff cover with datelined letter from the sister of the surgeon aboard U.S. Frigate St. Lawrence, care of Baring Brothers London, blue "Trenton, N.J., Jan 22" cds and matching "Paid" handstamp with pencil "24" rating, carried by Cunard America from Boston Jan. 24th to Liverpool arriving Feb. 4th, red London (2.5) arrival backstamp and manuscript "1/-" due rating for packet after crossing out the "2/-" rating made in error, Very Fine, Carried on the second of only three eastbound sailings in the restored rate period. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $250
Lot
1327
(1848 Treaty) 1849 (Jan. 30) Buchholz, Saxony to Philadelphia Pa., blue datelined folded letter with blue "Wilh. Ferd. Haschf, Hamburg" forwarders oval, endorsed "pr. British Steamer von 24. februar", red manuscript "5" rating crossed out and updated to "6", red London Paid (2.17.1849) cds and Liverpool (2.17) transit, carried by Cunard Line America from Liverpool Feb. 24th to Boston arriving Mar. 8th, docketed as received Mar. 10th, Very Fine. Estimate $300 - 400.
A SCARCE LETTER FROM GERMANY CARRIED ON THE FIRST WESTBOUND SAILING OF THE CUNARD LINE UNDER THE 1848 TREATY.
Realized: $375
Lot
1328
(Restored Rate) 1849 (Jan. 31) Newport R.I. to Southampton, England, orange buff cover with datelined letter to the surgeon aboard the U.S. Frigate St. Lawrence, care of the American Consul in Southampton, red "Newport R.I., Feb 3" cds with matching "Paid" and "24" rating handstamps, carried on Cunard Canada from New York Feb. 7th to Liverpool arriving Feb. 19th, reverse with Liverpool (2.19) cds, red London (2.20) and blue Southampton (2.21) arrival cds, manuscript "2/9" ratings crossed out and corrected with "1/-" handstamp rating, F.-V.F., Carried on the last of only three eastbound sailings in the restored rate period. Estimate $300 - 400.
The letter likely left Southampton on February 27 aboard the P&O steamer Jupiter, which arrived at Cadiz on March 8. Dr. Clymer's notes on the reverse indicate he received the letter on March 9 at Cadiz.
Realized: $650
Lot
1329
1849 (Feb 8) New Ross, Ireland to New York N.Y., datelined folded letter originally endorsed "By Halifax Steamer" (crossed out) then "By Contract Steamer", reverse with red Dublin (2.9) cds and black "RETURNED / FOR / POSTAGE" three-line handstamp, along with blue-green Ross (2.10), red Dublin (2.11) transit and red London (2.12) crown cds, manuscript "1/-" shilling due rating, black London "3" debit handstamp to U.S., carried by Ocean Line Hermann from Southampton Mar. 26th to New York arriving Apr. 13th, New York black "24" due handstamp, Very Fine, ex-Ashbrook, Reussille, Hahn; signed Ashbrook notes at left. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
THE FIRST AMERICAN PACKET SAILING UNDER THE 1848 TREATY AS WELL AS ONE OF THE EARLIEST PACKET LETTERS SENT UNPAID UNDER THE TREATY.
The sender in Ross first intended the letter to go on a Cunard ship via Halifax, but evidently thinking that the new treaty would allow it to go unpaid, but the treaty was not announced in London until Feb. 21st. When the Dublin post office returned the letter to Ross for postage the sender simply changed the endorsement to allow it to go by any other contract packet than a Cunarder. The letter was in London on Feb. 12th, but was not sent on the next Cunard sailing (America to Boston on Feb 24th, as obviated by the New York "24" debit), so was evidently held by the post office until the first March sailing on the Ocean Line. Hence the "3" cents debit to the U.S. rather than 21¢ had the letter gone via Cunard. The handstamp "3" was a London domestic marking and is not often seen on transatlantic mail. Accompanied by Dick Winter's analysis.
