Lot
981 
(TransA - Vanderbilt) 1855 (Jun. 16) San Francisco Cal. to Cognac, France via New York, datelined blue folded letter endorsed "Via Nicaragua & New York" on inside, carried by Vanderbilt Independent Line Sierra Nevada to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, then by carriage to Lake Nicaragua where put on a lake steamer of the Accessory Transit Co. and carried to a second steamboat on the San Juan River to San Juan del Norte, then by Vanderbilt's Atlantic Line Northern Light to New York arriving Jul. 11th, bold red "New York Am. Packet Jul 11" exchange cds, then transatlantic for Collins Line by Baltic departing Jul. 11th to Liverpool arriving Jul. 22nd, London (7.23) transit cds, Calais (7.23) entry cds and "8" décimes due rating, Cognac arrival backstamp; accompanied by second May 15th letter only from same correspondence endorsed "Via Panama", Very Fine. Estimate $400 - 600.
The sender had a habit of sending duplicates of correspondence both via Nicaragua and via Panama.
Realized: $400
Lot
982
(TransA - Vanderbilt) 1857 (Jul. 7) Schwientochlowitz, Prussia to New York N.Y., cover with Schwientochlowitz (7.7) origin cds and sent unpaid, Bremen (7.9) and manuscript "10/20" debit rating, carried by Vanderbilt Line Ariel from Bremerhaven July 11 to New York arriving July 29, "N. York U.S. Pkt. '30' Jul 29" exchange debit cds, some light aging and wear, Fine, The discovery example of N.YORK U.S. PKT. 30 cds, Ariel brought the first contract mails into New York for the Vanderbilt Line, ex-Hegland. Estimate $200 - 300.
This was the first trip advertised to carry regular post office mails by the Vanderbilt Line. Prussian post office marked 2x2=4 silbergroschen for internal German transit fees. Bremen showed breakdown of total fees, 10 grote (10¢) German and 20 grote international fees for double rate letter.
Realized: $170
Lot
983
(TransA - Vanderbilt) 1858 (Jul. 20) Havre, France to New Orleans La., blue folded cover bearing France 80c lake (19) strip of three, huge margins to touched at right, tied by "1495" lozenge cancels, red Havre (7.20) origin cds, carried as endorsed by Vanderbilt Line Vanderbilt from Havre Jul. 21st to New York arriving Aug. 1st, red "New York 'Paid 45' Aug 1" credit exchange cds restating rate, "New Orleans La. Aug 3" cds and "Forwarded" straightline to Newport RI. with manuscript "6" cent due rating for double the 3¢ letter rate, Very Fine. Estimate $350 - 500.
Cover prepaid 2f40c for 80c per 7.5 grams rate for up to 22.5 grams.
Realized: $325
Lot
984
(TransA - Vanderbilt) 1858 (Oct. 28) Bremen, Germany to New York N.Y., blue datelined folded letter with framed postmark and matching "10" due rating, carried as endorsed by Vanderbilt Line Vanderbilt from Bremerhaven Oct. 30th to New York arriving Nov. 15th, bold black "New-York U.S. Pkt. 16" exchange cds, Very Fine, This was the last Vanderbilt Line voyage carrying Bremen mails, ex-Hegland. Estimate $350 - 500.
Realized: $200
Lot
985
(TransA - Vanderbilt) 1859 (May 21) New York N.Y. to Paris, France, blue folded letter with "New York May 21" cds and manuscript "36" due rating, carried on the Maiden Voyage of Vanderbilt Line Ocean Queen from New York May 21st to Havre arriving Jun. 2nd, Havre (6.3) gray-blue entry octagon datestamp, Paris (6.3) arrival backstamp, manuscript ratings; minor file fold wear, ex-White, Hegland. Estimate $350 - 500.
Realized: $220
Lot
986
1859 (Oct. 24) Paris, France to New York N.Y., gray folded letter with "Paris, 24 Oct 59" cds and bearing two France, 80c lake (19) singles, each large margins to touched, one with sheet margin, tied by roller grid, large red "P.D." framed handstamp, red "Havre, Bureau Maritime, 25 Oct 59" cds backstamp and purplish blue "Am Service" framed handstamp, carried as endorsed by Vanderbilt Line Vanderbilt from Havre Oct. 26th to New York arriving Nov. 7th, red "New York 'Paid' Nov 9" exchange cds, F.-V.F. Estimate $350 - 500.
Realized: $250
Lot
987
(TransA - Vanderbilt) 1859 (Nov. 19) Monster, Netherlands to Charleston, S.C., folded letter with "Monster" straightline backstamp, red "Gravenhagen 19/11 1859" cds, French (11.21) entry cds and "9" cent debit handstamp to U.S., carried by Vanderbilt Line Ocean Queen from Havre Nov. 23rd to New York arriving Dec. 7th, black "New York '21' Dec 8" exchange debit cds, bluish "Am. Service" framed handstamp, This was Ocean Queen's last voyage for the Vanderbilt Line., ex-Winter. Estimate $350 - 500.
Letter sent from Monster to sGravenhage (The Hague), then entered France at the exchange office of Valenciennes from Belgium. Havre marked the 9¢ debit to the U.S. with a distinctive, small handstamp used only at Havre. New York marked blue "Am.Service" as required by the U.S.-French Treaty. Uncommon routing for Dutch letter to U.S.
Realized: $240
Lot
988
(TransA - Vanderbilt) 1860 (Jun. 30) New York N.Y. to Lyon, France, datelined blue folded letter with W. Schall & Co. of New York blue "By Str. Illinois" straightline, sharp "New York '24' Jun 30" debit exchange cds, carried by Vanderbilt European Line Illinois from New York Jun. 30th to Southampton arriving Jul. 13th, bluish purple Havre (7.14) octagon entry datestamp and "16" décimes due handstamp, Lyon (7.16) arrival backstamp, Very Fine. Estimate $350 - 500.
Realized: $210
Lot
989
(TransA - Vanderbilt) 1860 (Jul. 28) New York N.Y. to Bremen, Germany, printed prices current of H.D. Hull & Co. prepaid by 1¢ blue, type V (24) two singles, rich color, tied by "New York Jul 28" cds, carried by Vanderbilt Line Vanderbilt from New York Jul. 28th to Havre arriving Aug. 7th, blue Havre (8.7) entry cds, Bremen (8.10) arrival backstamp and blue manuscript "4" grote postage due rating, Very Fine and choice, ex-Winter. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Circular traveled from Havre to Bremen by the Thurn & Taxis Post, a service that had been set up in the early 1820s when sailing packet service from New York to Havre began. Since the early 1850s most mail to Germany, however, did not go by this route, but by the regular German mail services under the Prussian, Bremen, and Hamburg treaties.
Realized: $1,400