Terms of SaleBid IncrementsGradingLinksContact

Sale 37: The Westpex Sale

Previous ChapterTable of ContentsNext Chapter

Feldman Collection of Atlantic Mails - Ship Letters

Lots 2557-2566 Lots 2567-2576 Lots 2577-2586 Lots 2587-2589

Lot 2577    

Philadelphia Full-Rigged Ship. Bold red handstamp on folded cover from St. Thomas to Petersburg, Va. file noted "St. Thomas 15 Septer. 1834" endorsed "p John" arrived Philadelphia 17th October. Charged "20?" Cents being 18? Cents rate for under 400 miles of 1825 plus 2 Cents ship letter fee, Very Fine and choice.
Estimate    $1,000 - 1,500.

Realized: $2,500

email this lot to a friend

Lot 2578    

Philadelphia "Full Rigged" Ship, Very Fine and Complete on 1835 Cover from St. Thomas to Petersburg, Virginia. Endorsed pr Delaware and rated 20? cents collect, light horizontal filing fold well clear of all markings, Very Fine and choice, an excellent example of this scarce and sought after ship letter marking used only in 1834 and 1835.
Estimate    $1,000 - 1,500.

Realized: $1,000

email this lot to a friend

Lot 2579    

Philadelphia "Full Rigged" Ship Letter Stamp on 1835 Folded Letter from Batavia. Nearly complete strike on lengthy 1835 commercial letter regarding salvage of shipwreck and other matters. Landed at Philadelphia en route to Providence and rated "39½" cents, being 2 cents ship letter fee plus 2 x 18? cents double sheet rate postage to Providence, oval Batavia forwarding agent cachet of Paine, Stricker & Co. on reverse, Very Fine.
Estimate    $600 - 800.

Realized: $950

email this lot to a friend

Lot 2580    

Missent to Falmouth Packet, 1835. Folded letter from Scotland to Canada, endorsed "By Liverpool and New York" but instead forwarded in error to Falmouth, where it was stamped "Missent to / Falmouth" and returned to Liverpool. On arrival at New York that office's "SHIP" and "FORWARDED" stamps were applied before routing the letter to Pickering, Upper Canada via Lewiston, New York, Queenston, U.C. and City of Toronto; few tiny tone spots, Very Fine.
Estimate    $400 - 600.

Numerous rate markings are at the right side of this cover, the last being 2/5½ [due]. They signify as follows: Unpaid American charges 2 cents ship letter fee plus 25 cents postage from New York to Lewiston, total 27 cents converted to Canadian currency equals 1/4½, to which add Unpaid Canadian charges of 2 pence ferriage, Lewiston to Queenston and 9 pence internal postage from Queenston to Pickering, 11 pence total, for a grand total of 2/5½d.

Realized: $325

email this lot to a friend

Lot 2581    

New York to Chile or Peru via British Packet from Panama. 1837 lengthy folded letter from Howland & Aspinwall, addressed to commercial correspondent at "Valparaiso or Lima", manuscript "Forwarded from Com'l Rooms, Kingston Jam" with, on address panel a superb strike of the circular "Forwarded by / L.B. Feraud / Panama", additionally struck with two straight line handstamps "FRANCO" and "CALLAO" (Paid at Callao, the port for Lima). The contents concern the financial panic of 1837, an event of great importance to economic historians, letter charged one shilling British packet rate from Panama to Callao, Extremely Fine, An important letter.
Estimate    $2,000 - 3,000.

Realized: $1,600

email this lot to a friend

Lot 2582    

Swallowtail Lines Ships St. James and George Washington. Two covers (both wrappers), one each from the Red Swallowtail Line (which sailed between New York and London) and the Blue Swallowtail Line, sailing between New York and Liverpool. The first, which bears the forwarder's cachet of the American & Foreign Agency, was handed in at Portsmouth, rated as one ounce and charged 5/4d at London. The second, carried on the George Washington, was handed in at Liverpool and charged the 8d. universal ship letter fee. At London it was rerated 1/6d. for carriage to France, and finally rated at the Calais exchange office a total of 39 decimes to include delivery to Bordeaux, Very Fine.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $475

email this lot to a friend

Lot 2583    

Liverpool Maiden & Final Voyage. Two covers; Maiden Voyage, Liverpool October 20th - New York November 23rd 1838, Entire dated "Falmouth 8 October 1838" and endorsed "P Steamer Liverpool" carried privately to Liverpool to be put onto the Liverpool as a Ship Letter. Delayed at Cork and arrived New York November 23rd. Addressed to Philadelphia, charged "20?" cents being 2 cents ship letter plus 18? cents inland.

Final Voyage, Philadelphia - New York - Liverpool January 11th 1839, Arriving second day of Uniform Penny Post, Wrapper file noted "1839 Philadelphia 13 Dec" addressed to London endorsed "per Liverpool". Reverse bears "LIVERPOOL / SHIP LETTER" and London arrival stamp of January 1,1840. Charged the Ship Letter rate of 8d. which included inland delivery after 10th January 1840; file folds, Very Fine.
Estimate    $1,500 - 2,000.

The Liverpool made only 7 trips before the company failed. One of only two letters recorded for the westbound maiden voyage.

Realized: $1,500

email this lot to a friend

Lot 2584    

1838 Consignee's Letter, Liverpool to Petersburg, Virginia. Such letters accompanying cargo were not charged the ship fee upon landing, but were subject to regular inland postage. This letter, relating to one keg of herrings but enclosing two additional sheets, was thus charged 3 x 6 cents inland to Richmond, some 26 miles north. Note: Petersburg ship letters are quite rare, Very Fine, Petersburg ship letters are quite scarce.
Estimate    $100 - 150.

Realized: $280

email this lot to a friend

Lot 2585    

Forwarded by / AMERICAN MAIL CO/ No 56 Wall St - N.Y., Red Handstamp and Black "Collect" in Fancy Box. on 1844 Letter From Malaga to Boston, the letter concludes "The present goes pr Brig 'Rebecca' a fast vessel to sail in a day or two for Philadelphia with Wines, Lemons, etc." This letter accompanied the cargo and bears no postal markings, Very Fine.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $600

email this lot to a friend

Lot 2586    

Washington, Maiden & Inaugural Outbound Voyage, New York June 1st - Southampton June 15th 1847. Entire dated "Philadelphia in Pensilvanien 25 May 1847" addressed to London and posted May 31st endorsed "Via New York by the Washington Steamer. Prepaid 29 cents being 5 cents inland plus 24 cents sea mail. At Southampton the prepayment was ignored and the letter rated 1/- packet rate with London arrival stamp on reverse of June 16th. Salutation reads "Mr Henry Lazer. Volunteer in Captain Binder?s Compagnie First Pensilvanian Regiment Washington, United States Arrmee", being a German enroute to the Mexican - American War. Atlantic transit of 14 days, Very Fine.
Estimate    $1,500 - 2,000.

Realized: $3,250

email this lot to a friend

Lots 2557-2566 Lots 2567-2576 Lots 2577-2586 Lots 2587-2589

Previous ChapterTable of ContentsNext Chapter