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Sale 101: The Westpex Sale

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Foreign Mails

Lots 781-790 Lot 791

Lot 781    

1764-1839, Madeira to the United States Stampless Mail, group of 8 folded letters comprising 1761 Madeira to New York via "the Bill Savage, Capt Linsey"; 1764 Madeira to New York via "The Pitt, Capt Elder"; 1798 Madeira to Weston Conn. via "New-York" clamshell with red ms. "Sh 12" rating; 1790 Funchal to New York via "Baltimore" straightline and "2:16" rating with "1/4" local currency rating; 1800 Funchal to Providence with "Boston" straigthline and "Ship" h.s. with "12" rating; 1802 Madeira to New York with red "Balte. Md. Dec 28" cds and "Ship" h.s. with ms. "19" rating; 1835 Funchal to Savannah Ga. via red "New York" cds and "Ship" h.s. with "25" rating, forwarded to Providence; and 1839 Funchal to New York via "Baltimore Md." cds and "Ship" h.s. with "20¾" rating, Very Fine group.
Estimate    $750 - 1,000.

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Realized: $500

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Lot 782    

1818-1851, United States to Madeira Stampless Mail, group of 4 folded letters comprising 1818 Charleston S.C. to Madeira endorsed "Via New York" and with forwarder's ms. endorsement "New York 11 Aprl 1818, Forwarded by YrObSvt, March & Bremner" on reverse; 1835 "Charleston S.C." red cds and "25" cent rating to Madeira with Funchal ms. "40" reis inland due rating; 1841 "Charleston S.C." red cds and "50" cent rating to Madeira with Funchal ms. "240" reis inland due rating; 1851 New York to Madeira endorsed "pr Plymouth" with Funchal "160" reis due handstamp; few flaws, F.-V.F. group.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

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Realized: $170

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Lot 783    

1820 (Aug. 22) Charleston, S.C. to Madeira via New York forwarder, datelined ALS folded letter signed Charles Cotesworth Pinkney endorsed "Brig Protection", flap with manuscript "New York Sep 5, 1820, recd. & forwardd. by yr. ob. Sevt. Henry Cary & Co." forwarder's endorsement, sent by private ship, Portugal "40" reis due rating, Very Fine.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney (1746-1825) was an early American statesman of South Carolina, Revolutionary War veteran, and delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He was twice nominated by the Federalist Party as its presidential candidate in 1804 and 1808, losing both elections.

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Realized: $140

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Lot 784    

1850 (Nov. 28) Lyon, France to Philadelphia Pa., folded letter docketed "pr. City of Glasgow" at top, forwarder's blue "Geo. H. Draper. Havre" straightline at bottom left, sent unpaid, carried as endorsed on Inman City of Glasgow from Liverpool Dec. 11th to Philadelphia arriving Jan. 3rd, Philadelphia blue "6" double-octagon due handstamp for 6¢ ship letter delivered at the port, Very Fine, Letter took 38 days by the new Inman service, 10 days longer than via Cunard to New York., ex-Hugh Feldman.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Liverpool-Philadelphia Scheduled Steamship Service: The Inman Line

Inman offered monthly service with three new steamships, the largest and most modern ever built on the Clyde. Philadelphia lobbied the government for a Liverpool-Philadelphia mail contract, but after years of losing freight and passenger business to the New York lines, Inman moved its western terminus there in 1857 and began carrying mail under temporary U.S. contracts.

The first business venture of Richardson Brothers' steamship group was to purchase the City of Glasgow from Tod & Macgregor while the ship was on her fourth voyage to New York. The Richardson group was officially titled The Liverpool & Philadelphia Steam Ship Company, but probably because Inman ran the company from the very beginning it was informally called the Inman line.

Disappointment was followed by disaster when the City of Glasgow was lost at sea after departing Liverpool on 1 March on her second westbound voyage of the year. On 21 April the ship Baldaur, 400 miles north of the Azores, saw a steamship similar in description to the City of Glasgow steeply listing, but found only flotsam when the site was approached.14 Inman later declared the ship was presumed sunk, with the loss of 480 lives.

References: Illustrated and discussed in "The Liverpool and Philadelphia Steamship Company: Early Years of the Inman Line, 1850-1857" by John Barwis, Chronicle 230 (May 2011, pp. 181-187), fig. 2.

Realized: $350

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Lot 785    

1851 (Jan. 15) Philadelphia Pa. to Cognac, France, datelined folded letter sent unpaid, carried as endorsed by Inman Line City of Glasgow from Philadelphia Jan. 16th to Liverpool arriving Jan. 30th, flap with "Liverpool, Ship" (1.30) framed transit, London red "Colonies/&c. Art. 13." framed accounting handstamp, brilliant red "Angle. Calais, 1 Fever. 51" entry cds and manuscript "15" décimes due rating, Very Fine and choice.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

A RARE USE CARRIED ON THE MAIDEN RETURN VOYAGE OF THE INMAN LINE.

