Lot 163
1856 (Aug. 19) Trenton N.J. to Hong Kong, China, cover bearing 5¢ red brown (12) strip of four, vivid color, large margins except right stamp in, and 1¢ blue type IV (9) margins to just in, tied by red "Trenton N.J. Aug 19 1856" c.d.s., endorsed "Via Southampton England", red "New-York Am. Pkt. Aug 22" exchange office c.d.s., red British "4 SP 1856" transit and "Hong Kong 1 DE 1856" double arc receiving backstamps, original 8 page enclosure; creasing in middle of strip, Very Fine, the 21¢ British open mail rate via American Packet. Illustrated in Frajola and Mayer, p. 126, fig. 11-1.
Estimate 30,000 - 40,000
A RARE STRIP OF FOUR AND A STRIKING HONG KONG USAGE.
Provenance: Rohloff, Kapiloff
This cover was prepaid at the 21¢ rate for open mail carriage by American packet to Southampton. The balance of the postage from Great Britain to Hong Kong, 6 pence, was to be collected upon delivery. The letter was exchanged at New York City and carried by the Havre Line packet Arago, which departed New York on August 23 and arrived at Southampton on September 4. The cover should have been marked with collect postage but was not.
The letter traveled next on the Peninsular & Oriental Line steamer Indus, which departed Southampton on September 4 and arrived at Alexandria, Egypt on September 19. After an overland trip, the letter reached Suez and was carried from there on the P&O steamer Oriental, which departed September 25 and arrived at Galle, Ceylon, on October 13. Most likely the cover was delayed in Ceylon, instead of catching the P & O steamer Signapore which arrived in Hong Kong on November 2, it was carried on the P&O steamer Norna, which departed Galle on November 9 and arrived in Hong Kong on December 1, 1856. The cover bears a Hong Kong arrival backstamp of that date.
The U.S.S. Levant joined the East India Squadron on May 12, 1856, and served an important role in protecting American interests in the area, including the capture of four hostile forts along the Pearl River below Canton in November 1856 before departing Hong Kong on December 7, 1857.
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| Realized $52,500 |
