Lot
426 
(Discriminatory Rate) 1848 (Mar. 19) Liverpool, England to St. Petersburg, Va., folded letter with red Liverpool (3.19) origin cds and red manuscript "1/-" prepaid packet rating, red London (3.20) cds, carried by Ocean Line Washington from Southampton Mar. 21 to New York arriving Apr. 7, upon arrival in U.S. blue manuscript "34" cent due rating for 24¢ American packet fee plus 10¢ inland postage, slight bleaching along hor. fold, F.-V.F., a scarce discriminatory rate. Estimate $500 - 750.
The Ocean Line was awarded the first US Post Office contract for US mails under the Foreign Mails Act of 1845. Two steamships were built, the "Washington" and the "Hermann" and they operated the contact over its 10 year term between New York and Bremen with a stop at Southampton. The Washington inaugurated the service leaving New York June 1st 1847 arriving Southampton June 15th.
The commencement of the service led to Britain imposing a "Discriminatory Rate" on mails landed at Southampton with all US prepayment ignored and the One Shilling Packet Rate charged to the addressee leading to the Retaliatory Rate period.
Realized: $675
Lot
427
(Discriminatory Rate) 1848 (Apr. 25) London, England to Petersburg, Va., folded letter with partial "Fenchurch St" receiving house h.s., red London (4.25) and red manuscript "1/-" prepaid packet rating, carried by Ocean Line Hermann from Southampton May 6th to New York arriving May 22, upon arrival in U.S. blue manuscript "34" cent due rating for 24¢ American packet fee plus 10¢ inland postage, Very Fine and scarce discriminatory use. Estimate $400 - 600.
Since the letter cost was so high due to discriminatory rates, very few letters were sent from England to the U.S. on the American contract mail steamships before 1849.
Realized: $800
Lot
428
1848 (Jun. 10) Liverpool, England to City Point, Va., folded letter with "Paid at Liverpool Jun 10, 1848" framed postmark with matching "1/-" shilling prepaid packet h.s., carried by Cunard Line Britannia from Liverpool Jun. 10 to New York arriving Jun. 26, New York large red "12" cent due rating h.s. for 10¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee, F.-V.F., Letter carried on ninth and final voyage by Cunard steamer to New York before retaliatory rate period. Estimate $300 - 400.
New York ship markings appear on Cunard covers for only six months in 1848 and six weeks in early 1849 before treaty rates became effective.
Realized: $475
Lot
429
1848 (Jun. 10) Liverpool, England to New Orleans, La., folded letter endorsed "pr. Britania", red "Paid At Liverpool JU 10 1848" postmark and matching "1/-" prepaid packet fee, carried by Cunard Line Britannia from Liverpool Jun. 10 to New York arriving Jun. 26, New York large "12" due rating for 10¢ inland fees and 2¢ ship fee, Very Fine, Carried on the final voyage prior to the retaliatory period. Estimate $300 - 400.
Letter carried on ninth and final voyage by Cunard steamer to New York before retaliatory rate period. New York ship markings appear on Cunard covers for only six months in 1848 and six weeks in early 1849 before treaty rates became effective.
Realized: $250
Lot
430
1848 (Jun. 17) Liverpool, England to New York, N.Y., folded letter with red "Paid at Liverpool, JU 17 1848" with red manuscript "1" shilling prepaid rating, carried by Cunard Line Cunard Line Cambria from Liverpool Jun. 17 to Boston arriving Jun. 30, "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Jun 30" exchange cds and matching "7" due h.s. for 5¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee, F.-V.F. Estimate $300 - 400.
Letter carried on last Cunard mail voyage to the U.S. before retaliatory rate period. For the next six months all packet letters between the U.S. and G.B. required double sea postage as the U.S. retaliated against the British practice of charging a full packet rate even though their steamers provided no service.
