Lot
4099 
Australian States: Victoria, 1854 (Mar. 23) Melbourne, Victoria to Buck Creek, Ala. via London and New York, gray cover bearing Victoria, Half-length, 3d blue, fifth printing (SG 14), tied by bold "1 V" barred oval and matching "Melbourne, Victoria, MA 23, 1854" rimless oval, carried by P&O Chusan contract packet via Galle, red London (6.11) transit backstamp, manuscript "1/-" debit with additional "2/-" at bottom right, carried transatlantic by Collins Line Atlantic from Liverpool Jun. 14th to New York arriving Jun. 25th, black "New-York, Am. Pkt. Jun 25" exchange cds with matching "45" cent due handstamp, Very Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
The 45¢ rate is the sum of "1/" (24¢) packet Australia to London, 8d (16¢) transatlantic packet and 5¢ United States inland postage. P&O homebound voyages from September 1853 went direct to Galle, not via Singapore.
Realized: $1,150