Lot
470 
1865 (Oct. 2) Portland Me. to St. Petersburg, Russia, cover bearing 30¢ orange (71) cancelled by target duplexed with "Portland Me. Oct 2, 1865" cds, a 5¢ stamp removed by postal clerk after being entered as a fully prepaid cover for the 35¢ Prussian Closed Mail rate but actually sent at the 30¢ French mail rate, red "Portland Me. 'Paid' Oct. 6" exchange office datestamp and red crayon "27" cent credit rating to France, carried by Allan Line Moravian from Quebec Oct. 7th to Londonderry arriving Oct. 17th, French (10.18) transit and matching "P.D." framed handstamp, blue "Aachen Franco" (10.18) circular datestamp struck partly where stamp was originally affixed; pencil "Rec'd Oct. 9/21. 1865" docketing at left, Very Fine and unusual Portland Exchange office use, ex-Blake, Lebow. Scott No. 71 Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
A RARE AND IMPORTANT PORTLAND EXCHANGE OFFICE COVER TO RUSSIA PREPAID AT THE 30¢ FRENCH MAIL RATE.
This is an unusual cover that was originally franked with an additional 5¢ stamp to pay the 35¢ rate via Prussian Closed mail, but after postmarking and prior to processing in the Portland exchange office, the postal clerk removed the 5¢ stamp and the letter was prepared for the 30¢ French mail rate. The red crayon "27" credit to France for 12¢ transatlantic packet to France (considered British even though Allan Line contracted to carry American mails) plus 15¢ foreign transit fee to Russia. There is at least one other recorded Pierce correspondence use, dated Oct 9, 1865, from Portland to Russia with a stamp removed originally intended for P.C.M. but sent by French mail. This cover is discussed in "United States-Russia Mail:1840-1875" by Winter, Chronicle 242, May 2014, pp. 168-187 as fig. 23.
Realized: $1,450