Lot
960 
1835 (May 11) Palermo, Sicily to New York N.Y. via Philadelphia, folded letter datelined "Palermo 11th May 1835" carried as endorsed by ship Brilliant, entered mails with red "Phila., 23 Jul" octagonal double-line datestamp and matching Philadelphia Full-Rigged Ship handstamp with red manuscript "14½" cent rating for 12½¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee; docketed "recd. 25th July", letter from Benjamin Gardner concerning wine trade and shipments, Very Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
The Philadelphia Rigged Ship handstamp was used only on incoming mail for addresses beyond the port. It is recorded used from May 1834 to Nov. 9, 1835.
Realized: $950
Lot
961
1835 (Aug. 4) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to New York N.Y. via Philadelphia, printed circular with market advice (oil, coffee, etc.), exports and ship sailings, carried as endorsed by ship Charles Wharton, entered mails with red "Phila., 10, Oct" octagonal double-line datestamp and matching red Philadelphia Full-Rigged Ship handstamp with red manuscript "14½" cent rating for 12½¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee; red ms. "Recd 11th" docketing at top left, Very Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
The Philadelphia Rigged Ship handstamp was used only on incoming mail for addresses beyond the port. It is recorded used from May 1834 to Nov. 9, 1835.
Realized: $325
Lot
962
1840 (Nov. 10) Havana, Cuba to London, England via New York, gray docketed folded letter with "Forwarded by Collomb & Iselin, New York" oval backstamp for transit to New York and red "Forwarded From Harnden's Package Express & Forwarder Letter Office, No 2 Wall St, New York" oval for transit to Boston, carried as endorsed by Cunard Line Britannia from Boston Dec. 1st to Liverpool arriving Dec. 15th; file folds, F.-V.F. and scarce double-forwarder transatlantic use from Havana. Estimate $200 - 300.
Lot
963
1846 (Feb. 4) Philadelphia Pa. to St. Croix, Danish West Indies, gray datelined folded letter addressed "Care of J.F. Peniston & Co., St. Thomas", carried by private ship, reverse with red "Forwarded by Whitmore & Co., St. Thomas" oval across flaps, endorsed received "Feb. 25th, -46" at bottom left; some edge toning and wear, Fine and scarce early United States inbound use from a new find. Estimate $300 - 400.
Lot
964
1847 (Jun. 24, c.) Paris, France to Philadelphia Pa., orange cover with blue "Ocean Steam Navigation Co. New York, Draper & Co., Paris" double-oval. This letter was put into the ship's mail bag by Ocean Line's agent in Paris, endorsed "p. Steamer Washington" at bottom left, carried as endorsed by Ocean Line Washington from Brest Jun. 25th via Southampton delayed with mechanical trouble, sailing for New York on Jul. 10th but had to return to port with additional problems. She sailed again July 15th arriving in New York Jul. 30th, New York "29" cent due rating for 24¢ transatlantic packet plus 5¢ inland postage, remailed with blue "Philadelphia PA. Jul 31" cds and manuscript "5" due rating totaling "34" cents. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
CARRIED ON THE MAIDEN RETURN VOYAGE OF AMERICAN PACKET SERVICE BY OCEAN LINE WASHINGTON.
While letters on the eastbound route during the Discriminatory Rate period are relatively rare, those on westbound voyages are exceptional.
Realized: $650
Lot
965
(Retaliatory Rates) 1848 (Nov. 10) Hamburg, Germany to Philadelphia, Pa., folded letter prepaid with magenta "1.6" 1sh 6d credit from Hamburg to England, London (11.13) and Liverpool (11.13) transits, carried by Cunard Line Britannia from Liverpool Nov. 18 to Boston arriving Dec. 6, red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Dec 6" cds and matching "34" retaliatory rate handstamp for 10¢ inland plus 24¢ packet fee, Very Fine, ex-Winter (photo on web site). Estimate $150 - 200.
Letter carried on the 22nd of 25 Cunard mail voyages to the U.S. under the retaliatory order.
