Lot 220
1856 (Nov. 8) New Orleans La. to Pontay, France, blue folded letter endorsed "Per First Steamer", bearing 5¢ red brown (12) horizontal strip of three and single, wonderfully rich color, large to huge margins, central stamp in strip close but clear at bottom, tied by "New Orleans La. Nov 8" circular datestamps, blue New Orleans merchant handstamp, red "New-York Am. Pkt. Nov 15" exchange office c.d.s, carried on the Havre Line steamer Fulton, which left New York on November 17 and arrived at Havre on December 1, red "Outre-Mer Le Harve Dec 56" entry c.d.s. with matching "6" (décimes) due handstamp, French backstamps including "Nantes 3 Dec. 56" transit; faint cover toning, Very Fine, the 20¢ direct American packet rate, plus 6 décimes due for French inland postage. Illustrated in Frajola and Mayer, p. 56, fig. 6-6.
Estimate 40,000 - 50,000
THE ONLY RECORDED 1856 5¢ USAGE CORRECTLY PRE-PAYING THE 20¢ DIRECT AMERICAN PACKET RATE.
Expertization: 1993 P.F. Certificate.
Provenance: Brown, Knapp, Ishikawa
This letter was prepaid with 20 cents in postage and, although endorsed to be sent by "first Steamer," it was prepaid only enough to be carried by the Havre Line steamer. The Havre Line steamer was, in fact, the next steamer departing.
Illustrated in The United States Five Cent Stamps of 1856-1861, Henry W. Hill, 1955, p. 18, fig. 22.
Illustrated in The United States Postage Stamps of the 19th Century, Lester G. Brookman, Vol. 1, 1966, p. 152, fig. 227.
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| Realized $55,000 |