Realized: $290

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Lot 786    

1852 (Nov. 15) La Réole, France to New Orleans, La., folded letter with "La Réole 15 Nov 52" origin cds and "26" décimes prepaid manuscript rating on reverse, red framed "PD" handstamp, carried by Cunard Line Europa from Liverpool Nov. 20 to New York arriving Dec. 2, black "New-York, 5cts, Dec 3" integral due handstamp, partial strike of green New Orleans City Post "Dec 10" snow shovel datestamp and matching "Car. 2" due handstamp, Very Fine and scarce transatlantic New Orleans carrier use, ex-Winter.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $140

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Lot 787    

1855 (Jun. 12) Bordeaux, France to New Orleans, La., folded letter with orange Bordeaux (6.13) origin cds and matching "P.P." framed handstamp, carried by Cunard Line America from Liverpool Jun. 23 to Boston arriving Jul. 6, black ""Boston Br. Pkt. '5' Jul 6"" debit exchange cds, black "N.O.U.S. City Post, Jul 13" for carrier service, Very Fine and scarce New Orleans City Post use, ex-Winter.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $140

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Lot 788    

1860 (Aug. 6) Stillwater, Minn. to Leeds, England via Detroit, orange cover bearing two 12¢ black (36B) singles, tied by two strikes of "Stillwater, Min. Aug 6, 1860" cds, red ms. "Paid 24" rating, bold "Detroit Am. Pkt. '3 Paid' Aug 9" credit exchange cds, carried by Allan Line Bohemian Aug. 11th from Quebec to Liverpool arriving Aug. 21st, red "Paid, Liverpool, U.S> Packet, 22 AU 60" exchange entry cds, Leeds (8.22) arrival backstamp; bit of flap missing and some edge wear at top, a Very Fine use by Allan Packet.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $375

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Lot 789    

1867 (Apr. 8) Shanghai, China from U.S.S. "Wachusett" to Fisherville, N.H. via Hong Kong, with enclosed April 1st and 2nd letters, blue Shanghae (4.8.67) origin backstamp initially rated 1/10½ changed to 1/9½ (1s9½d) plus 1d colonial credit, bearing Hong Kong QV no watermark 18¢ and CC watermark 4¢ and 24¢, each canceled by Hong Kong "B62" grid paying the 45¢ half-ounce rate to U.S. via Southampton (46¢ paid as Hong Kong did not then issue odd-cents denominated stamps), reverse with Shanghae (4.8.67) blue origin and Hong Kong (4.12) transit backstamps, carried by P&O Cadiz from Shanghai Apr. 9th to Hong Kong arriving Apr. 12th, then P&O Emeu from Hong Kong (Apr. 15) to Galle arriving Apr. 30th, then P&O Candia from Galle May 2nd to Suez arriving May 17th, overland in Egypt from Suez to Alexandria, P&O Nyanza from Alexandria May 19th to Southampton arriving May 31st, red London Paid (5.31) transit and matching "5/Cents" credit h.s. to U.S. for domestic postage, carried by Cunard Line Persia from Queenstown Jun. 2nd to New York arriving Jun. 13th, red "New York, Br. Pkt. Paid, Jun 13" exchange arrival cds; some edge wear, slightly rough opening at left, Very Fine and unusual cover from a U.S. ship in Chinese waters with a nice three-color franking; with 1991 Holcombe certificate.
Estimate    $1,500 - 2,000.

The sender notes that they had been six or seven hundred miles into the country, having been to Hankow, Kiukiang and Chinkiang.

The U.S.S. "Wachusett" was commissioned in March 1862 during the Civil War and was sent to China in March 1865 originally to search for the Confederate commerce raider C.S.S. "Shenandoah." It stayed on to track down outlaws and pirates who were harming American interests, then attempted to enter Korean waters to investigate the demise of the U.S.S. "General Sherman" before returning to the U.S. for its February 1868 decommissioning.

Realized: $1,900

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Lot 790    

1869 (May 11) Funchal, Madeira to Boston Mass., blue folded letter with sharp "Funchal, 5/11, 1869" double-circle cds, "Liverpool, Ship" (11.13) framed backstamp "8" pence rating updated to "24" cent debit to U.S., black "Boston, Nov 24" cds backstamp with blue crayon "32" and "In U.S. Notes" depreciated currency straightline, blue crayon "26" crossed out at left; some light tape stains and cover splitting, Fine and rare Boston depreciated currency use from Madeira.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

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Realized: $240

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Lots 781-790 Lot 791

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