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Realized: $250
Lot
966
(Via Panama) 1849 (Dec. 2) Callao, Peru to East Thomaston Me., gray datelined folded letter carried by Pacific Steam Navigation Co. to Panama and overland to Chagres, carried by Cherokee from Chagres Jan. 2nd to New York arriving Jan. 13th, rare strike of red "New-York '30' Jan 13" integral-due cds; slight edge toning, F.-V.F. Estimate $400 - 600.
CARRIED ON THE MAIDEN RETURN VOYAGE OF HOWLAND AND ASPINWALL'S CHEROKEE.
There are fewer than 5 recorded examples of the rare "New-York '30' Jan 13" integral-due cds, which is known used for this voyage of the "Cherokee" only. The New York Herald listed Cherokee as a mail steamship, but this was incorrect. The confusion about the Cherokee being a mail steamship on this voyage may have come from the actions of mail agent A. Clinton McLean. He was in charge of the mails from California that reached Panama on Dec. 5th and Dec. 29th. He accompanied these mails to New York on the Cherokee. It appears that he had missed the sailing of the contract mail steamer, "Falcon", that cleared Chagres on January 1, 1850. Howland and Aspinwall's Pacific Mail Steamship Company had the mail contract for the Pacific route, but not for the route on the Atlantic side. They did operate steamships on the Atlantic route until April 1851, the "Cherokee" being their first.
Reference: United States Incoming Steamship Mail 1847-1875, Second Edition, Wierenga, illustrated and discussed on p. 50-51, fig. 66.
Lot
967
1850 (Jun. 12) Callao, Peru to Boston Mass. via Panama, Cuba and Mobile, gray datelined folded letter endorsed "by Steamer Bolivia via Panama", carried privately on PSNC Bolivia from Peru to Panama, then sent out-of-mails to Cuba and carried by RMSP Great Western from Havana Jul. 28th to Mobile arriving Jul. 30th, entered mails with blue "Mobile Ala. '10' 1 Aug" integral-rate cds and matching "SHIP" straightline; some minor toning, F.-V.F. and scarce RMSP packet use to Mobile. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $290
Lot
968
1852 (Feb. 18) San Francisco, Cal. to La Rochelle, France, red-orange "San Francisco Cal. 18 Feb" cds with matching "Paid" straightline and "29" error rating handstamp for 29¢ British mail rate, pencil "26" prepaid rating for 16¢ American Packet plus 10¢ internal postage from West Coast, carried from San Francisco via PMSC Panama arriving Panama Mar. 3rd, left Chagres via USMC El Dorado arriving New York Mar. 15th, then by Collins Line Arctic from New York to Liverpool arriving Mar. 31st, red London (4.1) transit backstamp, red Paris (4.2) entry cds and "8" decimes due handstamp, La Rochelle (4.3) arrival backstamp, Very Fine and choice 29¢ error rate use to France, ex-Noel, Walske. Estimate $300 - 400.
The "26" rating handstamp should have been struck for the 26¢ British open mail rate by American Packet from the West Coast. The Dick Winter collection had examples of the "29" rating handstamp used properly to Sweden and Great Britain on the same voyages via Panama to New York.
Realized: $160
Lot
969
1852 (Apr. 3) Rhinebeck, N.Y. to Koenigreich, Württemberg, orange buff cover with bold "Rhinebeck N.Y. Apr 3" cds and matching "Paid" handstamp with ms. "29" cent Bremen mails rating, red "New-York, Apr 5" exchange backstamp and red "PAID ALL" straightline, red "America/über Bremen" handstamp overstrikes "Paid All", Hanover P.O. in Bremen red "Fr. 2 5/12" gutebroschen credit handstamp, magenta "7" credit for British (3 sgr), Belgium (½ sgr) and German (3½ sgr) internal transit, reverse with Deitz-Minden (5.1) cds and blue Waiblingen (5.4.52) two-line transits; some wear upper right, otherwise Very Fine and scarce Bremen mails use. Estimate $300 - 400.
The "Paid All" handstamp is a New York marking indicating that the letter was prepaid to Württemberg. Fully prepaid letters to destinations beyond Bremen between July 1st 1851 and Aug. 15th 1853 are scarce. The Hanover Post Office in Bremen red "Fr. 2 5/12" gutebroschen credit handstamp is known used only from April to June 1852.
Realized: $160