Lot
231 
1843 (Apr. 11) Paris, France to New Orleans, La., folded cover with red "Bureau Central" (4.11) origin cds with red "PD" framed h.s. and manuscript "22" decimes prepaid rating on reverse, red manuscript "1/-" credit to U.K., red London (4.13) and Liverpool (4.15) transits, carried by Cunard Line Hibernia from Liverpool Apr. 19 to Boston arriving May 4, red "Boston 'Ship' May 4" cds with small "27" cent postage due h.s.; central file fold, Very Fine, The Boston small "27" rating handstamp was previously unrecorded. Estimate $200 - 300.
French prepayment included 10 decimes inland fee from Paris for a simple letter under 1836 convention with U.K. plus 12 decimes (1s) British packet rate across the Atlantic. French credit to U.K. written in red pen in upper right corner. Octagonal transit datestamp of Liverpool struck in black ink in upper right corner. Boston marked 27¢ due for single letter (2¢ ship fee plus 25¢ U.S. inland fee from Boston to New Orleans).
Realized: $800
Lot
232
1844 (Jul. 29) La Rochelle, France to Boston, Mass., folded letter with large La Rochelle (7.29) cds with manuscript "17" prepaid rating on back, red "Foreign Paid" arced unframed h.s., London (8.2) and Liverpool (8.2) transits, carried by Cunard Line Acadia from Liverpool Aug. 4 to Boston arriving Aug. 18, Boston "Ship/6" fancy ribbon h.s., Very Fine, this marking is quite uncommon on transatlantic mails. Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $170
Lot
233
1847 (Mar. 1) Havre, France to Topsham, Me., datelined folded letter with prepaid "13" decimes rating on reverse, red "Southampton MR 2" backstamp and matching "Foreign Paid" arc framed h.s., London (3.3) and Liverpool (3.3) transits, carried by Cunard Line Hibernia from Liverpool Mar. 4 to Boston arriving Mar. 20, red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Mar 22" with matching "7" rating for 5¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee; tiny edge tear, clean and Very Fine. Estimate $200 - 300.
Letter paid 13 decimes (10 decimes to United Kingdom under 1843 Anglo-French convention plus 3 decimes internal fee for 7½-10 gram letter going a distance less than 40 km. FOREIGN PAID marking in red arc box applied at Southampton on letters brought directly from Havre to show that postage was paid beyond England. This is an uncommon marking on transatlantic mails.
Realized: $170
Lot
234
1847 (Dec. 22) Paris, France to Philadelphia, Pa., blue cover with red "Paris 22 Dec" cds and manuscript "23" decimes prepaid rating on reverse, Havre (12.23) backstamp, carried by French Line Missouri from Havre Dec. 23 to New York arriving Jan. 18, red "New-York 'Ship 7cts' Jan 13" cds, F.-V.F., This was the final voyage for the Herout & deHandel French Line, the "Missouri" put into Halifax for coal on this voyage. Estimate $300 - 400.
Covers carried on westbound Herout and deHandel Line voyages are exceedingly scarce. There are no special markings to identify these covers and only the sailing dates will result in their identification. To date only about a dozen covers have been identified for the nine voyages. This is one of three in the Winter collection. The other two are a 27 August 1847 cover from Amsterdam and a 16 December 1847 cover from Antwerp.
Realized: $1,150
Lot
235
(Retaliatory Rates) 1848 (Jul. 28) Dunkerque, France to New York, N.Y., folded letter with Calais (7.28) transit on reverse and manuscript "12" décimes prepaid rating, red framed "PD" handstamp, red London (7.29) and Liverpool (7.30) transits, carried by Cunard Line Cambria from Liverpool Aug. 5 to New York arriving Aug. 19, New York applied small red "24" retaliatory due handstamp for the 24¢ packet fee, Very Fine and rare example of this small New York "24" retaliatory due handstamp. Estimate $150 - 200.
Letter carried on the 7th of 25 Cunard mail westbound voyages to the U.S. under the retaliatory order.
Realized: $850
Lot
236
(Retaliatory Rates) 1848 (Sep. 5) Paris, France to Boston, Mass., folded letter with red Paris cds and manuscript "15" décimes prepaid rating on reverse, carried by Cunard Line Acadia from Liverpool Sep. 9 to Boston arriving Sep. 24, London "Paid 6 SP" and Liverpool (9.7) transits, red "24" retaliatory due rating for 24¢ packet fee; light toning, Very Fine. Estimate $150 - 200.
Letter carried on 12th of 25 Cunard voyages westbound to Boston under the retaliatory order.
Realized: $750
Lot
237
(1848/1849 Treaty) 1849 (Feb. 14) Paris, France to Monroe, Mich., cover with "Paris 14 Fevr" origin cds with manuscript "15" decimes prepaid rating on reverse, red London (2.15) and Liverpool (2.16) transits, carried by Cunard Line America from Liverpool Feb. 24 to Boston arriving Mar. 8, red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Mar 10" cds with matching "Paid" and "24" rating h.s., Very Fine, This letter was carried on the first Cunard voyage under the new 1849 convention. Estimate $300 - 400.
On February 15, 1849, President James K. Polk signed a proclamation making effect the new United States-Great Britain Postal Convention. The public was not notified until Feb. 24, the date the Cunard steamer "America" departed Liverpool with the first mails from England under the new convention. Adequate instructions were not in place at the U.S. exchange offices of Boston and New York and a variety of errors were made. The new convention allowed mails to and from France to travel in the British open mail through England.
This letter shows that the Boston postal clerks did not know how to treat letters from France under the new convention. This letter was paid only to U.S. port and required postage due in the U.S. Boston, however, marked the letter as fully prepaid. This error in rating is known on mails of this voyage only.
Realized: $750
Lot
238
1852 (Feb. 17) Paris, France to Philadelphia, Pa., folded cover prepaid 60c. with France 1850 10c. single and 1849 25c. pair, each large margins except 10c. touched at bottom, affected by file fold and tied by roller cancels, Paris (2.17) origin cds with red framed "PD" h.s., carried by Havre Line Franklin from Havre Feb. 18 to New York arriving Mar. 2, small cover flaws, F.-V.F. Estimate $150 - 200.
Realized: $550
Lot
239
1852 (Nov. 8) Paris, France to Philadelphia, Pa., folded letter bearing France 1849-50, 1fr. and 10c. pair, margins to cutting, Paris (11.8) origin cds and framed "PP" h.s., Havre (11.9) backstamp, carried by Ocean Line Hermann from Southampton Nov. 10 to New York arriving Nov. 23, "New York '21' Nov 23" exchange debit cds; hor. fold slightly affects 10c., F.-V.F., This is the Earliest Special Ship Letter Rate Recorded under the 1851 Special Provision. Estimate $200 - 300.
Effective October 2, 1851, a special provision allowed outgoing ship letter rates to be used on letters to the U.S. sent via Southampton for the Ocean Line steamships. These steamers stopped in the Solent between Southampton and Cowes, Isle of Wight, enroute to and from Bremerhaven, to put off mails for G.B. and France. This rate prepaid all French fees, leaving the U.S. postage due. Very few covers showing these rates are recorded even though the rates were in use for six years.
Realized: $800
Lot
240
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" h.s., 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. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $230