Lot
1430 
1857 (Jan. 6) New York N.Y. to Cognac, France, blue datelined folded letter with red "New-York, Br. Pkt. Jan 7" exchange cds, carried by Cunard Europa departing New York Jan. 7th to Liverpool arriving Jan. 18th, red London (1.19) transit backstamp and framed "GB/1F60C" accounting handstamp debiting France with bulk rate per 30 grams, Calais entry cds and matching "8" decimes due handstamp, Cognac (1.21) arrival backstamp, Very Fine Pre-U.S.-France treaty mail sent during the first week of the three-month period., ex-Colin Tabeart. Estimate $150 - 200.
The "Three Month Period" is the time between Jan 1, 1857, when new the Anglo-French postal treaty reduced the rates between the two countries, and the start of the U.S.-French postal treaty on Apr. 1, 1857.
Lot
1431
1857 (Feb. 7) Genoa, Italy to Salem Ma., datelined folded letter carried privately to England, red "Forwarded By, Baring Bros. & Co., Liverpool" forwarding agent cachet (Rowe rarity 3), black "Liverpool, MR 13, 1857" exchange office cds and bold "19/Cents" debit to U.S., carried on Cunard Line Europa from Liverpool Mar. 14th to Boston arriving Mar. 29th, "Br. Packet, Boston '24' 29 Mar" integral due cds for an unpaid packet letter, Very Fine, ex-O'Connor. Estimate $150 - 200.
Lot
1432
1857 (Apr. 3) London, England to San Francisco Cal., blue datelined folded letter with bold strikes of London red "Paid, 3 AP 3, 1857" Maltese cross and red manuscript "2/5" prepaid rating for double the 58¢ cents rate, endorsed via Liverpool & New York, carried by Cunard Line Arabia from Liverpool Apr. 4th to New York arriving Apr. 16th, carried on the USMSSC George Law from New York Apr. 20th to Aspinwall arriving Apr. 30th, by train across the isthmus to Panama for the PMSSC John L. Stephens departing Panama May 2nd to San Francisco arriving May 15th, black "PAID" straightline, F.-V.F. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $210
Lot
1433
1857 (May 27) New York N.Y. to St. Petersburg, Russia, blue folded cover with part letter by Prussian Closed Mail with double-weight "New York '46' May 27" debit exchange cds to Prussia, carried as endorsed by Cunard Line Asia from New York May 27th to Liverpool arriving Jun. 8th, red Aachen (6.9) backstamp and large blue manuscript "24/4" debit to Russia, Russian magenta "112" due rating on back, blue Wm. Lobach & Schepeler New-York oval, Very Fine and scarce double PCM rate to Russia, ex-Hahn. Estimate $200 - 300.
The Russian postage due of 112 kopecks for double-rate marked in magenta pen on the reverse. This consisted of 92 kopecks to cover Prussian debit and 20 kopecks Russian internal fees. Aachen marked "24/4" in bright blue ink to show breakdown of Prussian debit to Russia, 24 silbergroschen "foreign" transit and 4 silbergroschen German transit.
Lot
1434
1857 (Jun.) Fernando Po to New York N.Y., light buff cover endorsed "Steamer from / Fer: Po: W.A." at bottom left, carried by packet to England, reverse with "Plymouth, Packet Letter, JY 7 1857" rimless transit and red London (7.9) cds, manuscript "40" cent debit to the U.S., carried by Cunard Line Asia from Liverpool Jul. 11th to New York arriving Jul. 24th, black "New-York, Br. Pkt., Jul 25" exchange cds and matching "45" cent due handstamp; docketed as "Recd July 29th", Very Fine and scarce use from Fernando Po, ex-Hahn. Estimate $500 - 750.
Fernando Po was discovered at the end of the 15th Century. It is located off the bight of Africa, it was ceded by the Portuguese to Spain in 1778. In, 1827, the British took over administration and used it as a naval station to stop slavery. In 1844, the Spanish reclaimed their rights, and in 1855 revoked the British lease on the Island.
Realized: $500
Lot
1435
1857, 1858 (Jun. 30, Jan. 26) Boston Mass. to Clipper Ship Eagle Wing at Hong Kong, China, pair of letters from Theodore Chase to Capt. Robert H. Waters, 1857 (Jun. 30) addressed in care of Messrs Russell & Co. at Canton, China, probably carried transatlantic by Cunard Line Europa departing Boston Jul. 1st to Liverpool arriving Jul. 11th, docketed on reverse "Recd Sept 9th 1857 Hong Kong"; 1858 (Jan. 26) probably carried transatlantic by Cunard Line America departing Boston Jan. 27th to Liverpool Feb. 9th, docketed on reverse to Hong Kong but actually received in New York May 19th upon her return, Very Fine. Estimate $400 - 600.
