Lot
50 
"Unicorn" Maiden Voyage, Liverpool May 16th - Boston June 3rd 1840, folded May 9 letter from Leith, Scotland to Richmond, Va., letter carried privately to Liverpool and placed in ship's letter bag by unknown agent, endorsed "p. Unicorn Steamer", red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Jun 4" cds with red manuscript "27" due rating for 25¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee, 18 days transit, Extremely Fine and choice, This Voyage Marked the Inauguration of Cunard Line Service. Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
The Unicorn made the First Transatlantic Voyage of the Cunard Line in anticipation of a feeder service she would perform between Pictou, Nova Scotia and Quebec and to insure facilities were ready at Boston for the inaugural mail voyage of the line in July 1840. This was the maiden voyage of the "Unicorn".
Realized: $3,500
Lot
18
"Great Western" Maiden Return Voyage, New York May 7th - Bristol May 22nd 1838, folded May 7th letter from New York to Cognac, France, endorsed "Steamer Great Western via England", "Bristol Ship-Letter" stepped h.s. and "1/6" 1s6d due rating, London (5.23) backstamp and manuscript "1/6" 1s6d G.B. debit to France, red "Angleterre Par Calais" circular handstamp, Cognac (5.27) arrival backstamp, manuscript"32" (décimes) due rating; Very Fine. Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
Letter taken to mail bag at ship agent's office, instead of to the post office. Freight money fee was not collected on Great Western's maiden return voyage. Bristol marked 1s6d due (8d incoming ship letter fee plus 10d British inland fee from Bristol to London). London Foreign Office debited French 1s6d as required under the 1836 Anglo-French Convention, manuscript upper right. Paris struck ANGLETERRE/PAR/CALAIS marking to show letter arrived from England entering France at Calais, a very scarce marking on a transatlantic steamship cover. Paris also marked letter for 32 décimes postage due, 18 décimes pay back to G.B. plus 14 décimes French inland postage from Calais to Bordeaux (605 km).
Realized: $2,200
Lot
713
1857 (Jan. 1) New York, N.Y. to Hong Kong, China, printed circular sent at the prepaid 4¢ printed matter rate by British Mail via Southampton, endorsed "printed circular" and New York applied large "2" cent handstamp for credit to Great Britain, carried by Cunard Line Asia from New York Jan. 21 to Liverpool arriving Feb. 2, red London (2.3) transit cds, pencil "1" pence due in Hong Kong, P&O Steamers carried circular from Southampton to Alexandria and from Suez to Hong Kong, Very Fine, the only recorded example of this 4¢ circular rate to China. Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
Realized: $5,000
Lot
45
"Royal William" Maiden Voyage, Liverpool July 5th - New York July 24th 1838, folded July 4th letter from London to Washington, D.C., endorsed "Royal William Steam Boat 5 July", green "Forwarded by Coates & Co. London" oval backstamp, red "New York 'Ship' July 25" cds and manuscript "20¾" rating for 18¾¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee; Fine and rare maiden voyage. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
Letter given to forwarding agent, Coates & Co. of London (green oval handstamp on reverse), who placed it directly in ship letter bags, avoiding post office ship letter charge. Letter carried on maiden voyage of Royal William, which made only three round voyages.
Lot
310
1847 (Jul. 2) Bremen to Baltimore, Md, folded letter endorsed "p. Steamer Washington", Bremen (7.2) origin cds and dark magenta framed "Paid." handstamp, red London "Paid 5 JY 1847" cds and magenta "1/6" credit rating to G.B., carried by Ocean Line Washington from Southampton Jul. 15 to New York arriving Jul. 30, Baltimore blue "29" due rating for U.S. 5¢ inland postage and 24¢ American packet fee, Very Fine, Carried on the Maiden Return Voyage of American Packet Service by Collins Line Washington. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
While letters on the eastbound route during the Discriminatory Rate period are relatively rare, those on westbound voyages are exceptional. On arrival at New York, they were charged the full US sea postage rate of 24 cents plus the appropriate inland rate for delivery. The "Washington" was delayed 2½ days due to repairs.
Realized: $8,000
Lot
614
1851 (Jul. 31) San Francisco, Cal. to London, England, folded letter with red "San Francisco Cal. 1 Aug" cds and matching "Paid" and "25" rating handstamps, carried by Cunard Line Asia from New York Sep. 10 to Liverpool arriving Sep. 21, New York red "19" credit to G.B., red London (9.22) arrival cds, light soiling, Fine, one of only three recorded examples of this 25¢ error rate. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
Letter carried by Pacific Mail Steamship Co. "Oregon" from San Francisco to Panama City and by U.S. Mail Steamship Co. "Georgia" from Chagres to New York. When new U.S. rates went into effect on 1 July 1851, the San Francisco postmaster incorrectly assumed the new west coast rate to the U.K. was 25¢ (6¢ cross country plus 19¢ transatlantic fees) instead of the actual rate of 29¢. He used a "25" handstamp which existed at San Francisco. The 25¢ rate was in effect only two months before word reached him that his was rating the letters incorrectly.
