Lot
1356 
1851 (Mar. 10) Greencastle Oh. to Schorndorf, Wurttemberg, datelined folded letter with manuscript "Greencastle O, March 10" postmark and "34" cent rating, red "New-York Mar 15" foreign mail cds on flap, probably held for the Ocean Line Hermann departing New York Mar. 29th to Bremerhaven arriving Apr. 16th, red "12¾ America / über Bremen" and "14 1/12" rating handstamp, magenta manuscript "62/8" and "119/4" ratings crossed out in red crayon and final due "123" rating, Very Fine. Estimate $150 - 200.
Realized: $130
Lot
1357
1851 (Mar. 27) Canton, China to Newport R.I. via New York, folded letter datelined "Canton. March 27. -1851" from Augustine Heard & Co. endorsed "Via Marseilles" at top left, London (5.23.1851) Maltese cross transit and "38/Cents" debit handstamp, carried transatlantic by British packet, New York "48" due handstamp, forwarded to Newport R.I., F.-V.F. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $220
Lot
1358
1851 (Mar. 29) New York N.Y. to Stuttgart, Wurttemberg, orange cove with original 1851 letter bearing red "New-York Mar 29" cds and pencil "24" cents prepaid rating, black "PART PART" straightline handstamp, carried by Ocean Line Hermann from New York Mar. 29th to Bremerhaven arriving Apr. 16th, red "America/ über Bremen" handstamp and "1 1/3" due handstamp, red manuscript "6/8/4" totaled to "18" kr due, Very Fine and choice. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
A SCARCE FIRST BREMEN TREATY COVER PAID ONLY TO BREMEN.
The "Paid Part" handstamp is a New York marking indicating that the letter was prepaid only to Bremen. Hannover debited the Thurn & Taxis Post 1 1/3 gutegroschen or 6 kreuzer. To this was added 8 kr. transit fee to Wurttemberg and 4 kr. internal fee for a total postage due of 18 kr.
Realized: $625
Lot
1359
1851 (Mar. 30) Boston Mass. to Edinburgh, Scotland, envelope with red "Paid" handstamp and pencil "24" rating, Boston red "3" credit handstamp to G.B., carried on Collins Line Pacific from Boston Mar. 19th to Liverpool arriving Mar. 30th, red "Paid in America, Liverpool, 30 MR 51" tombstone, Edinburgh blackish red (3.31) arrival cds, Very Fine. Estimate $100 - 150.
Early covers under the treaty were occasionally not handled by exchange offices per the postmasters instructions, which required a datestamp. This cover is identified as having originated in Boston by the numeral "3" handstamp, and by the endorsement for the steamer Pacific.
Realized: $70
Lot
1360
1851 (Apr. 30) Lübbecke, Prussia to Philadelphia, Pa., cover with "Lübbecke 30/4" boxed postmark and sent unpaid, Bremen (5.1) backstamp, carried by Ocean Line Washington from Bremerhaven May 16 to New York arriving June 2; light aging, Very Fine, ex-Winter. Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THIS "STEAMSHIP 41 CTS" 28MM CIRCULAR MARKING.
Postage due included 24¢ U.S. sea postage, 5¢ U.S. inland postage and 12¢ German transit postage from Prussia to Bremen. This handmade envelope shows no year date, but 1851 has been determined to be the most probable year based on steamship sailing data and similar STEAMSHIP markings used at New York. Note the "1" is inverted, indicating the numeral slugs were interchangeable.
Realized: $1,350
Lot
1361
1851 (May 27) Hereford, England to Jericho, United States, blue datelined folded letter with blue Hereford (5.28) origin cds, red London Paid (5.29) transit cds, red manuscript "1/-" rating, Liverpool (5.29) transit and red "5/Cents" credit handstamp to U.S., carried by Cunard Line America from Liverpool May 31st to Boston arriving Jun. 11th, red "Br. Packet, Boston, Jun 11" exchange cds and "Paid" handstamp, no state was specified in the address so the letter was returned to London where it received the red "Sent Back To England, Without a Reason, For Non-Delivery" three-line handstamp; light edge toning, Very Fine. Estimate $600 - 800.
A SCARCE USE WITH A CLEAR STRIKE OF THE LONDON "SENT BACK TO ENGLAND" MARKING.
This letter was probably returned to England because there were seven "Jericho" towns in the United States at this time and the state was not indicated in the address.
Lot
1362
1851 (Jul. 31) San Francisco, Cal. to London, England, folded letter with red "San Francisco Cal. 1 Aug" cds and matching "Paid" and "25" rating handstamps, carried by Cunard Line Asia from New York Sep. 10th to Liverpool arriving Sep. 21st, New York red "19" credit to G.B., red London (9.22) arrival cds, light soiling, Fine, ex-Winter. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
ONE OF ONLY THREE RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS 25¢ ERROR RATE.
Letter carried by Pacific Mail Steamship Co. "Oregon" from San Francisco to Panama City and by U.S. Mail Steamship Co. "Georgia" from Chagres to New York. When new U.S. rates went into effect on 1 July 1851, the San Francisco postmaster incorrectly assumed the new west coast rate to the U.K. was 25¢ (6¢ cross country plus 19¢ transatlantic fees) instead of the actual rate of 29¢. He used a "25" handstamp which existed at San Francisco. The 25¢ rate was in effect only two months before word reached him that he was rating the letters incorrectly.
Realized: $1,800
Lot
1363
1851 (Aug. 18) North Danvers, Mass. to Florence, Italy, datelined folded letter with blue "North Danvers Ms. Aug 18" cds and matching "Paid" and "3" rating handstamps, carried by Cunard Line Europa from Boston Aug. 20th to Liverpool arriving Aug. 31st, bold strikes of "Corrispa. Esta. Genova" fleur-de-lis circular handstamp and "VIA DI/PT. BEAUVOISIN" two-line handstamp, reverse with Florence (9.8) arrival cds and Florence forwarders oval, red manuscript "17" due rating, Very Fine and attractive use, ex-"Patrick Henry". Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $230
Lot
1364
1852-53 Trenton N.J. to Germany, group of 3 stampless covers comprising 1852 (Jul. 2) with red "PAID" handstamp and pencil "Pd 42" rating to Wurttemberg; 1853 (Sep. 2) to Peter D. Vroom U.S. Minister at Berlin with "Paid" handstamp and manuscript. "32" rating, Aachen transit and "FRANCO" handstamp; and 1853 (Aug. 16) blue cds with matching "Paid" and "10" ratings for inland postage only, "N.York Am. Pkt. '46' Aug 20" debit exchange cds, Very Fine trio. Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $170
Lot
1365
1852 (Feb. 18) San Francisco Cal. to Manchester, England, folded cover with red "San Francisco Cal. 18 Feb" cds with matching "Paid" and "29" rate handstamps, red "19" credit handstamp to G.B., carried by Cunard Line America from Boston Mar. 17th to Liverpool arriving Mar. 29th, red Liverpool (3.29) cds, Manchester (3.30) arrival backstamp, Very Fine, very few examples of the "29" rate marking have been recorded, ex-Winter. Estimate $400 - 600.
Letter carried by Pacific Mail Steamship Co. steamer "Panama" from San Francisco to Panama City and by U.S. Mail Steamship Co. steamer "El Dorado" from Chagres to New York. Under U.S.-G.B. Convention, U.S. internal portion of total rate from West Coast was 10¢ from July 1st 1851, or 5¢ more than other locations in the U.S.
Realized: $850