Lot
574 
1841 (Aug. 14) New York, N.Y. to Cadiz, Spain, folded letter bearing red "Harndens Boston" oval handstamp, carried by Cunard Line Acadia from Boston to Liverpool, London (8.29) transit backstamp with matching "Packet Letter" and "Detained for Postage" framed handstamps, Harnden agent paid 1s Transatlantic packet fee and 2s2d Falmouth packet fee to Spain, manuscript ratings totalled to "3/2" for 3 shillings 2 pence, large "11R." due rating handstamp, Very Fine, a scarce Harndens usage with an unusual routing to Spain . Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $625
Lot
575
1844 (Aug. 15) New York, N.Y. to Madrid, Spain, folded cover with red "New York Aug 15" exchange cds with matching "Paid" arced h.s., carried by Cunard Line Caledonia from Boston Aug. 16 to Liverpool arriving Aug. 28, London (8.30) backstamp and "Detained for Postage" framed h.s., after payment of "4/7" 4s7d forwarded to Spain, French transit, Spanish "22R" reales due h.s., Very Fine, a scarce routing. Estimate $150 - 200.
Realized: $220
Lot
576
(Retaliatory Rates) 1848 (Nov.) New York, N.Y. to Cadiz, Spain, folded cover endorsed "Bill of lading & invoice", handed to a ship captain and entered mails at Cadiz, red "Estados Unidos" straightline, large red "15R" reales due h.s. for a letter weighing 14-15 adarmes. Estimate $150 - 200.
The "Estados Unidos" straightline was applied to indicate the origin of the letter since this determined the postage due.
Realized: $160
Lot
577
1850 (Apr. 16) Boston, Mass. to Cadiz, Spain, folded letter with manuscript "46" cent credit to G.B., carried by Cunard Line Europa from New York Apr. 17th to Liverpool arriving Apr. 29th, red London (4.30) arrival cds with matching large oval "PD" h.s., Calais (5.1) entry cds, red "18.R" reales due rating, Very Fine, scarce British mail rate to Spain. Estimate $150 - 200.
Letter endorsed that it was prepaid for American and British postage against Charge Box No. 1458, marked in upper right corner. The prepayment of 51¢ was for a letter between ¼ - ½ oz weight sent in the British open mail via France.
Realized: $190
Lot
578
1850 (Jun. 24) Boston, Mass. to Cadiz, Spain, folded letter with Boston "Paid" h.s. in red and pencil "41" rating for the British mail rate for ¼ oz. letter via France, magenta "36" cent credit to U.K., carried by Cunard Line Canada from Boston Jun. 26 to Liverpool arriving Jul. 7, London Paid (7.8) transit, Cadiz arrival backstamp and large red "11R" reales due rating h.s., Very Fine, a scarce British mail rate to Spain. Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $270
Lot
579
1854 (Aug. 4) Boston, Mass. to Malaga, Spain, buff cover with Boston red "Paid" h.s. with pencil "41" cent prepaid rating, New York exchange backstamp and magenta "20" cent credit to G.B., carried by Collins Line Pacific from New York on Aug. 5 and to Liverpool arriving Aug. 15, London (8.16) transit cds and matching oval "PF" h.s., French (8.17) transit, Malaga arrival backstamp and blue "10Rs" reales due h.s., Very Fine, a scarce rate. Estimate $100 - 150.
Prepayment covered all transit fees to French-Spanish border. 10 reales de vellon was postage due for 4 ardarnes (¼ oz.) weight letter.
Realized: $85
Lot
580
1857 (May 20) Boston, Mass. to Jerez de la Frontera, Spain, folded letter with red "Boston Paid 20 May Br. Pkt." exchange cds with manuscript "37" prepaid rating for British mail rate via France prepaid to Spanish border only, red crayon "32" cent U.S. credit to G.B., carried by Cunard Line Europa from Boston May 20 to Liverpool arriving May 31, red London (6.1) with circled "PP" h.s., Calais (6.1) transit, Cadiz (6.10) arrival backstamp and black "4R" reales postage due rating, Very Fine. Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $550
Lot
581
1858 (Dec. 31) Charleston, S.C. to Tarragona, Spain, folded letter with blue "Charge Box 625 H & Co." straightline, "Charleston S.C. Dec 31 1858" origin cds with matching "Paid" h.s. and manuscript "21" rating, "New York 'Paid 18' Jan 5" exchange h.s. with credit obliterated and restruck "Br. Pkt." exchange cds, carried by Cunard Line Asia from New York Jan. 5 to Liverpool arriving Jan. 16, London (1.17) arrival backstamp, Tarragona (1.22) arrival backstamp with "4 Rs" reales due h.s.; light vertical fold, Very Fine. Estimate $200 - 300.
Letter paid 21¢ for a single rate (¼ oz) letter by French mail. New York credited France 18¢ with the exchange office datestamp, then realized letter weighed more than ¼ oz. and required two rates. The credit was obliterated and the letter sent in the British open mail by British packet (5¢ rate), a 16¢ overpayment. London sent letter through France to Spain, where it was marked for 4 reales postage due, the rate for a single letter (less than 7½ grams). Letter must have weighed over ¼ oz. (7.08 grams) and under 7.5 grams.
Realized: $450
Lot
582
1869 (Jun. 12) Mobile, Ala. to Barcelona, Spain, folded cover bearing 1861, 10¢ green, F. grill, horizontal pair, tied by "Mobile Ala. Jun 12" duplex, red "New-York U.S. Pkt. Jun 16" exchange cds, carried by North German Lloyd Line Donau from New York June 17th to Southampton June 27th, London (6.28) transit and "Paid-Only/To England" two-line h.s., Barcelona (7.1) arrival backstamp and blue "12.Rs." reales due rating h.s., Very Fine, an uncommon rate to Spain; with 1989 APS cert. Scott No. 96 Estimate $300 - 400.
Letter prepaid only the transit fees to G.B., leaving the remaining postage under the Anglo-Spanish Treaty of 1858 to be paid by the recipient. London used a special marking to show letter PAID-ONLY/TO ENGLAND. Since letter weighed between 15-22½ grams, it required three rates in Spain (note the manuscript "3," upper left).
Realized: $500
Lot
583
1872 (Nov. 27) New Orleans, La. to Malaga, Spain, folded letter bearing 1870, 10¢ brown tied by "New Orleans La. Nov. 22" duplex, carried by HAPAG Line Vandalia from New Orleans on Nov. 27th to Santander arriving Nov. 23rd, Malaga (8.24) backstamp and "1 Peseta" due handstamp; horizontal fold affects 10¢, F.-V.F., the only recorded example of this scarce rate. Scott No. 150 Estimate $300 - 400.
Post Office Department notice of 25 October 1871 established a 10¢ per ½ ounce direct rate for letters from the United States to Spain on the HAPAG steamships operating between New Orleans, Havana, Cuba, and Santander, Spain. While there was no postal convention with Spain to allow letters to be paid to their destination, the 10¢ fee was essentially the outgoing steamship fee. Postage was due in Spain. This service may have ended by mid-1873 as there is no record the route was used in 1874 and 1875 according to the Annual Reports of the Postmaster General.
Realized: $1,600