Lot
3145 
1850 (Feb. 18) Philadelphia, Pa. to London, England, blue folded letter with blue "Philada Pa. Feb 18" cds and red "Phila. Paid 24cts." rating octagon h.s., New York red "19" credit h.s. to G.B., carried by Cunard Line Europa from New York Feb. 20th to Liverpool arriving Mar. 4th, London (3.4) arrival tombstone, Very Fine, The earliest recorded use of the new Philadelphia "24" octagon rate handstamp showing 24¢ prepayment for the treaty rate., ex-Winter. Estimate $150 - 200.
The Philadelphia 24¢ octagonal rate handstamp was in use at Philadelphia from February 1850 until March 1853.
Prior to 1836, Philadelphia's red octagonal rate postmarks were used only on domestic mail. In late 1849 they were reintroduced for use on foreign mail, often up-rated in manuscript. Although Philadelphia was not an exchange office, these postmarks adhered to the treaty requirement that prepaid amounts be shown in red.
Lot
3146
1850 (Apr. 19) Philadelphia Pa. to London, England, folded cover sent unpaid with blue "Philada Pa. Apr 19" cds and matching crude "24" due rate handstamp, New York large "21" credit h.s. to G.B., carried by Ocean Line Hermann from New York Apr. 20th to Southampton arriving May 7th, London (5.8) backstamp and "1/-" shilling due rating, Very Fine, One of only 5 recorded examples of the large New York "21" debit handstamp.. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Philadelphia struck crude blue "24" handstamp to show letter being sent under 24¢ British treaty rate. New York applied the large black "21" debit marking since Philadelphia was not an exchange office for mails under this treaty. Under terms of the Treaty, the Southampton exchange office could exchange mails only with New York.
Lot
3147
1850 (Jun. 7) Glasgow, Scotland to Philadelphia, Pa., blue folded letter with "Glasgow L" special circular late fee marking and bearing GB 1841, 1d red brown (3) three margins, slightly in at right, tied by "159" grid cancel prepaying the 1d late fee, Glasgow (6.7) and Liverpool (6.8) backstamps, "19/Cents" debit to U.S. handstamp, carried by Cunard Line Cambria from Liverpool Jun. 8th and arriving New York Jun. 23rd, no New York markings, Philadelphia blue "24" cents crude due handstamp for packet fee, Very Fine. Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $280
Lot
3148
1850 (Nov. 28) Lyon, France to Philadelphia Pa., folded letter docketed "pr. City of Glasgow" at top, forwarder's blue "Geo. H. Draper. Havre" straightline at bottom left, sent unpaid, carried as endorsed on Inman City of Glasgow from Liverpool Dec. 11th to Philadelphia arriving Jan. 3rd, Philadelphia blue "6" double-octagon due handstamp for 6¢ ship letter delivered at the port, Very Fine, Letter took 38 days by the new Inman service, 10 days longer than via Cunard to New York., ex-Hugh Feldman. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Liverpool-Philadelphia Scheduled Steamship Service: The Inman Line
Inman offered monthly service with three new steamships, the largest and most modern ever built on the Clyde. Philadelphia lobbied the government for a Liverpool-Philadelphia mail contract, but after years of losing freight and passenger business to the New York lines, Inman moved its western terminus there in 1857 and began carrying mail under temporary U.S. contracts.
The first business venture of Richardson Brothers’ steamship group was to purchase the City of Glasgow from Tod & Macgregor while the ship was on her fourth voyage to New York. The Richardson group was officially titled The Liverpool & Philadelphia Steam Ship Company, but probably because Inman ran the company from the very beginning it was informally called the Inman line.
Disappointment was followed by disaster when the City of Glasgow was lost at sea after departing Liverpool on 1 March on her second westbound voyage of the year. On 21 April the ship Baldaur, 400 miles north of the Azores, saw a steamship similar in description to the City of Glasgow steeply listing, but found only flotsam when the site was approached.14 Inman later declared the ship was presumed sunk, with the loss of 480 lives.
References: Illustrated and discussed in "The Liverpool and Philadelphia Steamship Company: Early Years of the Inman Line, 1850-1857" by John Barwis, Chronicle 230 (May 2011, pp. 181-187), fig. 2.
