Lot
1109 
1861, 30¢ orange, used with 5¢ brown (76), brilliant colors, each tied by perfect bold strikes of fancy geometric cross-roads cancel duplexed with "Springfield Mass Feb 16" cds on 1866 cover to St. Petersburg, Russia, partial red "New York Am. Pkt. 'Paid' Feb 17" exchange cds and matching "14" cent credit handstamp, carried by Inman Line City of Washington from New York Feb. 17th to Queenstown arriving Feb. 27th, bold strike of blue "Aachen, Franco 4 /3" framed transit, Extremely Fine and remarkable; with 2015 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 71 Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
A STUNNING 1861 ISSUE USE WITH TREMENDOUS EYE APPEAL TO RUSSIA AT THE 35¢ PRUSSIAN CLOSED MAIL RATE.
This cover was prepaid for the 35¢ Prussian Closed Mail rate, with the New York clerk marking a 14¢ credit to Prussia in red crayon. The letter was placed in a closed mail bag for Prussia for the next American-contract steamer. The closed mail bag went through the United Kingdom and Belgium before being opened at the Aachen exchange office on Mar. 4th, where it received the blue boxed franco datestamp to show the date the letter was un-bagged and that it was fully paid. In early 1865, the Aachen exchange office started using blue ink for their markings.
Realized: $2,500