Lot
222 
1852 (Oct. 1) San Francisco Cal. to Bordeaux, France, blue folded letter with blue "San Francisco Cal. 1 Oct" cds and matching "Paid" and "26" rating handstamps, carried by Collins Line Baltic from New York Oct. 30th to Liverpool arriving Nov. 10th, red London (11.11) transit and red French (11.12) entry cds, French black "8" décimes due handstamp, reverse with Paris (11.12) and Bordeaux (11.13) arrival cds, Very Fine and earliest recorded strike of the rare blue "26" rating handstamp, ex-Winter. Estimate $150 - 200.
One of only four recorded San Francisco blue "26" rating handstamp usages, blue was used only from Oct. 1st to Nov. 16th 1852. Letter was carried from San Francisco by PMSSC "Tennessee" to Panama City, then by USMSSC "Georgia" from Aspinwall to New York.
Realized: $210