Terms of SaleBid IncrementsGradingLinksContact

Sale 73: The March Sale

Previous ChapterTable of ContentsNext Chapter

Foreign Mails - 1855 to 1856

Lots 1400-1409 Lots 1410-1419 Lots 1420-1429

Lot 1420    

1856 (Apr. 25) Edinburgh, Scotland to New York N.Y., blue folded letter with red Edinburgh (4.25) backstamp and bearing G.B. 1s green, embossed (5), large margins to touched, tied by Edinburgh "131" roller cancel, red Liverpool (4.26) transit and matching "5/Cents" credit handstamp, carried by Cunard Line America from Liverpool Apr. 26th to Boston arriving May 10th, New York red "Paid" arc handstamp; horizontal fold, Very Fine; with 2008 Sismondo certificate.
Estimate    $400 - 600.

email this lot to a friend

Lot 1421    

1856 (May 21) Morrisville Pa. to Funchal, Madeira Islands, cover with letter from Clymer correspondence, "Morrisville Pa. May 22" cds with manuscript "Paid 65 cts" rating, red "New York Am. Pkt. May 24" exchange cds and red manuscript "44" cents credit to G.B., carried by Collins Line Atlantic from New York May 24th to Liverpool arriving Jun. 4th, red London Paid (6.5) transit, Portuguese blue "160" reis due handstamp; thick 10-page contents, ex-Winter.
Estimate    $400 - 600.

Surgeon George Clymer, U.S.S. "Jamestown", noted on the reverse that the 10-page letter, dated 21 & 22 May 1856 from his wife was received on his ship at Funchal at "9½ A.M. Monday June 16th, Per the Avon from Southampton." Letter carried to Funchal on the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. steamship "Avon" en route to the Caribbean from Southampton. Portuguese marked 160 reis postage due.

Realized: $550

email this lot to a friend

Lot 1422    

1856 (Jun. 2) Funchal, Madeira Islands to Washington D.C., cover from Clymer correspondence with June 2nd enclosure, Madeira (6.2) origin and London (6.9) backstamps, manuscript "44" single rate updated to "88" double rate, carried by Collins Line Atlantic from Liverpool Jun. 11th to New York arriving Jun. 22, "New-York Jun 23 Am. Pkt." exchange cds with "1.30" due rating, Very Fine and scarce origin, ex-Winter.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Letter was carried from Funchal to Southampton on the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. steamship "Tamar" returning from the Caribbean to England. New York added 2 x 21¢ = 42¢ U.S. share to the 88¢ and marked $1.30 postage due. Envelope contained an 18-page letter from Surgeon George Clymer, U.S.S. "Jamestown", flagship of the African Squadron, to his wife care of Commodore Shubrick in Washington, D.C.

Realized: $350

email this lot to a friend

Lot 1423    

1856 (Jun. 30) Hamburg, Germany to Philadelphia Pa., folded cover with "Schieffsbrief-Post Hamburg 30 Jun 1856" rimless postmark and pencil "6" schillinge prepaid rating, carried by Hapag Line Hammonia from Hamburg Jul. 2nd to New York arriving Jul. 18th, bold "New-York 'Ship 5' Jul 18" integral due cds, Very Fine, This was the maiden voyage of Hapag Line Hammonia, and second voyage of the line.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

ONE OF ONLY FOUR RECORDED COVERS CARRIED UNDER THE U.S.-HAMBURG INFORMAL AGREEMENT PRIOR TO THE 1857 TREATY.

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: $900

email this lot to a friend

Lot 1424    

1856, 1857 (Jul. 5, Jun. 20) Liverpool, England to United States, group of two with "Posted-Since, Last Night, Liverpool, A1" datestamps, first with Jul. 5th 1856 cds and matching "10 / Cents" single-rate debit rating to Cincinnati Oh., carried by Cunard Line Niagara from Liverpool Jul. 20th to Boston arriving Jul. 17th, "Boston Br. Pkt. '24' Jul 17" exchange due cds; second with Jun. 20th 1857 cds and matching double-weight "38 / Cents" debit rating to Boston Mass., carried as endorsed by Cunard Line Niagara from Liverpool Jun. 29th to Boston arriving Jul. 1st, Boston Br. Pkt. Jul. 1st arrival backstamp and matching "48" cent due rating, a Very Fine pair at the single and double rates showing the Liverpool Too Late cds.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

In 1856, Liverpool head post office introduced a form of "Too Late" datestamp for mail intended to travel overseas by ship, this cancel indicated the mail was received after 8:30 pm, but both of the items here was carried by the intended ship of the same date.

