Lot
4173 
1890 (Jan. 5) Port Chester N.Y. to Inglewood, Victoria, cover bearing United States, 2¢ green (213) and 10¢ brown (209), tied by cork cancels duplexed with "Port Chester N.Y., Jan 5, 1890" cds, endorsed "via Europe", New York (1.15) transit backstamp, transatlantic steamship to London, carried by P&O Arcadia from Gravesend Jan. 24th through Suez Canal to Adelaide, train to Melbourne, reverse with Melbourne (3.4) transit and Inglewood (3.5) arrival cds; couple small edge tears and wear, F.-V.F. and scarce use. Estimate $300 - 400.
The United States 12¢ rate was equivalent to the 6d rate in the other direction. The United States credit to Great Britain was expressed in French centimes as per GPU regulations - 50 centimes was equivalent to 10¢ or 5 pence. Very little mail from United States to Australia was sent by the long sea route.
The 12¢ rate via Long Sea Route was the same as the rate via San Francisco across the Pacific Ocean. Here the sender found out letter would need to be held for the Feb. 8th sailing from San Francisco (which would arrive in Sydney on Mar. 6th), so a few days were saved by routing via Europe.
Realized: $425