Lot
78 
1844 (Oct. 14) New Orleans, Originating from Veracruz, Mexico to London, England via New Orleans and New York, folded cover with Vera-Cruz (10.14) backstamp, showing blue "New Orleans La. Oct 26" cds with matching "Ship" h.s. with "6" cent due rating for ship fee, reverse with "Forwarded by Ambrose Lanfear, New Orleans" backstamp, agent reposted and shows "Paid" h.s. with "1.00" and "1.00" ratings for 4x 25¢ freight money fee and 4x 25¢ inland postage, carried by Great Western from New York Nov. 4 to Liverpool arriving Nov. 23, "Liverpool Ship/23NO1844" and London (10.23) backstamps, London "1" rating corrected to "8" pence for single uniform 8d ship fee, Very Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
Realized: $450
Lot
79
1847 (Jan. 14) New Orleans, La. to London, England, folded cover with "New Orleans La. Jan 14" cds with matching "Paid" and "10" rating handstamps, blue manuscript "12½" rating for freight money fee by sailing ship, carried by Dramatic Line Sheridan from New York about Jan. 25 to Liverpool arriving Feb. 16, "Liverpool Ship/16FE 1847" and London (2.17) backstamps, Very Fine, a very late use of a freight money fee. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $220
Lot
80
1847 (Feb. 23) New Orleans, La. to Dresden, Saxony, Redirected to Göttingen, Hannover, folded letter with "New Orleans La. Feb 23" cds with "Paid" h.s. and manuscript "25" prepaid rating for freight money fee and blue manuscript "10" for inland postage, carried by Black Star Line Nicholas Biddle from New York Mar. 5 to Liverpool arriving Mar. 26, "Liverpool Ship/26MR1847" backstamp with manuscript "1/6" debit to Prussia, forwarded to Hannover, various German debits with final "22¼" ggr. due rating, Very Fine, One of only three recorded freight money covers to Germany. Estimate $500 - 750.
Letter prepaid 25¢ steamship freight money fee plus 10¢ inland fee to New York in anticipation of going on board the new steamship Sarah Sands, marked in blue ink, upper right. Letter arrived in New York after steamer left so New York postmaster placed it on sailing ship to Liverpool and refunded unused portion of freight money fee. London marked 1/6d debit to Prussia and sent letter on steamer to Hamburg. Prussians marked 16-2/3 sgr. for 1846 Anglo-Prussian Convention fees owed them (15 sgr. to U.K. and 1-2/3 sgr. for Hamburg transit). Prussia added 5 sgr. transit fee and debited Saxony 21-2/3 sgr. (not shown), which Leipzig converted to 218 npf. Postage due at Dresden was 234 npf with 16 npf added for Saxony transit. Letter redirect to Hannover and marked for 22¼ ggr. postage due.
Realized: $450
Lot
81
1838 (Jun. 23) New York, N.Y. to Paris, France, folded letter with prepaid manuscript "25¢" rating for freight money fee by steamship, carried by Great Western on 2nd return from New York June 25 to Bristol arriving July 8, "Bristol/Ship Letter" framed h.s. and manuscript "1/6" due 1s6d rating for 8d ship fee plus 10d inland, London (7.10) arrival backstamp, London red manuscript "1-6, 1-8, 3-2" prepaid rating crossed out and "Not Paid" applied with "1/6" debit to France, red French entry cds and "28" decimes due rating, Very Fine, This is the earliest recorded example of freight money fee collection for any steamship voyage. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Letter taken to ship agent's office and paid the 25¢ freight money fee. It is very uncommon to find the freight money fee marked on any letters from New York with only a few examples known and those from the start of the freight money period. London started to mark the letter as prepaid in England (red accounting in upper left), then marked letter "Not Paid" and debited France 1s6d under 1836 Anglo-French Treaty. Paris marked 28 decimes postage due (18 decimes payback to U.K. plus 10 decimes internal postage from Calais to Paris).
Realized: $800
Lot
82
1848 (Apr. 4) New York, N.Y. to Leghorn, Tuscany, blue folded letter with pencil "25" cent prepaid rating for freight money fee, carried by Black Ball Line United States from New York Apr. 8 to Liverpool arriving Apr. 22, "Liverpool Ship/22AP1848" and London (4.23) backstamps, red "Detained for Postage" framed h.s. and letter held until foreign fees paid, prepaid red manuscript "2/1" rating upon payment and forwarded to Sardinia, Boulogne (5.13) transit cds, "12" crazie due rating, Very Fine, Carried on the maiden voyage of the Black Ball Line "United States" from New York to Liverpool. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Freight money fee (pencil on left side) paid when letter taken to steamship agent office and put directly in mail bag without going to post office. "United States" made only four transatlantic round voyages for the Black Ball sailing ship line before being sold to the German Government as a war ship. Rare freight money cover from New York showing fee payment and rare steamship voyage.