Realized: $250

email this lot to a friend

Lot 1425    

1856 (Jul. 24) Madeira to Washington D.C., double-weight light buff cover with enclosed letter from Dr. George Clymer, surgeon on the U.S. Frigate St. Lawrence datelined "San Antonio da Serra. Madeira, July 13th. 1856." to his daughter sent unpaid via British open mail, entered mails with "Madeira, JY 23, 1856" double-arc backstamp, carried as endorsed by African Steamship Co. Niger from Funchal Jul. 23rd to Plymouth arriving Jul. 29th, reverse with "Plymouth, Packet Letter, JY 30, 1856" cds and red London (7.31) transit cds, London manuscript "1.20" debit to U.S. for transit and sea postage, carried by Cunard Line Canada from Liverpool Aug. 2nd to Boston arriving Aug. 13th, "Boston, Br. Pkt., 13 Aug" exchange cds and debit update to "1.40" for $1.40 due, Very Fine and scarce double rate from Madeira.
Estimate    $400 - 600.

London's debit of $1.20 to the U.S. was correct (double 65¢ rate, less 10 cents for U.S. inland). The Boston clerk may have thought it was a ship letter, so added 10¢.

email this lot to a friend

Lot 1426    

1856 (Oct.) Mount Holly N.J. to Scarborough, England, partial strikes of Mount Holly cds tie four 12¢ black (17) singles, mostly four margins, on cover for the 24¢ treaty rate, New York red "6" credit handstamp, carried by Vanderbilt Ariel from New York Oct. 3rd to Southampton arriving Oct. 18th, red London Paid (10.18) entry cds, Scarborough (10.19) arrival backstamp; top edge mend, small stamp flaws, Fine prepaid use at the 24¢ treaty rate.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (87KB)

Realized: $425

email this lot to a friend

Lot 1427    

1856 (Oct. 7) Geneva, Switzerland to New York N.Y., blue folded letter with "Geneve, 7 Oct 56" cds and bearing Switzerland 1854-55 20r pale orange (23) and 1855-57 40r yellow green (29), margins to slightly in, tied by lozenge cancels for the 60r rate by American steamer from G.B., black "PD" circle handstamp, blue "P. Reynaud & Cie., Bijouterie Horlogerie, Geneve" merchant oval at top right, red "Suisse, Fernex, 9 Oct. 56" exchange cds, red "Bureau Maritime, Le Havre, 10 Oct 56" transit backstamp, carried by Collins Line Atlantic from Liverpool Oct. 15th New York to New York arriving Oct. 28th, New York black "6" due handstamp (Winter 284), a Very Fine use.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

email this lot to a friend

Lot 1428    

1856 (Dec.) California to London, England, blue folded cover without U.S. markings carried on Cunard Line Canada departing Boston Dec. 31st to Liverpool arriving Jan.13th, Liverpool "1/2½" due handstamp (58¢ rate from California), flap with "Liverpool, America, 13JA, 57" cds and matching "ART-5 / B.R. PKT" two-line handstamp, and red London (1.13) arrival cds, Very Fine.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Article 5 of the 1848 treaty dealt with unpaid mail from California.

email this lot to a friend

Lot 1429    

1856 (Dec. 28) Themar, Germany to Snufftown, N.J., gray folded letter with "Themar" origin cds and blue ms. "24 / 9" rating on back, reverse with Bremen (1.7.1857) and "St. P.A. Bremen 10/1" transit backstamps, black "7/15" rating handstamp, held for the Ocean Line Hermann from Bremerhaven Feb. 21st to New York arriving Mar. 12th, black "N. York U.S. Pkt. '22' Mar 13" integral debit cds (Winter 145) for 22¢ postage due by addressee, Very Fine and scarce use.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

The New York "U.S. Pkt., 22" integral due 32mm cds is known used from Mar. 17th 1854 to May 4th 1858.

Realized: $250

email this lot to a friend

Lots 1400-1409 Lots 1410-1419 Lots 1420-1429

Previous ChapterTable of ContentsNext Chapter