Lot
950 
1851 (Jul. 28) Liverpool, England To Andover, Mass., folded letter bearing Great Britain 1841, 2d blue, four singles (one lightly creased), large margins to touched, tied by "466" barred ovals prepaying the 8d outgoing ship letter rate, Liverpool "Ship Letter JY 30 1851" crown backstamp, carried by Collins Line Arctic from Liverpool Jul. 30 to New York arriving Aug. 11, black "New-York 'Ship 7cts' Aug 11" cds for the 5¢ domestic rate to Andover plus 2¢ ship fee, Very Fine, This Is the Only American Contract Steamship Voyage Known To Have Been Designated For Ship Letters Only, Only Three Covers Recorded From This Voyage; with 2013 P.F. certificate. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
The British elected not to send a regular mail on this voyage of "Arctic", an American contract mail steamship of the Collins Line, because the NY & Havre Line "Humboldt" was departing the next day from Southampton for New York. Arctic's voyage was considered an extra voyage and carried ship letter only.
Realized: $2,800