Realized: $725
Lot
1330
1849 (Feb. 17) Philadelphia Pa. to Berlin, Prussia, blue datelined folded letter with partial blue Philadelphia cds and matching "Paid" octagon handstamp with pencil rating, black "New-York Feb 20" backstamp and matching "PART PART" straightline, carried as endorsed by Cunard Line Niagara from Boston Feb. 21st to Liverpool arriving Mar. 6th, black "AMERICA / ÜBER BREMEN" two-line handstamp, red "1 1/3." credit rating, magenta "5" rating, Very Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
The "Paid Part" handstamp is a New York marking indicating that the letter was prepaid only to Bremen. Since most Bremen Treaty mails were carried by steamer directly to Bremerhaven, closed mails via England and Belgium are uncommon. Because there were insufficient voyages to Bremerhaven for all the mails which accumulated in New York, the New York postmaster augmented these trips with closed mails via England for a few years. With the inauguration of the Ocean Steam Navigation Co., the U.S. Government made its first postal treaty with an overseas government, Germany. The treaty appointed the Postmaster of Bremen as U.S. Special Mail Agent at Bremen. A special postmark for use by the agent was introduced reading "AMERICA / ÜBER BREMEN" in two-lines. The example struck here in black is quite unusual.
This sailing of "Niagara" was also the first Cunard sailing to carry British packet mails under the 1848 US-GB Treaty.
Realized: $850
Lot
1331
1849 (Feb. 18) Morrisville Pa. to London, England, buff cover with datelined letter to the surgeon aboard the U.S. Frigate St. Lawrence, care of Baring Brothers in London, manuscript "Morrisville" postmark and matching "Paid 24" cents rating, carried by Cunard Niagara departing Boston Feb 21st to Liverpool arriving Mar. 6th, red London (3.7) arrival backstamp and manuscript "1/-" rating despite the treaty having been ratified, as the Treasury warrant was not sent to British post offices until March 8th; wax stain, Fine, The First Eastbound Sailing During the Treaty Period. Estimate $200 - 300.
The first convention mails from the U.S. sailed on the Ocean Line's "Hermann" on February 20th. This sailing of "Niagara" carried the first convention mail by a Cunarder.
Realized: $160
Lot
1332
1849 (Feb. 20) New York, N.Y. to London, England, datelined folded letter with New York red "24" prepaid rating handstamp for 24¢ packet rating, carried as endorsed by Cunard Line Niagara from Boston Feb. 21st to Liverpool Mar. 6th, London Paid (3.7) tombstone arrival and red manuscript "1/-" shilling packet rating; light horizontal fold, fresh and Very Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
A CHOICE USE CARRIED ON THE FIRST EASTBOUND SAILING ON A BRITISH PACKET UNDER THE 1848 CONVENTION.
In December 1848 a treaty was negotiated restoring the conditions prior the the Retaliatory Rate period. The treaty was not ratified by Congress until February 1849 and the three eastbound sailings by Cunard before ratification are known as the Restored Period. The first sailing under the new treaty was from Boston by the "Niagara" on 21st February 1849.
Realized: $425
Lot
1333
1849 (Feb. 20) Leeds, England to Philadelphia Pa., datelined folded letter with red Liverpool (2.23) cds and manuscript red "1/-" one-shilling packet rating, Liverpool (2.24) backstamp and red "5" cents credit to the U.S., carried on Cunard America from Liverpool Feb. 24th to Boston arriving Mar. 8th, Very Fine. Estimate $400 - 600.
THIS WAS THE FIRST WESTBOUND SAILING UNDER THE 1848 US-GB TREATY.
No rating handstamps were available in Liverpool for the first four westbound sailings. For details of the confusion surrounding early treaty mails see the 1992 article by R.F. Winter in Chronicle 154.
Realized: $375
Lot
1334
1849 (Feb. 22) Glasgow, Scotland to Philadelphia Pa., datelined blue folded letter with red "Glasgow, Paid N, Feb 22, 1849" datestamp, endorsed "Paid at Glasgow 22 Feby / 49" at top and "p R.M. Steamer "America" from Liverpool 24 Feby" at bottom, Liverpool (2.24) transit backstamp, red manuscript "1/-" one-shilling packet rating and matching "5" cents credit to U.S., carried on Cunard Line America from Liverpool Feb. 24th to Boston arriving Mar. 8th, Very Fine, ex-Needs. Estimate $400 - 600.
THIS WAS THE FIRST WESTBOUND SAILING UNDER THE 1848 US-GB TREATY.
No rating handstamps were available in Liverpool for the first four westbound sailings. For details of the confusion surrounding early treaty mails see the 1992 article by R.F. Winter in Chronicle 154.
Realized: $600