Lot
431
(Retaliatory Rates) 1848 (Jun. 22) Belfast, Ireland to New York, N.Y., folded June 22nd letter from Belfast, Ireland to New York, red "Belfast JU 22 1848" split ring d.s. and London "Paid, JU 23 1848" transit with red manuscript "1" shilling transatlantic rating, carried by Cunard Line Caledonia from Liverpool Jun. 24 to New York arriving Jul. 8, New York large red "24" due rating for American packet rate; Very Fine and choice, Carried on the first Cunard mail voyage to the U.S. states under the retaliatory order. one of only two recorded examples of this large New York "24" rate handstamp. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Letter carried on 1st of 25 Cunard mail voyages to the U.S. under the retaliatory order by which the U.S. charged the American Packet rate on letters carried to or from the U.S. by British contract mail steamers. The result was a double charge for sea postage since the British insisted on charging their own sea postage.
Realized: $1,900
Lot
432
(Retaliatory Rates) 1848 (Jun. 22) Manchester, England to Philadelphia, Pa., folded letter with red Manchester (6.22) cds and red manuscript "1" shilling packet rating, Liverpool (6.23) backstamp, carried by Cunard Line Caledonia from Liverpool Jun. 24 to New York arriving Jul. 8, red "New York, 'Ship 29' Jul 9" integral due rating for the 5¢ inland rate plus 24¢ packet fee; some erosion on bottom, Fine, Carried on the first Cunard mail voyage to the United States under the retaliatory order. Estimate $600 - 800.
In retaliation for a British discriminatory practice of charging the full British packet postage on letters carried to Great Britain by American contract steamships, Congress passed an act on June 27, 1848 to charge the same fee on all letters to or from the United States by foreign steamships as was charged on U.S. mails. This went into effect on June 29, 1848.
Lot
433
(Retaliatory Rates) 1848 (Sep. 15) Liverpool, England to New York, N.Y., folded letter with large framed "Paid at Liverpool, SP 16 1848" postmark and matching "1/-" shilling prepaid rating for packet fee, carried by Cunard Line America from Liverpool Sep. 16 to New York Sep. 29, New York red "24" retaliatory due rating for the packet fee, Very Fine. Estimate $100 - 150.
Letter carried on 13th Cunard mail voyage to the U.S. under the retaliatory order. Color of New York "24" postage due marking had no significance. It was the color of ink in use at the time.
Realized: $95
Lot
434
(Retaliatory Rates) 1848 (Dec. 1) Abingdon, England to Boston, Mass., blue cover with "Abingdon DE 1 1848" cds and manuscript "Paid 1s" prepaid packet rating, additional red crayon "1/-" rating, London and Liverpool (12.2) transits, carried by Cunard Line Europa from Liverpool Dec. 16 to New York arriving Dec. 31, red "New-York 'Ship 29cts' Jan 1" cds for 5¢ inland plus 24¢ packet fee, Very Fine and rare example from the last retaliatory sailing. Estimate $500 - 750.
Letter arrived in Liverpool just after the Cunard steamer Niagara departed for Boston and had to wait two weeks for the next steamer to New York. It was carried on 25th and last Cunard mail voyage to the U.S. under the retaliatory order. .
Realized: $1,000
Lot
435
(Restored Rates) 1848 (Dec. 29) Liverpool, England to Petersburg, Va., folded letter endorsed "p. America", red "Paid at Liverpool, DE 29 1848" postmark and matching "1/-" shilling prepaid packet rating h.s., carried by Cunard Line America from Liverpool Dec. 30 to Boston arriving Jan. 12, red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Jan 12" cds and red crayon "12" cents due rating for 10¢ inland postage and 2¢ ship fee, Very Fine and rare example of first westbound restored rate sailing. Estimate $500 - 750.
Letter carried on first of four Cunard mail voyages to the U.S. during six week period when pre-retaliatory rates were resumed before U.S.-U.K. postal convention became effective. Two voyages went to Boston and two to New York. Covers during this period are referred to as "restored rate" covers.