Lot 18
1712 (Jun. 10) Philadelphia Pa. to Liverpool, England via Bristol Packet, datelined folded letter endorsed "Pr: the Harley pqt" and bearing complete strike of "NEW / YORK" handstamp on flap, manuscript ratings "10", London "IY/30" Bishop mark, manuscript "1N" crossed out and updated to "1N4", some internal tape reinforcement and minor paper edge faults, Very Fine.
Estimate 50,000 - 75,000
THE TWO LINE NEW YORK POSTAL MARKING IS THE EARLIEST RECORDED HANDSTAMP USED IN NORTH AMERICA. OF THE THREE RECORDED EXAMPLES, THIS IS THE FINEST.
The rate of "10" was 9d from Philadelphia to New York and 1d for delivery to the ship. The packet ship Harley sailed June 30th and arrived at Bristol on July 28th. The letter reached London on July 30th. The "In all 1N4" includes one shilling for the packet postage from New York to London and 4d for British inland postage from London to Liverpool.
The New York handstamp is believed to have been applied by John Hamilton, the British Packet Agent in New York.
"The New York marking had its origin in the War of the Spanish Succesion (1702-13), a conflict that so disrupted normal ship passage between North America and Great Britain that the English Government, at the urging of merchants and to serve its own needs, established packet ship mail service to speed communications. The plan, submitted by William Warren, was adopted in 1709. It called for service between the English harbor town of Bristol and New York City. For the first time postage rates were fixed for the overseas mail traffic at 1s for single letters, 2s shillings for double letters, and 4s per ounce for packets of greater weight. The service began in late September 1710. John Hamilton, the postmaster for North America placed an adverstisement in 'The Boston News Letter' announcing the intended departure dateof the packet for Bristol and enjoined those interested to forward their mail to New York to meet the deadline. In 1711 Hamilton proclaimed in 'The Boston News Letter' that "a packet will be ready to sail the last of every month for New York (Wind and Weather permitting)". With the ending of the war in mid-1712 and the increased sailings of merchant ships, there was little need for a packet service as letters could now be sent by the first available sailing. Service was discontinued in 1712." (A.S.C.C.).
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