Realized: $1,500
Lot
642
1851 (Aug. 28) Kiautschou, German China to Biberach, Württemberg via Culloma, Cal., datelined March 1850 folded letter entered mails with red "Culloma Call. Aug. 28" cds and matching "Paid" and "10", "10" and "5" rate handstamps, 25¢ prepaid (corrected to 15¢) for mistaken British open mail rate, carried by Cunard Line Africa from New York Oct. 8th to Liverpool arriving Oct. 19th, London (10.20) backstamp, red Paris transit, Heilbronn (10.24) backstamp, red "40" kreuzer postage due rating for 34 kr. to France and 6 kr. to Württemberg plus "1" kr. local fee, Very Fine, A unique use from German China to Europe via California by British open mails. An exceptional California error rate use. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
In July 1851, California postmasters apparently did not know how to implement the new U.S. rates on foreign mails. An unauthorized 25¢ rate was used for mails to England instead of the intended 29¢ rate. Error rates to the Continent of 22¢ instead of 26¢ (British open mail by American packet) and 15¢ instead of 10¢ (British open mail by British packet) also were used. The error rates were corrected two months later, probably when instructions were received from Washington D.C.
This letter originated in the German enclave at Kiautschou, China in March 1850. It was carried privately from China to Northern California and posted 17 months later! Culloma collected the 25¢ error rate, then corrected to 15¢ for British open mail to France by British packet from New York, also an error rate.
Realized: $6,250
Lot
369
1847 (Jun. 1) New York, N.Y. to London, England, folded letter with red "New York Jun 1" cds with matching arced "Paid" handstamp, endorsed "per Mail Steamer 'Washington' ", carried by Ocean Line Washington from New York Jun. 1 to Southampton arriving Jun. 15, "Liverpool 16 JU" and red "London 16 JU 1847" arrival backstamps with manuscript "1/" shilling discriminatory due rating on front, Very Fine, The inaugural voyage of American transatlantic packet service by Ocean Line Washington. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
The commencement of the American Packet 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. There are four recorded examples to Great Britain, each showing the discriminatory fee. There are three recorded covers on this voyage to France and Germany, one of which is in this collection.
Realized: $4,250
Lot
258
1847 (May 22) Washington D.C. to Mezingen, Württemberg, folded letter with red "Washington D.C. May 22" cds with matching arced "Paid" handstamp and manuscript "29" rating for 5¢ U.S. inland and 24¢ Am. Packet fees, carried by Ocean Line Washington from New York Jun. 1 to Southampton arriving June 15, red "Angleterre, Par Le Havre, 17 Juin '47" transit cds (one of only two recorded examples on Transatlantic mail, unknown by Salles), various ratings in red crayon and manuscript with final 43 kreuzer due by addressee in Mezingen, bright and fresh, Very Fine and rare, Carried on the Maiden American Packet Voyage of Ocean Line Washington. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
The Ocean Line was awarded the first USPO 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. This led to the Retaliatory Rate period and subsequently (February 1849) to a postal convention between the two countries. Although discriminatory charges were intended to apply to mails for France, this letter did not go to London and, therefore, received no extra British charges.
Realized: $10,000
Lot
643
1852 (Jun. 8) Papeete, Tahiti to London via San Francisco Cal., folded letter with blue "San Francisco Cal 16 Sep" cds with matching "Paid" and "29" rate handstamp, New York red "3" credit h.s. to G.B., carried by Collins Line Atlantic from New York Oct. 16 to Liverpool arriving Oct. 27, red London (10.28) arrival cds, Very Fine, a remarkable usage from Tahiti. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
Letter sent privately to agent in San Francisco, where the 29¢ fee to England was paid. It was carried by Pacific Mail Steamship Co. steamer "Golden Gate" from San Francisco to Panama City and by U.S. Mail Steamship Co. steamer "Illinois" from Chagres to New York. Blue handstamp "29" applied at San Francisco when letter paid by agent. The blue color ink was used in San Francisco from September 1 to December 13, 1852 only. This is the only recorded example of the "29" in blue, and it is on a letter from a very scarce origin. .
Realized: $4,250