Lot
621 
(Naval) 1857 (Feb. 8) Tallahassee, Flor. to the"U.S.S. Frigate Constellation" at Spezzia, Italy, light blue cover bearing 1851, 3¢ dull red (11A) horizontal pair, four margins except barely in at top right, hor. crease, tied by "Tallahassee, Flor. Feb 8" cds, apparently missed the Boston sailing and carried by Cunard Line Africa from New York Feb. 18th to Liverpool arriving Mar. 2nd, red London (3.3) transit backstamp with "GB/1F60c" accountancy h.s., Calais (3.3.57), Spezzia (3.8) backstamp with manuscript "10" crazie postage due, Very Fine. Estimate $400 - 600.
This letter was sent during the Three Months period when the new treaty between Great Britain and France was in effect, but before the treaty between the United States and France became effective. Under this convention, mails that passed through Great Britain bound for France, or points beyond, received a British debit to France. When the Franco-British Convention went into effect on January 1, 1857, the sea postage and postage from England to Sardinia collected on delivery was lowered to 10 décimes for a single rate letter.
Realized: $400