Lot
191 
1801 (Mar. 27) St. Pierre, Martinique to Charleston S.C. via New York, datelined folded letter carried by private ship, entered mails with "New-York, Apr 27" clamshell postmark and red manuscript "Sh 27" rating for 25¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee; light file folds, Very Fine and early use from Martinique. Estimate $600 - 800.
Realized: $625
Lot
192
1840 (Sep. 18) Manchester, England to Boston, Mass., folded letter with red "Manchester SP 18 1840" origin datestamp with red manuscript "1/-" shilling prepaid packet rating, carried as endorsed by Cunard Line Caledonia from Liverpool Sep. 19th to Boston arriving Oct. 3rd, Boston fancy red "Ship 6" scroll due handstamp, Very Fine and choice, Letter carried on Maiden Voyage of the Caledonia, and fourth round trip voyage of the Cunard Line., ex-Winter. Estimate $150 - 200.
Realized: $270
Lot
193
1841 (Jan. 2) Leith, Scotland to Richmond, Va., folded letter with red "Leith Jan 2, 1841" cds with red manuscript "1/-" shilling prepaid packet rating, red London (1.2) transit, carried as endorsed by Cunard Line Columbia from Liverpool Jan. 5th to Boston arriving Jan. 21st, red "Boston 'Ship' Jan 21" cds and manuscript "27" due rating for 25¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee, Very Fine, Letter carried on Maiden Voyage of the Cunard Line Columbia., ex-Winter. Estimate $300 - 400.
"Columbia" was the last of the original four wooden, side-wheel paddle steamers with which Samuel Cunard start the operations of his line in July 1840. She was 1,175 tons and built at Greenock in 1840. She ran aground and was wrecked at Cape Sable, Nova Scotia on July 2nd 1843 without loss of life.
Lot
194
1841 (Oct. 1) Derry, Ireland to Washington, D.C., datelined folded letter endorsed "On Public Service" and addressed to Genl. R. Jones, Adjt. Genl. U.S. Army, with faint red "Derry, OC 1, 1841" cds, red Dublin boxed "Paid, OC 3, 1841" datestamp and red ms. "1/-" packet rate prepayment, black dotted circle Liverpool "D, Oct 4, 1841" cds, carried by Cunard Columbia from Liverpool Oct. 5th to Boston arriving Oct. 21st, red "Boston Ms. Ship Oct 21" cds and blue "27" cents due rating for 25¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee, crossed out as letter and sent free to a government official, Very Fine, An Exceptional Example of a Rare Liverpool Datestamp. Estimate $200 - 300.
The dotted-circle Liverpool datestamp was used only in 1841 on outgoing packet letters carried by Cunard.
Lot
195
1842 (Jan. 3) Manchester, England to Boston, Mass., folded cover with red "Manchester JA 3 1842" origin datestamp and red manuscript "1/-" shilling prepaid packet rating, Liverpool "D, Jan 4, 1842" octagon backstamp, carried by Cunard Line Britannia from Liverpool Jan. 4th to Boston arriving Jan. 21st, Boston red "Ship/6" fancy ribbon due handstamp; some docketing on face, Fine and rare, ex-Winter. Estimate $300 - 400.
Letter marked one penny in red ink for British inland fee in error and then marked 1 shilling for the packet rate. Liverpool transit octagonal datestamp on reverse has the code letter "D" at the top, a scarce version of the uncommon octagonal marking. Less than a half dozen examples have been recorded and they were used for a three week period from December 1841-January 1842.
Lot
196
1842 (Apr. 7) Baltimore, Md. to Longtown, England, envelope with letter with blue "Baltimore, Md. Apr. 7" cds with matching "Paid" handstamp 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, ex-Winter. Estimate $150 - 200.
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: $120
Lot
197
1842 (May 13) Philadelphia, Pa. to Halifax, England, datelined folded letter endorsed "per. "Harnden" to Boston" and bearing blue"Philadelphia, Pa. May 13" cds and matching boxed "Paid" handstamp with manuscript "37" rating for double 18¾¢ postage, red "Forwd. From, Harnden & Co. Foreign Letter Office, Phila." circular handstamp and taken to Boston by Harnden & Co., carried by Cunard Line Caledonia from Boston May 16th to Liverpool arriving May 29th, scarce Liverpool "America / L" double-oval backstamp and matching "1/-" shilling packet rating, Halifax (5.30) arrival backstamp, fresh and Very Fine with an unusually clear strike of the Harnden's Philadelphia marking in red. Estimate $150 - 200.
Harnden did a brisk business between Philadelphia and Boston by carrying letters in bulk.
Realized: $220
Lot
198
1843 (Jun. 3) London, England to New York, N.Y., folded Jun. 3rd General Post Office Notice with red London Crowned (6.3) datestamp and sent free as post office business, carried by Cunard Line Columbia from Liverpool Jun. 4th to Boston arriving Jun. 18th, red "Boston 'Ship' " cds and matching "20¾" rating h.s. for 18¾¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee, Very Fine, Carried on the Last Voyage of the Columbia. ex-Winter. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
This was the completed voyage of the "Columbia" before running aground near Seal Island, Nova Scotia on July 2nd 1843. General Post Office in London preprinted notice requesting 3 shilling 4 pence be paid before the letter would be sent from London. "12 Oak" in pencil marked by New York letter carrier. Addressee was music teacher who formerly resided at 38 Hamilton Street but moved to 12 Oak Street.
Realized: $950
Lot
199
1845 (Nov. 19) Liverpool, England to New York, N.Y., folded letter carried privately by Harnden & Co. with black Liverpool company handstamp indicating transatlantic fees of "1/" shilling to be collected upon delivery, carried by Cunard Line Cambria from Liverpool Nov. 19th to Boston arriving Dec. 4th, pencil "25" cent equivalent plus 8¢ for transit from Boston to New York totaled to "33" cents due by addressee, New York marked the street address of "6 Liberty St", Very Fine, ex-Winter. Estimate $400 - 600.
If the letter had been mailed in the British system, one shilling would have been prepaid in Liverpool plus 7¢ due in New York for a total of 31¢.
Realized: $450
Lot
200
1846 (Feb. 28) New York, N.Y. to Francomont, Belgium, folded letter with red "New-York '5 Paid' 28 Feb" cds, carried by Enoch Train Sailing Ship Joshua Bates from Boston Mar. 5th to Liverpool arriving Mar. 28th, Liverpool Ship (3.28) and London (3.29) backstamps with manuscript "1/4" debit rating to Belgium, Ostend (3.31) and Verviers (4.1) backstamps, framed accounting handstamp with blue manuscript ratings totaled to "22" decimes due rating, Very Fine and choice use, a scarce packet letter for Belgium sent on non-contract sailing ship, ex-Winter. Estimate $400 - 600.
Letter endorsed "p Cambria" and included among the 8,000 letters sent to Boston on the coastal steamer Mohegan from New York which was delayed in a snow storm and missed the sailing of Cunard steamship Cambria on Mar. 1, the scheduled contract steamer. Boston's postmaster sent the delayed mails on the next available sailing ship to Liverpool. London debited Belgium 1s 4d under Anglo-Belgium Treaty of 1844 (8d ship rate plus 8d British transit to Belgium). Belgian accounting handstamp shows 16 decimes owed to U.K. plus 6 decimes internal fee for total postage due of 22 decimes.