Lot
1189 
1845 (Jun. 19) Liverpool, England to Castine, Me. via Boston, folded letter with red "Paid at Liverpool, 1845 July 19" framed postmark and matching red "1/-" shilling handstamp for prepaid packet rating, carried by Cunard Line Acadia from Liverpool Jun. 19 to Boston arriving Jul. 2, partial red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Jul 3" cds with matching "7" rating handstamp for 5¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee, Very Fine, The Acadia carried the first steamship mails to arrive in the United States after the July 1, 1845 postal rate change. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $190
Lot
1190
1847 (Jun. 1) New York, N.Y. to Dublin, Ireland, folded letter with red "New York Jun 1" cds with matching arced "Paid" handstamp, endorsed "per Mail Steamer 'Washington' ", carried by Ocean Line Washington from New York Jun. 1 to Southampton arriving Jun. 15, red London (6.16, 6.17) arrival backstamps with manuscript "1/" shilling discriminatory due rating, Very Fine and particularly choice. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
THE INAUGURAL VOYAGE OF AMERICAN TRANSATLANTIC PACKET SERVICE BY OCEAN LINE WASHINGTON.
The commencement of the American Packet service led to Britain imposing a "Discriminatory Rate" on mails landed at Southampton with all US prepayment ignored and the One Shilling Packet Rate charged to the addressee. There are four recorded examples to Great Britain, each showing the discriminatory fee.
Realized: $1,800
Lot
1191
1847 (Jun. 12) Lyme, Conn. to London, England, folded letter carried on Cunard Line Cambria from Boston, forwarded to Portsmouth from London with scarce "Postage Not Paid to London" (WJ 277a) and Portsmouth backstamp, various manuscript ratings; Fine, ex-Boettger. Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $200
Lot
1192
(Discriminatory Rate) 1847 (Sep. 23) New York, N.Y. to Liverpool, England, datelined folded letter with red "Paid" arc handstamp, carried by Ocean Line Washington from New York Sep. 23 to Southampton arriving Oct. 9, red London (10.9) arrival backstamp with manuscript "1/-" shilling transatlantic packet rating, blue Liverpool (10.10) arrival backstamp, Very Fine and scarce discriminatory rate. Estimate $400 - 600.
The commencement of the American Packet service on June 1, 1847 led to Britain imposing a "Discriminatory Rate" on mails landed at Southampton with all US prepayment ignored and the One Shilling Packet Rate charged to the addressee. This was carried on the second voyage of the Ocean Line Washington.
Realized: $400
Lot
1193
1847 (Oct. 4) Liverpool, England to Boston, Mass., folded letter endorsed "pr Cambria", red "Paid at Liverpool OC 5 1847" champhered postmark and matching "1" shilling prepaid packet rate, carried by Cunard Line Cambria from Liverpool Oct. 5 to Boston arriving Oct. 19, red Boston "Ship 6" due handstamp for incoming ship letter fee, clean and Extremely Fine, a very attractive use with three different markings struck in red. Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $170
Lot
1194
(Discriminatory Rate) 1847 (Oct. 23) London, England to New York, N.Y., folded letter with red London (10.23) origin Maltese datestamp and red manuscript "1/-" prepaid packet rating, carried as endorsed by Ocean Line Washington from Southampton Oct. 24 to New York arriving Nov. 9, upon arrival in U.S. red "24" cent due rating handstamp for the 24¢ American packet fee, Extremely Fine, Illustrated in Winter Understanding Transatlantic Mail, Vol 1, page 94 (Fig. 3-49). A scarce discriminatory rate carried on the second return voyage of the Ocean Line Washington. Estimate $500 - 750.
The Ocean Line was awarded the first US Post Office contract for US mails under the Foreign Mails Act of 1845. Two steamships were built, the "Washington" and the "Hermann" and they operated the contact over its 10 year term between New York and Bremen with a stop at Southampton. The Washington inaugurated the service leaving New York June 1st 1847 arriving Southampton June 15th.
The commencement of the service led to Britain imposing a "Discriminatory Rate" on mails landed at Southampton with all US prepayment ignored and the One Shilling Packet Rate charged to the addressee leading to the Retaliatory Rate period.
Realized: $1,150
Lot
1195
1848 (Apr. 14) London, England to New York N.Y., datelined folded letter with red London Maltese cross datestamp and red manuscript "1/" shilling prepaid packet rating, carried by Cunard Line America from Liverpool April 15 to New York arriving April 29, New York red circled "6" rating handstamp, clean and Very Fine, This was carried on the maiden voyage of Cunard Line America. Estimate $200 - 300.
Lot
1196
1848 (May 19) Liverpool, England to Wicasset, Me., folded letter with red "Paid at Liverpool" framed datestamp and magenta "1/" prepaid packet rating, carried by Cunard Line Niagara from Liverpool May 20 to Boston arriving Jun. 2, red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Jun 2" cds and matching "7" due rating for 5¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee, Very Fine and rare, This was carried on the first voyage of the Cunard Line Niagara. ex-Pullin. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $250
Lot
1197
1848 (Jun. 17) Liverpool, England to New York, N.Y., folded letter with red "Paid at Liverpool, JU 17 1848" with red manuscript "1" shilling prepaid rating, carried by Cunard Line Cunard Line Cambria from Liverpool Jun. 17 to Boston arriving Jun. 30, "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Jun 30" exchange cds and matching "7" due h.s. for 5¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee, F.-V.F. Estimate $300 - 400.
Letter carried on last Cunard mail voyage to the U.S. before retaliatory rate period. For the next six months all packet letters between the U.S. and G.B. required double sea postage as the U.S. retaliated against the British practice of charging a full packet rate even though their steamers provided no service.
Lot
1198
(Retaliatory Rates) 1848 (Jun. 22) Manchester, England to Philadelphia, Pa., folded letter with red Manchester (6.22) cds and red manuscript "1" shilling packet rating, Liverpool (6.23) backstamp, carried by Cunard Line Caledonia from Liverpool Jun. 24 to New York arriving Jul. 8, red "New York, 'Ship 29' Jul 9" integral due rating for the 5¢ inland rate plus 24¢ packet fee; some erosion on bottom, Fine, Carried on the first Cunard mail voyage to the United States under the retaliatory order. Estimate $600 - 800.
In retaliation for a British discriminatory practice of charging the full British packet postage on letters carried to Great Britain by American contract steamships, Congress passed an act on June 27, 1848 to charge the same fee on all letters to or from the United States by foreign steamships as was charged on U.S. mails. This went into effect on June 29, 1848.