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Sale 92: The Summer Sale

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Royal Mail Steam Packets through New Orleans and Mobile

Lots 1046-1055 Lots 1056-1059

Lot 1046    

(Atlantic Mails - RMSP New Orleans) 1848 (Feb. 12) Callao, Peru to Providence R.I. via New Orleans, gray folded cover with "Callao, FE 12, 1848" double-arc backstamp and red "Paid at Callao" crown mark with magenta "2/-" 2s prepaid rating, endorsed "Postage paid to Panama" and crossed out, "Kingston-Jamaica, MR 5, 1848" double-arc transit backstamp, "New Orleans La., Apr 3" and matching "Ship" handstamp and manuscript "12" due rating for 10¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee; file folds and wear, Very Fine.
Estimate    $2,000 - 3,000.

A VERY RARE USAGE BY ROYAL MAIL STEAM PACKET THROUGH NEW ORLEANS.

This cover was carried from Valparaiso to Panama by PSNC "Bolivia" arriving Panama Feb. 23rd; thence RMSP "Medway" to Kingston arriving Mar. 5th; thence "Severn" to Havana arriving Mar. 27th; thence "Avon" arriving Apr. 5th (different than cancel by two days).

Realized: $1,000

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Lot 1047    

(Atlantic Mails - RMSP Mobile) 1848 (Sep. 13) Vera Cruz, Mexico to New York N.Y., datelined folded letter with bold "Paid at Vera-Cruz" (SG CC3, £1,000) crowned circle and red manuscript "1/-" 1s prepaid rating, "Vera Cruz, 1849 SP 15" double-arc datestamp on front and reverse, Vera Cruz (9.15) transit backstamp, carried as endorsed by RMSP Severn from Vera Cruz Sep. 16th to Mobile arriving Sep. 20th, blue "Mobile Ala., Sep 21" cds and matching "Ship" in circle with "10" rating handstamp, Very Fine and choice.
Estimate    $1,500 - 2,000.

A RARE USE FROM VERA CRUZ TO THE UNITED STATES BY THE ROYAL MAIL PACKET VIA MOBILE.

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Lot 1048    

(Atlantic Mails - RMSP Mobile) 1849 (Apr. 19) New Orleans La. to Carlisle, England via Mobile, datelined blue folded letter with "New Orleans La. Apr 19" cds and matching "Paid" and "5" rating handstamps to Mobile as endorsed, carried by RMSP Thames from Mobile Apr. 21st to Bermuda arriving May 4th, then by RMSP Conway from Bermuda May 7th to Southampton arriving May 22nd, red London (5.23) transit backstamp with manuscript "1/-" 1s due rating, blue Carlisle (5.23) arrival backstamp, remailed to Lancashire with additional "1/-" 1s rating, Very Fine.
Estimate    $2,000 - 3,000.

A REMARKABLE TRANSATLANTIC USE VIA THE RMSP MOBILE PACKET TO GREAT BRITAIN.

Reference: United States Incoming Steamship Mail 1847-1875, Second Edition, Wierenga, illustrated and discussed on p. 130, fig. 175.

Realized: $1,000

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Lot 1049    

(Atlantic Mails - RMSP Mobile) 1849 (Nov. 25) Valparaiso, Chile to Boston Mass. via Mobile, docketed folded cover carried by RMSP Thames from Havana Feb. 9th to Mobile arriving Feb. 12th, entered mails with blue "Mobile Ala., Feb 13" cds and matching "Ship" and "10" rating handstamps; minor wear, Very Fine.
Estimate    $1,000 - 1,500.

This cover was carried from Valparaiso departing Nov. 30th by PSNC "Peru" to Panama arriving Dec. 23rd; thence RMSP "Medway" departing Dec. 29th to Kingston arriving Jan. 7th; thence "Teviot" departing Jan. 17th to Havana arriving Feb. 3rd; thence "Thames" departing Feb. 9th to Mobile arriving Feb. 12th.

Realized: $625

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Lot 1050    

(Atlantic Mails - RMSP Mobile) 1850 (Jan. 18) Vera Cruz, Mexico to New York N.Y. via Mobile, blue green datelined folded letter with "Paid at Vera-Cruz" (SG CC3, £1,000) crowned circle and red manuscript "2/-" 2s prepaid rating, reverse with "Vera Cruz, 1850 JA 18" double-arc British datestamp and Mexican "Franqueado, Vera Cruz" (1.18) cds, carried as endorsed by RMSP Clyde from Vera Cruz Jan. 18th to Mobile arriving Jan. 22nd, entered mails with blue "Mobile Ala., Jan 23" cds and matching "Ship" straightline and "20" in circle rating handstamp overstriking British rating for double 10¢ inland postage; light fold wear and soiling, otherwise Very Fine.
Estimate    $1,000 - 1,500.

A RARE USE FROM VERA CRUZ TO THE UNITED STATES BY THE ROYAL MAIL PACKET VIA MOBILE.

Reference: United States Incoming Steamship Mail 1847-1875, Second Edition, Wierenga, illustrated and discussed on p. 130-31, fig. 176.

Realized: $725

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Lot 1051    

(Atlantic Mails - RMSP Mobile) 1850 (Jan. 18) Vera Cruz, Mexico to New York N.Y. via Mobile, datelined blue folded letter with sharp "Vera-Cruz, JA 18, 1850" double-arc backstamp and matching "Paid at Vera Cruz" (SG CC3, £1,000) crown mark, red manuscript "1/-" 1s prepaid rating, endorsed "p 'Clyde' via Mobile", carried by RMSP Clyde from Vera Cruz Jan. 18th to Mobile arriving Jan. 22nd, partial blue "Mobile Ala., Jan 22" cds and matching "Ship" and "10" rating handstamps, Very Fine.
Estimate    $750 - 1,000.

Realized: $600

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Lot 1052    

(Atlantic Mails - RMSP Mobile) 1850 (Jun. 12) Callao, Peru to Boston Mass. via Panama, Cuba and Mobile, gray datelined folded letter endorsed "by Steamer Bolivia via Panama", carried privately on PSNC Bolivia from Peru to Panama, then sent out-of-mails to Cuba and carried by RMSP Great Western from Havana Jul. 28th to Mobile arriving Jul. 30th, entered mails with blue "Mobile Ala. '10' 1 Aug" integral-rate cds and matching "SHIP" straightline; some minor toning, F.-V.F. and scarce RMSP packet use to Mobile.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

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Lot 1053    

(Atlantic Mails - RMSP Mobile) 1850 (Feb. 4) Demerara, British Guiana to Fairhaven Conn. via Mobile, datelined folded letter with partial "Demerara, FE 4, 1850" double-arc backstamp and blue crayon "1/-" schilling prepaid rating, carried by RMSP Conway from Demerara Feb. 4th to Barbados arriving Feb. 8th, then RMSP Tay Feb. 9th to Jamaica arriving 15th, Kingston Jamaica (2.15) transit backstamp, then RMSP Tay Feb. 18th to Havana arriving Feb. 26th and finally RMSP Avon Mar. 5th to Mobile arriving Mar. 9th, blue "Mobile Ala. '10' 9 Mar" integral-rate cds and matching "Ship" handstamp, F.-V.F.
Estimate    $1,000 - 1,500.

Covers from or via Havana to Mobile are extremely rare on the 1848-1850 RMSP service. The Mobile "Ship" and integral "10" rating are not for the steamship letter fee but represent the domestic U.S. postage on letters arriving on British packets addressed to a post office more than 300 miles from the port of entry.

Reference: Robert Stone, "A Carribean Neptune", p. 282.

Realized: $700

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Lot 1054    

(Atlantic Mails - RMSP Mobile) 1848 (Aug. 15) Vera Cruz, Mexico to New York N.Y., datelined greenish folded letter with bold "Vera Cruz, 1848 AU 15" double-arc backstamp and matching "Paid at Vera-Cruz" (SG CC3, £1,000) crowned circle with red manuscript "1/-" 1s prepaid rating, Vera Cruz transit backstamp, carried by RMSP Severn from Vera Cruz Aug. 15th to Mobile arriving Aug. 19th, entered mails with "New Orleans La. Aug 21" cds and matching "Ship" and "34" retaliatory due handstamp for 24¢ packet plus 10¢ inland postage, Very Fine and choice.
Estimate    $2,000 - 3,000.

A RARE RMSP NEW ORLEANS-TO-HAVANA ROUTE RETALIATORY PERIOD USE.

Reference: United States Incoming Steamship Mail 1847-1875, Second Edition, Wierenga, illustrated and discussed on p. 129, fig. 174.

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Lot 1055    

(Gulf Coast) 1856 (Aug. 19) Mexico City, Mexico to Bremen, via New Orleans and New York, blue folded letter with "Vera Cruz 21 Agust 1856" backstamp, "New Orleans La. Aug 26" cds and "Steamship" circular handstamp with "30" unpaid rating for Prussian Closed Mail, "New York Br. Pkt. Sep 3" backstamp and "28" cent debit handstamp to Prussia, carried by Cunard Line Africa from New York Sep. 3rd to Liverpool arriving Sept. 14th, Aachen (9.16) arrival backstamp and red crayon "34" grote due rating, some minor toning, F.-V.F., a scarce PCM cover from beyond the U.S. to Germany via the U.S., ex-Winter.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Letter carried to New Orleans from Vera Cruz by the New Orleans & Vera Cruz steamer "Texas" on the last voyage for the line. New Orleans marked distinctive STEAMSHIP handstamp (with defective rim at bottom) to show letter brought in by contract steamship and handstamp "30" to show desire to send via Prussian Closed Mail. New York debit to Prussia included 5¢ transit fee from Mexico and normal 23¢ PCM debit. Aachen marked 15¼ silbergroschen postage due and Bremen marked 34 grote equivalent.

Realized: $600

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Lots 1046-1055 Lots 1056-1059

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