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Lot 193 |
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1857 (Mar. 28) New Orleans La. to Intra, Piedmont (Sardinia), blue folded letter bearing 5¢ red brown (12) rich color, huge even margins, tied by "New Orleans La. Mar 28" c.d.s., reverse with black "Boston Br. Pkt. 8 Apr" exchange office c.d.s., red Liverpool "21 AP 1857" transit backstamp, "Angl. Amb. Calais 21 Avril 57" entry c.d.s. with matching framed "GB /1F 60C" debit handstamp, various French and Italian transits, and "Intra 25 Apr 57" arrival c.d.s., handstamped "10" due rating, blue New Orleans merchant cachet; a Very Fine usage bearing an Extremely Fine stamp, the 5¢ British open mail rate carried by British packet per ½ ounce, plus 10 décimes due for sea postage and postage from England to Sardinia.
Estimate 5,000 - 7,500
Provenance: Grunin
This letter was exchanged at Boston on April 8, and carried on the sixteenth and last sailing during the Three Month period by the Cunard Line steamer Europa, which departed Boston on April 8 and arrived at Liverpool on April 20. It was received at Intra on March 28 with a 10 décimes rating for postage due from addressee.
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Lot 194 |
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1857 (Aug. 8) New Orleans La. to St. Julien, Sardinia, 3¢ red on buff envelope (U10) bearing 5¢ red brown (12) deep rich color, large margins on two sides with portion of adjacent stamp at left, touched or slightly cut in on other sides, 10¢ green, types I-III (13-15) vertical strip of three with enormous margins including left sheet margin and part of adjacent stamps at right, tied on cover by "New Orleans La. Aug 8 1857" circular datestamps, red "New-York Am. Pkt. Aug 15" exchange office backstamp and magenta "15" credit, red boxed "Aachen 29 8 Franco" handstamp and magenta "f 3¼" rating, red "Franca", "P.D.", and "Via Di Svizzera" handstamps, various backstamps including "S. Julien 4 Set 57" receiver, "f 3¼" crossed out in red crayon and rated "7"; trivial crease in bottom margin of strip, a Very Fine usage bearing a superb and remarkable 10¢ strip with three different types, the 38¢ Prussian Closed Mail rate per ½ ounce. Illustrated in Frajola and Mayer, p. 100, fig. 8-7.
Estimate 30,000 - 40,000
AN OUTSTANDING COVER, AND THE ONLY RECORDED 1856 5¢ USAGE TO SARDINIA THAT WAS PREPAID AND TRAVELED BY PRUSSIAN CLOSED MAIL.
The cover bears a New York exchange office datestamp of August 15 and was marked with a manuscript 15 cents credit to Prussia. The United States retained the 5-cent inland postage and the 18-cent sea postage, leaving Prussia with the 15 cents for Belgian transit, Prussian inland postage, postage beyond Prussia. It was carried by American packet on the Collins Line steamer Baltic, which departed August 16 and arrived in Liverpool on August 28. The closed bag was then exchanged at Aachen, receiving magenta "f 3¼" silbergroschen notation representing the equivalent of 8 cents paid (f = franco, or paid) for the postage beyond Prussia. The routing handstamp "Via Di Svizzera" as well "Franca" and "P.D." handstamps indicate the route was to be via Switzerland and that the cover was prepaid. The red crayon "7" likely represents a credit to Prussia.
It is not surprising that this is the only known Prussian closed mail rate 5¢ cover, given its high rate and postage as well as the distinct possibility of delay due to ongoing wars and unrest. Moreover, this cover is a fantastic use of a 3¢ Nesbitt.
St. Julien was located south of Geneva, Switzerland in the area of Sardinia that is now part of France.
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Lot 195 |
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1857 (Jun. 11) Norfolk Va. to Florence, Tuscany, folded letter bearing 5¢ red brown (12) clear to large margins, tied by blue "Norfolk Va. Jun 11" c.d.s. and black "New York 9 Jun 20" integral debit exchange office c.d.s., endorsed "pr. Cunard steamer", red "Et. Unis. Serv. Am. A.C. 2 Juil 57" entry c.d.s., "Paris 3 Juil 57" and blue "Firenze 7 Lug 57" backstamps, magenta "20" due rating, Very Fine, prepaid the 5¢ British open mail rate, actually sent via the 27¢ French mail rate per ¼ ounce. Illustrated in Frajola and Mayer, p. 96, fig. 8-2.
