Lot
3173 
1855 (May 26) Liverpool, England to Philadelphia Pa., folded letter bearing G.B. 1s green embossed (5) vertical strip of five, margins to touched, tied by "466" oval grids, "Liverpool F.R.H. MY 26 1855" floating receiving house backstamp and red manuscript "20" cent credit rating to U.S., carried as endorsed by Cunard Line Africa from Liverpool May 26th to Boston arriving Jun. 7th, closed bag to Philadelphia where red "Philadelphia Br. Pkt. 'Paid' Jun 7" exchange cds and matching red "96" cent rate handstamp struck; vertical file fold affects center stamp; cover nick lower right, otherwise Very Fine and rare, ex-Seybold, Gibson. Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
A REMARKABLE PREPAID QUADRUPLE-RATE TRANSATLANTIC PACKET USE SHOWING THE ONE SHILLING LATE FEE FOR POSTING AT THE FLOATING HOUSE.
This cover was prepaid 5 shillings for four-times the 1s transatlantic packet plus 1s floating receiving house fee. Proper credit of 20¢ to the U.S. for four times 5¢ inland postage. Philadelphia struck the scarce "96" rating handstamp in red as a restatement of the rate (four times 24¢ rate). The 1848 U.S. G.B Treaty did not permit a triple rate. Late fees were not addressed by the treaty, but were established by GPO London in 1849 at 1/- per letter regardless of weight, reduced to 6d in 1859.