Lot 2607
Cunard Line Steamship "Britannia" Return Maiden Voyage. Wrapper file noted "August Belmont 30 July 1840", agent of N.M. Rothschild in New York from 1837. Endorsed "P Britannia" and forwarded to Boston to be put on the steamship for Liverpool arriving August 14th 1840. Transferred to the London Foreign Branch Office to receive that offices "PACKET LETTER" and back stamp of August 15th 1840, charged double packet rate of "2/-". Atlantic Transit 14 days, Very Fine.Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
The Britannia left Boston on August 1st to make her maiden return voyage to Liverpool carrying the first contract mails from America to Britain. Very few letters carried by the return maiden contract voyage are recorded. .
Realized: $2,700
Lot 2608
Cunard Line Steamship "Britannia" First Outbound Contract & Maiden Voyage. Entire dated "Forfar Ju 14 1840" with "PAID / AT / FORFAR" and "FORFAR / JN 14 / 1840" departure stamps and Edinburgh transit of June 15th. Prepaid the 1/- packet rate. Addressed to Philadelphia and sent to Liverpool to await the first contract voyage of Britannia to Boston. At Boston received the "BOSTON / SHIP JUL 19 MS" and charged "20?" cents being 2 cents ship letter and 18? cents inland rate. Atlantic Transit 15 days; tiny tear at top, Very Fine.Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
Realized: $1,600
Lot 2609
Cunard Line Steamship "Caledonia" Maiden & Final Voyages. Two covers; Maiden Voyage Eastbound, Boston October 16th - Liverpool October 30th 1840, Entire dated "New York 15th October 1840" and transferred to Boston by Harnden?s Foreign Letter Office at No.2 Wall Street, New York. Addressed to Lyon, France, reverse bears "FORWARDED BY / F. COTTENET / NEW YORK" cachet, double circle "AMERICA L" arrival, London transit of October 31st and indistinct Lyon arrival. Manuscript charge of 1 Shilling applied at Liverpool and "Packet Letter" at London. Charged "26" Decimes at the Calais exchange office for both sea post and French inland rates. Atlantic Transit of 14 daysFinal Return Voyage, Boston December 5th - Liverpool December 18th 1849, Entire dated "New York Decr. 4 : 1849" addressed to Cognac, France routed through London on December 19th where the "COLONIES / &c. ART13" was applied. At the Calais exchange office the letter was charged "15" Decimes with reverse bearing a Cognac arrival of December 22nd 1849. Atlantic Transit 13 days, Very Fine.
Estimate $500 - 750.
The Caledonia of 1,138 gross tons built at Glasgow in 1840 made her maiden return voyage form Boston on October 16th 1840. She continued in service with Cunard making her final voyage from Boston to Liverpool on December 5th 1849 being sold to the Spanish Navy in 1851.
Realized: $625
Lot 2610
Cunard Line Steamship "Acadia" Maiden Eastbound Voyage, Boston September 1st - Liverpool September 14th 1840. Entire dated "Duplicate Boston Augt 15. 1840" and put onto the Acadia on 1st September. Addressed to Cognac, France, reverse bears London transit of September 15th with the London boxed "PACKET LETTER" applied to front. Routed through Calais on September 17th, Paris on the same day with Cognac arrival on 19th. The boxed "PACKET LETTER" was applied by London to differentiate the letter from that of a Ship Letter. On delivery in Cognac letter charged 26 Decimes being 12 Decimes Britain to France and 14 Decimes inland. Atlantic Transit 13 days, Very Fine.Estimate $400 - 600.
Realized: $700
Lot 2611
Cunard Line Maiden Voyage "Columbia". Two covers; Maiden Outbound Voyage, Liverpool 5th 5th January - Boston 21st January 1841, Entire Prices Current datelined "Liverpool 4. January 1841" addressed to Richmond, Virginia. Charged manuscript "52" cents being the double rate of 2 x 25 cents inland for over 400 miles plus 2 cents ship letter fee and prepaid at Liverpool. Atlantic transit 17 days.Maiden Return Voyage, Boston March 2nd - Liverpool March 16th 1841, Entire dated "N York 27 Febr 1841" endorsed "P Steamer Columbia" forwarded by Harnden to Bordeaux via J.H. Schroder & Co. of London. Reverse bears the "AMERICA / L" Liverpool, London arrival of March 17th and Foreign Branch Office departure of the same day. At Calais exchange office rated "31" Decimes with Bordeaux arrival of the 18th.
