Lot
667 
1849 (Jul. 30) United States to Wallenstadt, Switzerland, fully paid gray folded cover with red "Paid" handstamp and ms. "55" cent prepaid rating, endorsed "via Boston & Liverpool" and "postpaid", red "New-York, Jul 30" exchange backstamp and matching red "PAID ALL" straightline with magenta "21" cent credit to Bremen, carried by Ocean Line Hermann from New York Aug. 20th to Bremerhaven arriving Sep. 5th, Bremen red two-line "America/über Bremen" handstamp and red crayon "wfr 7" credit, Hannover dark red ms. "5.8" credit (5 2/3ggr or 22x) and finally gray ms. "6" kr, Wallenstadt (9.13) arrival backstamp, Very Fine and choice. Estimate $500 - 750.
THE ONLY RECORDED PREPAID BREMEN MAILS USE FROM THE UNITED STATES TO SWITZERLAND DURING THIS PERIOD.
Letter was full prepaid according to the tariff from March 1848 with 55¢. This extremely rare rate is 9¢ over the maximum postage of 12¢ for the German states and is the only known paid letter from this first rate period to Switzerland. New York credited Bremen with 21¢ (12¢ German plus 9¢ Switzerland), Hannover credited 7ggr; Hanover hands over with "5.8" credit (5 2/3 ggr or 22kr), and 6kr for Switzerland.
Realized: $425