Lot
962 
1848 (Nov. 7) Philadelphia Pa. to Cognac, France via G.B., blue folded letter with blue "Philadelphia Pa., Nov 7" cds and matching "Paid" framed handstamp with pencil "58" cent rating for double the 24¢ packet rate and 5¢ inland, carried by Cunard Line Europa from New York Nov. 8th to Liverpool arriving Nov. 20th, red London (11.21) transit backstamp and matching "Colonies/&c.Art. 13" framed accountancy, Boulogne (11.22) entry cds and manuscript "43" décimes due rating for 20 dec. to G.B. and 23 dec. for 15-20g 600-750km; light fold toning, F.-V.F. Estimate $150 - 200.
Realized: $140
Lot
963
(Restored Rate Period) 1849 (Jan. 8) Philadelphia, Pa. to Paris, France via G.B., folded letter endorsed "pr Steamer Europa", blue "Philada. Pa. '5' Jan 9" integral-rate cds and matching "Paid" framed handstamp, carried by Cunard Line Europa from New York Jan. 10th to Liverpool arriving Jan. 22nd, red London (1.23) and "Colonies &c Art 13" framed accountancy handstamp, red Boulogne (1.24) entry cds with manuscript "15" décimes due rating; Very Fine., Very Fine and desirable maiden eastbound restored rate usage, ex-Winter. Estimate $300 - 400.
Letter carried on 1st of only 3 Cunard mail eastbound voyages to Liverpool during six week period when pre-retaliatory rates were resumed before U.S.-G.B. postal convention became effective. The eastbound restored rate usages are far scarcer than westbound.
Realized: $350
Lot
964
(1848/1849 Treaty) 1849 (Feb. 14) Paris, France to Monroe, Mich., cover with "Paris 14 Fevr" origin cds and manuscript "15" décimes prepaid rating on reverse, red London (2.15) and Liverpool (2.16) transits, carried by Cunard Line America from Liverpool Feb. 24th to Boston arriving Mar. 8th, red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Mar 10" cds with matching "Paid" and "24" rating handstamp, Very Fine, This letter was carried on the first Cunard voyage under the new 1849 convention. Estimate $400 - 600.
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: $425
Lot
965
1849 (Oct. 16) Philadelphia, Pa. to Cognac, France, blue folded letter with blue "Philada Pa. Oct 16" cds and red provisional "Paid/5" rating handstamp for British open mail rate by British packet, carried by Cunard Line Canada from New York Oct. 17th to Liverpool arriving Oct. 28th, red London (10.29) arrival backstamp and matching "Colonies/&Art. 13." framed accounting handstamp, Calais (10.30) entry cds with matching "15" decimes due handstamp for 10 dec. G.B. plus 5 dec. inland postage, Very Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
ONE OF ONLY FOUR RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS PHILADELPHIA PROVISIONAL RATE HANDSTAMP USE.
This provisional rate handstamp was used in Philadelphia for only eight days in late 1849.
Realized: $625
Lot
966
(Via Panama) 1849 (Dec. 2) Callao, Peru to East Thomaston Me., gray datelined folded letter carried by Pacific Steam Navigation Co. to Panama and overland to Chagres, carried by Cherokee from Chagres Jan. 2nd to New York arriving Jan. 13th, rare strike of red "New-York '30' Jan 13" integral-due cds; slight edge toning, F.-V.F. Estimate $250 - 350.
CARRIED ON THE MAIDEN RETURN VOYAGE OF HOWLAND AND ASPINWALL'S CHEROKEE.
There are fewer than 5 recorded examples of the rare "New-York '30' Jan 13" integral-due cds, which is known used for this voyage of the "Cherokee" only. The New York Herald listed Cherokee as a mail steamship, but this was incorrect. The confusion about the Cherokee being a mail steamship on this voyage may have come from the actions of mail agent A. Clinton McLean. He was in charge of the mails from California that reached Panama on Dec. 5th and Dec. 29th. He accompanied these mails to New York on the Cherokee. It appears that he had missed the sailing of the contract mail steamer, "Falcon", that cleared Chagres on January 1, 1850. Howland and Aspinwall's Pacific Mail Steamship Company had the mail contract for the Pacific route, but not for the route on the Atlantic side. They did operate steamships on the Atlantic route until April 1851, the "Cherokee" being their first.
Reference: United States Incoming Steamship Mail 1847-1875, Second Edition, Wierenga, illustrated and discussed on p. 50-51, fig. 66.
Realized: $130
Lot
967
1849 (Dec. 17) Philadelphia, Pa. to Paris, France, folded cover with blue "Philada Pa. Dec 17" cds and red "Phila 5 Paid" provisional octagon rate handstamp for British open mail rate by British packet, carried by Cunard Line Europa Boston Dec. 19th to Liverpool Dec. 30th, red London (12.31) backstamp and matching "Colonies & Art. 13." framed accounting handstamp, black French (1.1) entry cds and matching "15" décimes due rating, Very Fine. Estimate $400 - 600.
