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Sale 89: The John Barwis Collection of Philadelphia Postal History

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Philadelphia Foreign Mail: 1870-1884 US-GB Treaty to UPU

Lots 3221-3230 Lots 3231-3236

Lot 3221    

1870 (May 3) Philadelphia Pa. to Bassein, Burma, tissue-paper cover bearing 10¢ brown, grilled (139) and 6¢ carmine (148) horizontal pair, tied by Philadelphia foreign mail grid cancellations and purple "Phila Paid All May 6" cds, carried by HAPAG Cimbria from New York May 3rd to Plymouth arriving May 13th, red London Paid (5.16.1870) transit cds, P&O Pera from Southampton May 14th to Alexandria arriving May 27th, then P&O Columbia from Suez May 29th to Aden arriving Jun. 3rd and Bombay Jun. 10th, then Overland to Calcutta, reverse with blue Sea Post (6.9) and Calcutta (6.19) transits, British India Steam Navigation Company to Rangoon, Bassein (6.30) arrival backstamp; couple typical tissue paper flaws, Very Fine and rare pre-UPU destination.
Estimate    $2,000 - 3,000.

THE EARLIEST DOCUMENTED USAGE OF THE 1870 10¢ GRILLED. THE ONLY RECORDED PRE-GPU COVER FROM PHILADELPHIA TO BURMA.

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Realized: $4,250

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Lot 3222    

1871 (Feb. 28) Philadelphia Pa. to Toulouse, France, datelined folded letter bearing 2¢ red brown (146) horizontal pair, well centered, tied by red "Philad'a Pa. Feb 28" duplex, carried as endorsed by Guion Line Wisconsin from New York Mar. 1st to Queenstown arriving Mar. 11th, red "London Paid" cds struck in error obliterated with London barred oval, red London (3.13) transit backstamp and "GB/40c" bulk debit handstamp, Calais (3.13) entry cds and matching "5" décimes due handstamp, Tououse (3.16); left 2¢ light crease, Very Fine and attractive use at the 4¢ British open mail rate.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

Realized: $120

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Lot 3223    

1871 (May 2) Philadelphia Pa. to Orange, France, orange cover bearing 2¢ red brown (146) pair tied by red "Philad'a Pa., May 2" duplex, carried by Inman Line City of Antwerp from New York May 6th to Queenstown arriving May 16th, red London (5.17) transit backstamp and "GB/40c" bulk debit handstamp, Calais (5.18) entry cds and "10" décimes due handstamp for 10-15 grams, Orange (5.21) arrival backstamp; 2¢ light crease, otherwise Very Fine and attractive use, ex-Emerson.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

Interesting use prepaid for the 4¢ British open mail rate up to ½ oz. with French 10 décimes due for the second weight class of 10-15 grams.

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Lot 3224    

1871 (Oct. 24) Philadelphia Pa. to Toulouse, France, datelined folded letter bearing 2¢ red brown (146) horizontal pair, tied by red "Philada. Pa. Oct 24" duplex with cork cancel, carried by HAPAG Westphalia from New York Oct. 25th to Plymouth Nov. 6th, red London (11.6) transit backstamp and "40c/oz" oval bulk debit handstamp, Calais (11.8) entry cds and bold "5" décimes due handstamp, reverse with Calais-to-Paris R.P.O. (11.8) and partial Toulouse (11.10) arrival, Very Fine and choice use at the 4¢ British open mail rate.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $200

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Lot 3225    

1871 (Oct. 26) Cadiz, Spain to Philadelphia Pa., folded cover bearing Spain 200m pale brown (168), four singles, tied by dotted diamond grids and "Cadiz, 28 Oct 71" cds and oval "P.D." handstamp, prepaying the double 800 milesimas (20¢) rate for ¼-½ oz., Madrid (10.30) transit backstamp, endorsed "via Francia" and routed Madrid-Paris-Calais in closed bag to London, red London Paid (11.2) transit cds, carried by Inman Line City of New York from Queenstown Nov. 3rd to New York arriving Nov. 14th, Philadelphia blue crayon "3" cents due for single rate (up to ½ oz.), Very Fine.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

This marginal weight letter was rated double in Spain (¼ to ½ oz.) but only single in the U.K. and U.S. (< ½ oz.).

