Lot 178
1856 (Oct. 20) Flushing N.Y. to Adthaldensleben, Prussia, buff envelope bearing 5¢ red brown (12) deep color, four large even margins, tied by boldly struck "Flushing N.Y. Oct 20" c.d.s., black "New-York Br. Pkt '38' Oct 20" exchange office debit c.d.s., reverse with red "Aachen 3 10" transit and blue manuscript "13", "Ausg. 4 11" receiving backstamp, a Very Fine and fresh usage, prepaid at the British open mail rate but actually handled as unpaid via the 30¢ Prussian Closed mail rate. Illustrated in Frajola and Mayer, p. 107, fig. 9-5.
Estimate 5,000 - 7,500
This cover was prepaid at the British open mail rate of 5¢ but the New York clerk disregarded the prepayment and sent the cover as part of the Prussian closed mail. It bears a New York City British packet exchange office datestamp of October 20, which shows a 23¢ debit to Prussia from the United States. The cover was placed into a closed bag that was transmitted, via England and Belgium, to Aachen, Prussia. It was carried by the Cunard Line steamer Niagara, which departed from Boston on October 22, 1856, and arrived at Liverpool on November 2, 1856. It was rated as 13 silbergroschen due in Aachen. This amount, in the currency of Prussia, was treated as equal to the total rate of 30 cents, although the actual exchange rate may at times have been slightly above 31 cents. The cover bears an arrival backstamp of November 4.
|
| |
| Realized $10,500 |