Estimate 3,000 - 4,000
A CHOICE USAGE AND ONE OF TWO RECORDED 1856 5¢ USAGES TO TUSCANY.
Although endorsed for carriage by Cunard Line steamer, the Cunard steamer Arabia had departed New York City on June 10. Rather than send the letter to Boston for the June 17 Cunard sailing, the letter was held for the regular American packet service to England. The letter was handled via French mail unpaid at the 27-cent rate with 9 cent debit to France. The partial payment was not recognized. Carried in closed bag by the Collins Line steamer Atlantic departing New York on June 20, 1857 and arriving into Liverpool on July 1. It was then carried to Calais, where it entered the French mails to Florence received on July 7. It was correctly rated as postage due for the entire 27-cent rate, 20 crazie in Tuscan currency as indicated by the magenta "20" rating.
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Lot 196 |
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1856 (Jul. 1) Baresville Oh. to Kiesen, Switzerland, yellow envelope bearing 5¢ red brown (12) large margins, tied by boldly struck "Baresville Ohio Jul 1" c.d.s. and partial red "New York" exchange office c.d.s., and "Calais 22 Juil 56" transit, received with "Bern 24 Juli 1856" backstamp, magenta "135" (rappen) due, Very Fine. Illustrated in Frajola and Mayer, p. 123, fig. 10-4.
Estimate 5,000 - 7,500
Expertization: Signed Stanley Ashbrook.
Provenance: Haas
The cover was carried from New York by the Cunard Line steamer Asia, which departed on July 9 and arrived in Liverpool on July 21. It arrived in Calais on July 22 and was received in Bern on July 24. The postal rate for a cover from Britain via France to Switzerland was 8 pence for up to a ¼ ounce that was equivalent to approximately 135 rappen (26.5 cents) due from addressee.
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Lot 197 |
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1857 (Jun. 11) Baresville Oh. to Schwyz, Switzerland, buff envelope bearing 5¢ red brown (12) large margins to slightly in on two sides, tied by boldly struck "Baresville Ohio Jun 11" c.d.s., black "New York '6' Jun 16" intregral debit exchange office c.d.s., French "Et Unis Serv. Br. A.C. 29 Juin 57" entry c.d.s., reverse with Paris Jun. 30, Basel Jul. 1, and Bern Jul. 3 transits, red crayon "230" (rappen) due; slight edge wear, Very Fine, prepaid the 5¢ British open mail rate per ½ ounce, actually sent unpaid at the 42¢ French mail rate for ¼ - ½ ounce equivalent to 230 rappen due from addressee. Illustrated in Frajola and Mayer, p. 123, fig. 10-5.
Estimate 3,000 - 4,000
Provenance: Gibson, Hubbard
The cover was prepaid at the British open mail rate of 5¢ but the New York clerk disregarded the prepayment and sent the cover at the French mail rate of 42¢ for a letter weighing between ¼ and ½ ounce. The cover was exchanged in the New York office with the debit 6¢ datestamp, representing the United States debit to France for the inland postage. It was carried by the Cunard Line steamer America, which departed from Boston on June 17 and arrived at Liverpool on June 28, 1857. It bears a French entry postmark of June 29 from Calais, which indicates that it is a letter from the United States that was carried via Great Britain. The cover bears a red crayon 230 rappen due notation representing the Swiss equivalent of the 42-cent rate. It has a Bern transit backstamp of July 3, 1857.
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Lot 198 |
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1856 (Dec. 19) New Orleans La. to Geneva, Switzerland, datelined folded letter written in French bearing 5¢ red brown (12) ample to large margins on three sides, slightly in at left, and 10¢ green types II,II,IV (14, 14, 16) strip of three (positions 72L-74L, with 74L recut at top), large margins including portion of adjacent stamps at top, tied by "New Orleans La. Dec 19" c.d.s., red "New-York Br. Pkt. Dec 24" exchange office backstamp with matching "12" credit handstamp, red "P.D." handstamp and Prussian "f 2" rating in blue, "Geneve 9 Janv 57" receiving backstamp; refolded, pressed file fold through 10¢ strip, 5¢ with corner crease, a Very Fine usage. Illustrated in Frajola and Mayer, p. 122, fig. 10-3.