ONE OF EIGHT RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS PHILADELPHIA PROVISIONAL MARKING FOR BRITISH OPEN MAIL.
Provisional rate marking used in Philadelphia for approximately six weeks, recorded from December 1849 to February 1850.
Realized: $600
Lot
968
1850 (Nov. 23) Erzurum, Anatolia, Asian Turkey to Msunduzi, South Africa via Boston Mass., fascinating 3½pp folded letter datelined "Ezeroom, Nov 23d 1850" from American Protestant missionary Rev. Isaac G. Bliss addressed to his cousin and fellow missionary Rev. Lewis Grant at "Umsumduzi" in "Care of H. Hill, Esq., Boston" who would forward privately to South Africa, carried by private ship and entered mails with red "Boston, Mass. Mar 5" cds and matching "Ship" "7" handstamps, about half of the letter is written in another hand, most probably Bliss's wife Eunice, who refers to the reverend having suffered from a severe illness, including headaches, fever and intestinal distress, a complete typed transcription is included; some edge wear, F.-V.F. Estimate $150 - 200.
Rev. Bliss and his wife were assigned to the Turkey missions by the American Board of Missions in Boston, Mass. Henry Hill was board secretary, who duties included the forwarding of mail, usually under cover to and from the field.
Realized: $170
Lot
969
1850 (Nov. 28) Lyon, France to Philadelphia Pa., folded letter docketed "pr. City of Glasgow" at top, forwarder's blue "Geo. H. Draper. Havre" straightline at bottom left, sent unpaid, carried as endorsed on Inman City of Glasgow from Liverpool Dec. 11th to Philadelphia arriving Jan. 3rd, Philadelphia blue "6" double-octagon due handstamp for 6¢ ship letter delivered at the port, Very Fine, Letter took 38 days by the new Inman service, 10 days longer than via Cunard to New York., ex-Hugh Feldman. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Liverpool-Philadelphia Scheduled Steamship Service: The Inman Line
Inman offered monthly service with three new steamships, the largest and most modern ever built on the Clyde. Philadelphia lobbied the government for a Liverpool-Philadelphia mail contract, but after years of losing freight and passenger business to the New York lines, Inman moved its western terminus there in 1857 and began carrying mail under temporary U.S. contracts.
The first business venture of Richardson Brothers’ steamship group was to purchase the City of Glasgow from Tod & Macgregor while the ship was on her fourth voyage to New York. The Richardson group was officially titled The Liverpool & Philadelphia Steam Ship Company, but probably because Inman ran the company from the very beginning it was informally called the Inman line.
Disappointment was followed by disaster when the City of Glasgow was lost at sea after departing Liverpool on 1 March on her second westbound voyage of the year. On 21 April the ship Baldaur, 400 miles north of the Azores, saw a steamship similar in description to the City of Glasgow steeply listing, but found only flotsam when the site was approached.14 Inman later declared the ship was presumed sunk, with the loss of 480 lives.
References: Illustrated and discussed in "The Liverpool and Philadelphia Steamship Company: Early Years of the Inman Line, 1850-1857" by John Barwis, Chronicle 230 (May 2011, pp. 181-187), fig. 2.
Lot
970
1851 (Jan. 15) Philadelphia Pa. to Cognac, France, datelined folded letter sent unpaid, carried as endorsed by Inman Line City of Glasgow from Philadelphia Jan. 16th to Liverpool arriving Jan. 30th, flap with "Liverpool, Ship" (1.30) framed transit, London red "Colonies/&c. Art. 13." framed accounting handstamp, brilliant red "Angle. Calais, 1 Fever. 51" entry cds and manuscript "15" décimes due rating, Very Fine and choice. Estimate $500 - 750.
A RARE USE CARRIED ON THE MAIDEN RETURN VOYAGE OF THE INMAN LINE.
Lot
971
1851 (Aug. 26) St. Louis, Mo. to Nagolo, Wurttemberg, legal-size orange buff cover with "Saint Louis, Mo. Aug 26" cds and manuscript "40" cent quadruple-rate rating, red "New-York, Sep 2" exchange backstamp, red "America/über/Bremen 66/18" exchange handstamp totaled with magenta "84", blue ms. and red crayon "1f24" final 1fl. 24 kr. due rating; reverse with Berlin-Minden (9.24), Deutz-Minden (9.25) and Nagolo (9.28) arrival backstamps; faults, Fine and scarce quadruple-rate use. Estimate $150 - 200.
Realized: $210