Realized: $675
Lot
3149
1850 (Dec. 30) Aden to Philadelphia Pa., datelined folded letter sent privately to London by Baring Brothers, carried by P&O steamers via Suez, black "Forwarded by Baring Brothers & Co., London" oval handstamp, entered mails with "London, Paid, FE 22, 1851" cds and red manuscript "2/-" rating for double-rate of ½ to 1 oz., and matching red "10" pence credit to U.S., carried by Cunard Africa from Liverpool Feb. 23rd to New York arriving Mar. 8th, red "Philadelphia Pa., '48 Paid' Mar 9" integral-rate cds confirms rate, Very Fine and scarce origin. Estimate $200 - 300.
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Realized: $240
Lot
3150
1851 (Jan. 15) Philadelphia Pa. to Cognac, France, datelined folded letter sent unpaid, carried as endorsed by Inman Line City of Glasgow from Philadelphia Jan. 16th to Liverpool arriving Jan. 30th, flap with "Liverpool, Ship" (1.30) framed transit, London red "Colonies/&c. Art. 13." framed accounting handstamp, brilliant red "Angle. Calais, 1 Fever. 51" entry cds and manuscript "15" décimes due rating, Very Fine and choice. Estimate $500 - 750.
A RARE USE CARRIED ON THE MAIDEN RETURN VOYAGE OF THE INMAN LINE.
Realized: $525
Lot
3151
1851 (Jan. 22) Manila, Philippines to Philadelphia Pa., datelined folded letter with "Forwarded by A.L. Johnston & Co., Singapore" oval backstamp, sent by British mails, carried by P&O Pekin from Singapore to Galle arriving Feb. 15th, then P&O Hindostan to Suez, P&O Ripon to Malta arriving Mar. 14th, then Admiralty packet HMS Medusa to Marseilles arrived Mar. 17th, red London (3.21) transit backstamp and manuscript "2/3" due for 1s5d packet rate plus 10d French transit for ¼ to ½ oz., London converted 2/3 to a manuscript "54" cents debit to the U.S., then Collins Line Baltic from Liverpool Mar. 22nd to New York arriving Apr. 3rd, red "New York, Apr 4" cds and manuscript "75" cents due rating for 54¢ debit plus 16¢ American packet and 5¢ inland, Very Fine use from the Philippines via Singapore and Marseilles. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $325
Lot
3152
1851 (c., Feb. 8) Philadelphia Pa. to Valparaiso, Chile, buff cover addressed to Navy Purser on U.S. Sloop St. Mary's, endorsed "Care of the U.S. Consul at Panama to be forwarded to the U.S. Consul at Valparaiso", blue "Philada. Pa. Feb 8" cds and red "Paid" double-octagon handstamp with red crayon "30" prepaid rating for 30¢ rate to Panama; some cover restoration, Very Fine appearance. Estimate $500 - 750.
The U.S.S. St. Mary's was in the Pacific Squadron, having sailed from Norfolk on April 11, 1848. She cruised from the California Coast to Chile, then went to the Central Pacific and South Pacific. This "Philada. Pa." cds is known used from 5 Aug 46 - 8 Feb 1852, and the "Paid" is recorded by Clarke from April to September 1851.
Lot
3153
1851 (Apr. 11) Liverpool, England to Philadelphia Pa., printed Apr. 11th Liverpool circular of Richardson Brothers & Co. with list of sailing ships and advertising their sailing records, carried privately on Inman Line City of Glasgow from Liverpool Apr. 16th to Philadelphia arriving May 3rd, bold red "Stait's Despatch, Paid, So. 3rd St" circular handstamp and pencil "151 High" street address. Estimate $150 - 200.
Lot
3154
1851 (Jul. 5) St. Nicholas Abbey, Barbados to Philadelphia Pa. via St. Thomas, blue datelined folded letter with "Barbadoes" (7.14) origin double-arc backstamp, red "Barbadoes" crown handstamp and red manuscript "1/-" prepaid rating for 1s British packet to New York, carried by RMSP Derwent from Barbados Jul. 14th to St. Thomas arriving Jul. 17th, St. Thomas (7.17) transit backstamp, then Cunard Merlin from St. Thomas to New York arriving Jul. 30th, sharp "New-York '5cts.' Jul 31" integral-due cds for 5¢ inland due, Very Fine and choice. Estimate $400 - 600.