A RARE PAIR OF LETTERS TO THE WELL-KNOWN CLIPPER SHIP "EAGLE WING" AT HONG KONG, CHINA.
The "Eagle Wing" was a medium clipper ship built in 1853 at Medford Mass. of 1,174 tons. She made several passages to China in the 1850s and sailed from Shanghai Feb. 4th 1858 to New York arriving in 103 days, when the second letter was sent. Content concerns business matters including freight account and second letter mentions additional commission fees charged by Messrs. Russell & Co. for procuring freight to New York.
Lot
1436
1857 (Jun. 23) London, England to Honolulu, Hawaii, folded letter endorsed "via New York & San Francisco", bearing red "London Paid, 30 Jun 1857" datestamp and red manuscript "1/2½" paid 1s2½d for all transit fees to San Francisco, Very Fine, a scarce letter from England to Hawaii., ex-Winter. Estimate $400 - 600.
Letter carried across the Atlantic by N.Y. & Havre Line steamer "Arago" from Southampton to New York. U.S. Mail S.S. Co. "Central America" carried it from New York to Aspinwall, and Pacific Mail S.S. Co. "Sonora" carried it from Panama to San Francisco. Eight days after arrival in San Francisco, letter sent privately by San Francisco agent to Honolulu on the sailing vessel "John Land", which arrived in Honolulu on September 4, 1857, 66 days after letter posted in London.
Realized: $350
Lot
1437
1858 (Jul. 3) Wilmington Del. to Singapore, cover to the U.S. Consul Thomas Biddle bearing 10¢ green, type III (33) strip of three, s.e. at bottom, pretty shade, tied by circular grid cancels, matching neat strike of "Wilmington Del. Jul. 3" cds, red "New-York Br. Pkt. Jul 7" exchange cds and magenta manuscript "28" credit for 33¢ British Mail rate -- evidently underpaid as there is no evidence of missing stamp -- carried by Cunard Line Persia from New York Jul. 7th to Liverpool arriving Jul. 17th, red London Paid (7.17) transit cds also ties stamps and second strike at left, red manuscript "1" pence Colonial credit rating, then by P&O Colombo from Southampton Jul. 20th to Alexandria arriving Aug. 3rd, then P&O Candia from Suez Aug. 6th to Galle arriving Aug. 20th, then P&O Pekin Aug. 21st to Singapore arriving Aug. 29th; edge wear affects strip, small tear at top of cover and partial flap, F.-V.F. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
A SCARCE 1857 ISSUE USE TO SINGAPORE.
The New York exchange office apparently accepted the 3¢ short payment for the 33¢ British mail rate via Southampton. The sender could have intended to send it by the 30¢ French mail rate for up to a ¼ ounce, but the routing endorsement was "per Overland Mail via "Galle" Ceylon".
Realized: $1,150
Lot
1438
1857 (Aug. 23) New Orleans La. to Paris, France, blue folded cover with "New Orleans La., Aug 23 1857" cds and "30" rating handstamp, originally struck with red "New York Br. Pkt. '23' Sep 2" credit exchange cds with "23" credit obliterated by circular grid, "New York '6' Sep 2" debit cds struck as letter unpaid, carried by Cunard Line Arabia from New York Sep. 2nd to Liverpool arriving Sep. 13th, French (9.14) entry cds with matching "16" decimes due handstamp, Paris (9.15) arrival backstamp, F.-V.F. and unusual exchange office rerate. Estimate $200 - 300.
The only recorded strike of the "New York Br Pkt '23' " cds (Winter 79) struck in red.
Lot
1439
1857, 1858 South America to Liverpool, England, two folded letters with dotted Liverpool double-arc datestamps, 1857 with Demerara (8.25) and London (9.14) backstamps, Liverpool (9.14) arrival cds, manuscript "2/-" shilling due rating for double packet rate, 1858 with Rio de Janeiro (5.14) and London (6.13) backstamps, Liverpool (6.14) arrival cds, manuscript "1/-" shilling due rating for single packet rate, a Very Fine pair at the single and double packet rates. Estimate $200 - 300.
In 1857, the Liverpool head post office introduced experimental handstamps incorporating pins, this marking had just two arcs set in pin dots to minimize the amount of damage to the actual letters, it was used on incoming mail from South America during the period of 1857-58.