Lot
564 
1847 (Aug. 14) Boston Mass. to Paris, France, gray folded cover with red "Boston, 5 cts, 14 Aug" integral exchange cds with matching "Paid" handstamp, carried on the Herout & Handel Line Philadelphie maiden voyage from New York Aug. 15th to Cherbourg arriving Sep. 1st, clear strike of blue framed "Paq. Reg." entry handstamp, blue Paris arrival backstamp, Very Fine and choice French Packet Direct mail from the short-lived Herout & Handel Line. Estimate $400 - 600.
This was the second of only nine sailings of the Herout & Handel line and the only sailing to use the "Paq. Reg" handstamp.
Realized: $475
Lot
565
1848 U.S. Mail Steamship Company Broadside, a scarce advertisement by New Orleans agent James R. Jennings announcing the "New Arrangement" of the U.S. Mail Steamship Co.'s "New Orleans, Havana, Key West, Charleston, New York and Aspinwall Line", notes steamships of Empire City and Cherokee will form the semi-monthly line between New Orleans and New York with a stop at Havana; Isabel will connect at Havana to Charleston and Key West; the Philadelphia and Falcon will form the direct line from New Orleans to Aspinwall; some edge flaws and light aging, Very Fine and scarce broadside. Estimate $500 - 750.
U.S. Mail Steamship Company was a company formed in 1848 by George Law, Marshall O. Roberts and Bowes R. McIlvaine to assume the contract to carry the U. S. mails from New York City, with stops in New Orleans and Havana, to the Isthmus of Panama for delivery in California. The company had the SS Ohio and the SS Georgia built in 1848, and with the purchased SS Falcon in early 1849 carried the first passengers by steamship to Chagres, on the east coast of the Isthmus of Panama. Soon the rapid transit time the steamship lines and the trans isthumus passage made possible when the California Gold Rush began made it a very profitable company.
When in 1850 the Pacific Mail Steamship Company established a competing line to the U.S. Mail Steamship Company between New York City and Chagres, George Law placed an opposition Pacific Line of steamers (SS Antelope, SS Columbus, SS Isthumus, SS Republic) in the Pacific running from Panama to San Francisco. In April, 1851, the rivalry was ended when an agreement was made between the companies, the U.S. Mail Steamship Company purchased the Pacific Mail steamers on the Atlantic side (SS Crescent City, SS Empire City, SS Philadelphia), and George Law sold his ships and new line to the Pacific Mail. Law went into partnership with William Henry Aspinwall to develop the Panama Railroad in 1852.
The U.S. Mail Steamship Company only operated for 11 years. On the expiration of the mail contract in 1859 the company withdrew from the business. Its directors were said to be more interested in immediate financial returns than in providing a good service, so there was little public regret at its passing.
Realized: $525
Lot
566
1848-50 Cuba to the United States via Charleston S.C., small group of 4 covers with different Charleston markings comprising 1848 Cuba to Providence with red "Charleston, 10, Jul 1848 Cuba via Charleston with red "12" handstamp rating, 1850 Cuba to Portland via red "Charleston S.C., 12½, Jun 11" integral-rate large cds; 1849 Cuba to New York via red "Charleston S.C., 12½, Jul 11" integral-rate small cds; 1849 Havana to New York with red Charleston cds and matching "12½" rating handstamp endorsed "per Ysabel Va Charleston", a Very Fine group. Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $170
Lot
567
(Retaliatory Rates) 1848 (Sep. 5) Rotterdam, Holland to Philadelphia, Pa., folded letter from endorsed "p. Steamer from Liverpool", blue Rotterdam (9.5) datestamp and manuscript "120" Dutch Cents rating on reverse for single prepaid rate, London "Paid 7 SP 1848" cds and red manuscript "1/8" 1sh8d credit to G.B., carried by Cunard Line Acadia from Liverpool Sep. 9th to Boston arriving Sep. 24th, red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Sep 25" cds and matching red "34" retaliatory due rating for 10¢ inland postage and the 24¢ packet fee, fresh and Very Fine. Estimate $200 - 300.
Letter carried on 12th of 25 Cunard voyages westbound to the U.S. under the retaliatory order. The Boston "34" rating handstamp is reported used July 27 to December 16, 1848.
Realized: $150
Lot
568
(Retaliatory Rates) 1848 (Nov. 10) Hamburg, Germany to Philadelphia, Pa., folded letter prepaid with magenta "1.6" 1sh 6d credit from Hamburg to England, London (11.13) and Liverpool (11.13) transits, carried by Cunard Line Britannia from Liverpool Nov. 18 to Boston arriving Dec. 6, red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Dec 6" cds and matching "34" retaliatory rate handstamp for 10¢ inland plus 24¢ packet fee, Very Fine, ex-Winter. Estimate $200 - 300.
