Lot
53 
(San Francisco, Statehood, Error Rates) 1851, San Francisco, Ca. folded letter to France. Postmarked orange red "San Francisco 1 Jul" cds on with a blue octagonal merchants hand-stamp superimposed, matching straight line "Paid" and "22" cents rate hand-stamp in the upper right corner, red manuscript "Voie de Panama et par Steamer" across the top, pencil "22" upper left corner, struck with proper transit & arrival markings including red double line "Etats Unis Paq Brit. Paris 19 Aout 51" transit & black "30" decimes due hand-stamp. Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
This is the first day of the rate change, and the rate was arrived at (guessed) by the San Francisco postmaster by adding the prepaid 6 cents per half ounce transcontinental letter rate to the 16 cents transatlantic fee established by the U.S. - G.B. Postal Convention of 1848. The 30 decimes due in Bordeaux was for a letter weighing between 7 ½ and 15 grams (10 decimes owed to G.B. + 5 decimes French per 7 ½ grams). Departed San Francisco per Pacific Mail Steamship Line steamer "Panama" on 1-Jul, with no arrival date in Panama City known to Wierenga (Theron J. - U.S. Incoming Steamship Mail, 1847-1875). Possibly per the U.S. Mail Steamship Line steamer "Empire City", departing Chagres 25-Jul, arriving New York 6-Aug, and onward to Boston. Per the Cunard Line steamer "America", departing Boston, 6-Aug, arriving Liverpool 17-Aug. Winter had recorded four examples of this error rate.
Realized: $4,250