Estimate 3,000 - 4,000
Provenance: Beals, Kapiloff
This cover was exchanged at the New York office with the British packet datestamp in red and matching 12¢ credit handstamp to Prussia. It was handled in a closed bag that was transmitted via England and Belgium to Aachen, Prussia. The cover was carried by British packet via the Cunard Line steamer Africa, which departed New York on December 24 and arrived at Liverpool on January 4. It reached Aachen and was rated blue manuscript "f2" (franco 2 silbergroschen), signifying that the 2 silbergrochen for payment beyond Prussia had been paid. The silbergrochen had a value of 2.4 cents at the time; this amount corresponds to the 5 cents for postage beyond Prussia. The cover was received at Geneva on January 9, 1857, and bears an arrival backstamp. The red "P.D." handstamp indicates that it was paid to the destination.
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Lot 199 |
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1857 (Jul. 15) New Orleans La. to Geneva, Switzerland, buff envelope bearing 5¢ red brown (12) clear to large margins on three sides, touched at left, and 10¢ green, types III, II, III (14-15) strip of three, margins to slightly in at right and bottom, tied by "New Orleans La. Jul 15" c.d.s., red "New-York Br. Pkt. Jul 22" exchange office backstamp with matching "12" credit handstamp, red "Aachen 4 8 Franco" transit and magenta "f 2", red crayon "6", various backstamps including "Basel 9 Aug 57" receiver, repaired cover faults, Fine. Illustrated in Frajola and Mayer, p. 120, fig. 10-1.
Estimate 3,000 - 4,000
This cover was exchanged at the New York office, and carried by American packet via the Collins Line steamer Columbia, which departed New York on Saturday July 18 and arrived at Liverpool on July 29. It reached Aachen on August 4 where it received the red "Aachen Franco" (Aachen paid) datestamp and the blue manuscript "f2" (franco 2 silbergroschen). The cover was received at Geneva on August 6, 1857, and bears an arrival backstamp. The red crayon "6" at the foot of the cover indicates that 6 rappen, a little over 1 cent, was due from the recipient for delivery charges.
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Lot 200 |
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1857 (Aug. 19) New Haven Ct. to Vevey, Switzerland, yellow cover bearing 5¢ red brown (12) bright color, ample to large margins, and 10¢ green types III, III, IV (15, 15, 16) strip of three (positions 62L-64L, with 64L recut at top and bottom), four mostly large margins, cancelled by red grids, matching "New Haven Ct. Aug 19" c.d.s., red "New-York Br. Pkt. Aug" exchange office backstamp with matching "12" credit handstamp, red "Aachen Franco" transit and magenta "f 2" rating, various backstamps including "Vevey 6 Sep 57" arrival c.d.s., red crayon "6" rating; minor edge wear, a Very Fine and choice usage to Switzerland. Illustrated in Frajola and Mayer, p. 121, fig. 10-2.
Estimate 20,000 - 30,000
A SUPERB COVER OF THE CLASSIC PERIOD WITH IMPERFORATE FOUR MARGIN STAMPS AND A STRIP WITH THE RAREST OF THE 10¢ TYPES INCLUDING THE ONLY POSITION ON THE PLATE RECUT AT BOTH TOP AND BOTTOM.
Expertization: Signed Stanley Ashbrook.
This cover was exchanged at the New York office, and carried by the Cunard Line steamer Persia, which departed New York on August 19 and arrived in Liverpool on August 29. The rate and credits are identical to the previous cover even though it was carried by American packet, because the United States was responsible for payment to Great Britain for the additional sea and transit postages. On the prior cover the United States retained the 18 cents sea postage, while on this example the United States had to pay Great Britain.
The cover reached Aachen on September 1 where it received the red "Aachen Franco" datestamp and the blue manuscript "f2", signifying that the 2 silbergroschen for payment beyond Prussia had been paid. The cover was received at Vevey on September 6, 1857, and bears an arrival backstamp. The red crayon "6" at the foot of the cover indicates that 6 rappen was due from the recipient for delivery charges.
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