Realized: $230

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Lot 3226    

1873 (Jan. 28) Cairo, Egypt to Philadelphia Pa., cover bearing G.B. 4d vermilion and 6d ochre prepaying the 10d rate for 8d British packet and inland, 1d transatlantic and 1d U.S. inland, tied together by "B01" barred ovals, British P.O. "Cairo, JA 28, 73" origin cds, carried by P&O Pera from Alexandria Feb. 1st to Brindisi arriving Feb. 5th, red London Paid (2.10) transit cds and matching red "2" handstamp for 2¢ credit to U.S.; light overall toning, Very Fine and scarce use from Egypt.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Senders could stipulate that letters from Alexandria to Great Britain should go via Southampton, but letters not so-endorsed would default to the steamship route via Brindisi, then overland by rail, a saving of five to seven days.

Realized: $240

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Lot 3227    

1874 (Jan. 15) Liverpool, England to Philadelphia Pa., blue folded letter with "Philadelphia Pa. Jan 29" entry cds and matching "Ship Due 6" handstamp, carried by Pennsylvania from Liverpool Jan. 16th to Philadelphia arriving Jan. 29th, Very Fine, A scarce non-contract steamship voyage, ex-Winter.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

Philadelphia rated 6 cents due, in error: the fee was 4¢, effective 1 July 1863. The
Pennsylvania carried contract mails on this trip, but this letter accompanied a shipment of goods, so did not enter the mail until Philadelphia.

Realized: $110

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Lot 3228    

1874 (Jun. 26) Philadelphia Pa. to Paris, France, 3¢ entire uprated with two 2¢ brown (157) singles and 3¢ green (158), all tied by six-point star foreign mail cancels, red orange "Philad. Paid, Jun 26" exchange backstamp and matching "P.D." in circle handstamp with red crayon "6" cent credit to G.B., carried by NGL Line Mosel from New York Jun. 27th to Southampton arriving Jul. 8th, red London Paid (7.7) transit and red oval "PD" handstamp, Calais (7.8) entry cds, Paris (7.8) arrival backstamp, blue "Drexel, Jarjes & Co., Paris" arrival oval, Extremely Fine and choice.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

This is the latest known use of the Philadelphia "P.D." in circle handstamp.

Realized: $160

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Lot 3229    

1875 (Mar. 3) Philadelphia Pa. to London, England, buff cover with 1876 Centennial Exhibition, Bureau of Revenue imprint bearing three 2¢ brown (157) pair and single, all well centered, tied by circle of wedge foreign mail cancels prepaying the 6¢ treaty rate, red-orange "Phila. Pa. Paid All, Mar 3" exchange cds, carried by HAPAG Line Hammonia II from New York Mar. 5th to Plymouth arriving Mar. 16th, red London Paid (3.17) arrival cds, Very Fine and Rare 1876 Centennial Exhibition use.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

Realized: $450

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Lot 3230    

1875 (May 23) Philadelphia Pa. to Paris, France, cover bearing two singles of 2¢ red brown (146) and 3¢ green (147), all tied by red grid cancels, matching "Philadelphia Pa., May 23" cds with inverted month slug, carried as endorsed by White Star Line Adriatic from New York May 24th to Queenstown arriving Jun. 2nd, red London (6.3) transit backstamp and "G.B./40c" bulk debit handstamp, Calais (6.2) entry cds and matching "10" décimes due handstamp for double rate, Paris (6.4) arrival backstamp, blue "Paid by Drexel, Harjes & C." straightline, Very Fine and attractive.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

The sender intended to prepay the 10¢ paid to destination rate via British open mail, but the letter weighed between 1/3 - ½ oz., so U.K. sent unpaid.

Realized: $200

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Lots 3221-3230 Lots 3231-3236

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