Estimate $750 - 1,000.
"Columbia" of 1,175 tons built at Greenock in 1840 made her maiden voyage to Boston on January 5th 1841, she returned to Liverpool leaving March 2nd. Ran aground and was wrecked at Cape Sable, Nova Scotia on July 2nd 1843 without loss of life.
Realized: $2,300
Lot 2612
Forwarded Harnden and Co.'s Foreign Letter Office, three examples on two covers. The best being their circular cachet of Philadelphia (1841) on letter to England, the other cover with somewhat light strike of Harnden's red oval plus a nearly complete strike of their Liverpool oval with picture of full-rigged sailing ship, this on folded letter addressed to Paris, Very Fine.Estimate $400 - 600.
Harnden took in letters at all their offices for forwarding by Cunard steamships between the USA and Europe.
Realized: $475
Lot 2613
Cunard Line Contract, T.W. Ward Name of Boat Stamps of 1842. Two covers; "PR Britannia", New Orleans - Boston - New York - Liverpool - London 2nd - 16th July 1842, Entire dated "New Orleans 17 June 1842" forwarded by Goodhue & Co. of New York. Paid 25 Cents to New York and 1 Shilling packet letter rate on delivery in London. Atlantic transit of 14 days."PR Acadia", New Orleans - New York - Boston - Liverpool 1st - 13th August 1842, Entire dated "New Orleans 18th July 1842" with the same routing as the upper cover. Both covers were part of the Perham - Huth Merchant Bankers correspondence. Atlantic transit of 12 days, Very Fine.
Estimate $500 - 750.
The forwarding agents T.W. Ward of Boston used a set of stamps for four Cunard vessels operating the mail packet contract in 1842. Used to identify the vessel they wanted letter to be sent.
Realized: $1,700
Lot 2614
Cunard Line "Hibernia", Boston - Liverpool 1st - 18th November 1845. Prices Current dated "p Str Hibernia New York 31 Octobre 1845" to Lyon franked with 1845 5¢ black, New York Postmaster Provisional (large margins to slightly in at left, uncancelled), At Calais the item was taxed "70" Decimes for Calais to Lyon., Very Fine; with 2001 P.F. certificate.Scott No. 9X1a Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
After leaving Halifax on 3rd November the "Hibernia" ran aground off Cape Race, Newfoundland and put into St. John on the 5th before sailing for Liverpool on the 9th. Atlantic transit of 18 days.
Realized: $1,400
Lot 2615
Cunard Line Contract, "Cambria", New York - Boston - Liverpool - Greenock 16th - 28th August 1845. Entire dated "New York 15th August 1845" franked with New York Postmaster Provisional 1845 5¢ black, without signature to Scotland (four clear to mostly large margins, tied by blue manuscript cancel), this was the third Cunard sailing on which the Provisional was available for use. The Provisional prepaid the 5 Cents inland fee, the 1 Shilling packet letter rate was paid at Greenock, Scotland. Atlantic transit of 13 days., Very Fine; signed Sloane.Scott No. 9X1e Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
Early use of the New York Postmaster Provisional without control initials.
Realized: $2,200
Lot 2616
Cunard Line Steamship "Cambria", Maiden Outbound Voyage, Liverpool January 4th - Boston January 24th 1845. Entire dated "London 2. January 1845" addressed to the American - Irish merchants Abraham Bell & Son at New York. At Liverpool that offices "1/-" charges stamp and "PAID AT / LIVERPOOL / 1845 JA 4" were struck. On arrival at Boston manuscript charged "20?" cent applied for 2 cents ship letter plus 18? cent inland to New York was made. Atlantic Transit 20 days, Very Fine.Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $325