Lot
3170 
1854 (Jan. 6) Manchester, England to Philadelphia Pa., blue folded letter with blue "Manchester, JA 6, 1854" double-arc datestamp, green Liverpool (1.7) oval backstamp and matching "19/Cents" debit handstamp, carried by Cunard Line Niagara from Liverpool Jan. 7th to Boston arriving Jan. 25th, black "Philadelphia Br. Pkt. '24' Jan 26" due exchange cds for 19¢ debit plus 5¢ inland postage; vertical file fold, F.-V.F., The Earliest Recorded Use of the "Philadelphia Br. Pkt. '24'" exchange cds. Estimate $200 - 300.
The Philadelphia Exchange Office
Philadelphia became an exchange office on I January 1854, and was to correspond in closed bags with the exchange offices at Liverpool, London or Southampton. Although mail despatched by the Philadelphia exchange office could originate any-where, British bags sent to Philadelphia were to comprise only mail to addresses within the Philadelphia city limits.