Realized: $850
Lot
83
1848 (Jun. 9) New York, N.Y. to Francomont, Belgium, folded letter endorsed per "United States", showing pencil "25" cent prepaid rating for freight money fee, carried by Black Ball Line United States from New York Jun. arriving at Harve Jun. 24, red Havre (6.24) entry cds and manuscript "16" decimes debit rating, Verviers (6.26) backstamp, light hor. fold, Very Fine, Scarce non-contract steamship letter to Belgium showing seldom seen freight money accounting at New York. Estimate $300 - 400.
Letter taken to Black Ball Line agent and 25¢ freight money fee paid (marked in pencil, upper left corner). "United States" made only four transatlantic round voyages for the Black Ball sailing ship line before being sold to the German Government as a war ship. Letter did not enter U.S. mail, so no inland fee paid. French marked letter for 16 decimes postage due (10 decimes to France and 6 decimes to Belgium).
Realized: $230
Lot
84
1840 (Oct. 28) Norfolk, Va. to Paris, France, folded letter with red "Norfolk Va. Oct 29" cds with matching "Paid" h.s. with "Inland 25/Steamer 25", endorsed "p President", carried by British & American Steam Navigation President from New York Nov. 2 to Liverpool arriving Nov. 27, "Liverpool/Ship Letter" two-line backstamp and manuscript "8" pence due rating, manuscript "1/6" 1s6d debit to France, Calais (11.30) entry cds with "33" decimes due rating, Very Fine, letter was carried on the 2nd of 2½ round voyages before the "President" was lost at sea without a trace. The only recorded freight money letter from Norfolk, Va. Estimate $400 - 600.
Letter prepaid 25¢ inland fee to New York plus 25¢ freight money fee for a steamship. Liverpool marked 8d incoming ship letter fee. London debited France 1s6d under the 1836 Anglo-French convention. Paris marked letter weight of 7½ grams (upper left corner) and 33 decimes postage due (18 decimes to U.K. and 15 decimes French internal fees for 7½ gram letter going 235 km from Calais to Paris).
Realized: $425
Lot
85
1838 (Oct. 3) Philadelphia, Pa. to Paris, France, folded letter with blue "Philadelphia Pa. Oct 3" cds and matching "Paid" h.s. with manuscript "37½" rating for 12½¢ inland postage plus the 25¢ freight money fee, carried by Great Western from New York Oct. 4 to Liverpool arriving Oct. 17, "Bristol Ship-Letter" stepped h.s. with manuscript "1/5" due rating, London (10.18) backstamp and matching "Ship Letter." framed h.s. with "1/6" (1s6d) debit rating to France under 1836 Anglo-French Treaty, red Calais (10.20) entry cds with manuscript "28" décimes due rating, Very Fine. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
This is the earliest freight money cover from a United States post office under the scheme approved by Postmaster General Amos Kendall. (See 2009 Congress Book article).
Realized: $3,750
Lot
86
1838 (Dec. 5) Philadelphia, Pa. to Liverpool, England, folded letter showing blue "Philadelphia Pa. Dec 5" cds with matching "Paid" h.s. and manuscript "37½" rating for 12½¢ inland postage and 25¢ steamship freight money fee, carried by Transatlantic S.S. Co. Liverpool from New York Dec. 6 to Liverpool arriving Dec. 21, "Liverpool/Ship Letter" backstamp and manuscript "8" pence due rating for uniform ship fee, light stain spot, F.-V.F., Carried on the maiden return voyage of the Transatlantic S.S. Co. "Liverpool". Estimate $400 - 600.
Realized: $375
Lot
87
1839 (Jan. 14) Philadelphia, Pa. to Edinburgh, Scotland, folded cover with black "Philadelphia Pa Jan 14" cds with matching "Paid" framed h.s. and manuscript "37½" combined freight money rating of 25¢ freight money fee for a steamship plus 12½¢ inland fee to N.Y. red "New-York Jan 16" exchange cds, carried by City of Dublin Steam Packet Royal William from New York Jan. 16 to Liverpool arriving Feb. 3, "Liverpool Ship Letter" and London (2.4) backstamps, manuscript "1/7" due 1s7d rating for 8d ship fee plus 11d inland postage, some wear along file fold, Very Fine, Carried on the 3rd and Final Voyage of the City of Dublin Steam Packet Royal William. Estimate $500 - 750.
Black ink on Philadelphia circular datestamp was used only one week and quite scarce on transatlantic mails. Philadelphia always combined both the freight money fee and the inland rate into one value written first in pencil then later in black ink in the upper right corner.
Realized: $575