Letter carried on the 22nd of 25 Cunard mail voyages to the U.S. under the retaliatory order.
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Lot
569
1848 (Nov. 28) New York N.Y. to Livorno, Italy via London, light gray folded letter placed directly aboard ship avoiding retaliatory postage, Liverpool America (12.12) entry backstamp and red London (12.13) arrival cds, manuscript London forwarder's endorsement on flap and remailed to Livorno bearing G.B. 1d red, 2d blue and 1s embossed tied by "19" barred ovals and 1d also by red "PD" in oval, variety of ratings and transits incl. Boulogne-sur-Mer transit and Livorno (12.31) arrival backstamp, Very Fine and scarce use. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $325
Lot
570
(1848/1849 Treaty) 1849 (Feb. 14) Paris, France to Monroe, Mich., cover with "Paris 14 Fevr" origin cds and manuscript "15" décimes prepaid rating on reverse, red London (2.15) and Liverpool (2.16) transits, carried by Cunard Line America from Liverpool Feb. 24th to Boston arriving Mar. 8th, red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Mar 10" cds with matching "Paid" and "24" rating handstamp, Very Fine, This letter was carried on the first Cunard voyage under the new 1849 convention. Estimate $400 - 600.
On February 15, 1849, President James K. Polk signed a proclamation making effect the new United States-Great Britain Postal Convention. The public was not notified until Feb. 24, the date the Cunard steamer "America" departed Liverpool with the first mails from England under the new convention. Adequate instructions were not in place at the U.S. exchange offices of Boston and New York and a variety of errors were made. The new convention allowed mails to and from France to travel in the British open mail through England.
This letter shows that the Boston postal clerks did not know how to treat letters from France under the new convention. This letter was paid only to U.S. port and required postage due in the U.S. Boston, however, marked the letter as fully prepaid. This error in rating is known on mails of this voyage only.
Realized: $450
Lot
571
1851 (Jul. 31) San Francisco, Cal. to London, England, folded letter with red "San Francisco Cal. 1 Aug" cds and matching "Paid" and "25" rating handstamps, carried by Cunard Line Asia from New York Sep. 10 to Liverpool arriving Sep. 21, New York red "19" credit to G.B., red London (9.22) arrival cds, light soiling, F.-V.F., one of only three recorded examples of this 25¢ error rate, ex-Winter. Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
Letter carried by Pacific Mail Steamship Co. "Oregon" from San Francisco to Panama City and by U.S. Mail Steamship Co. "Georgia" from Chagres to New York. When new U.S. rates went into effect on 1 July 1851, the San Francisco postmaster incorrectly assumed the new west coast rate to the U.K. was 25¢ (6¢ cross country plus 19¢ transatlantic fees) instead of the actual rate of 29¢. He used a "25" handstamp which existed at San Francisco. The 25¢ rate was in effect only two months before word reached him that his was rating the letters incorrectly.
Realized: $1,500
Lot
572
1852 (Feb. 18) San Francisco Cal. to Manchester, England, folded cover with red "San Francisco Cal. 18 Feb" cds with matching "Paid" and "29" rate handstamps, red "19" credit handstamp to G.B., carried by Cunard Line America from Boston Mar. 17 to Liverpool arriving Mar. 29, red Liverpool (3.29) cds, Manchester (3.30) arrival backstamp, Very Fine, very few examples of the "29" rate marking have been recorded, ex-Winter. Estimate $400 - 600.
Letter carried by Pacific Mail Steamship Co. steamer "Panama" from San Francisco to Panama City and by U.S. Mail Steamship Co. steamer "El Dorado" from Chagres to New York. Under U.S.-G.B. Convention, U.S. internal portion of total rate from West Coast was 10¢ from 1 July 1851, or 5¢ more than other locations in the U.S.
Realized: $450
Lot
573
1852 (Jun. 8) Papeete, Tahiti to London via San Francisco Cal., folded letter with blue "San Francisco Cal 16 Sep" cds with matching "Paid" and "29" rate handstamp, New York red "3" credit handstamp to G.B., carried by Collins Line Atlantic from New York Oct. 16 to Liverpool arriving Oct. 27, red London (10.28) arrival cds, Very Fine, a remarkable usage from Tahiti., ex-Winter. Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
Letter sent privately to agent in San Francisco, where the 29¢ fee to England was paid. It was carried by Pacific Mail Steamship Co. steamer "Golden Gate" from San Francisco to Panama City and by U.S. Mail Steamship Co. steamer "Illinois" from Chagres to New York. Blue handstamp "29" applied at San Francisco when letter paid by agent. The blue color ink was used in San Francisco from September 1 to December 13, 1852 only. This is the only recorded example of the "29" in blue, and it is on a letter from a very scarce origin. This cover realized $4,250 hammer in our 2013 R. Winter sale.
Realized: $2,700