Lot
570 
(1848/1849 Treaty) 1849 (Feb. 14) Paris, France to Monroe, Mich., cover with "Paris 14 Fevr" origin cds and manuscript "15" décimes prepaid rating on reverse, red London (2.15) and Liverpool (2.16) transits, carried by Cunard Line America from Liverpool Feb. 24th to Boston arriving Mar. 8th, red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Mar 10" cds with matching "Paid" and "24" rating handstamp, Very Fine, This letter was carried on the first Cunard voyage under the new 1849 convention. Estimate $400 - 600.
On February 15, 1849, President James K. Polk signed a proclamation making effect the new United States-Great Britain Postal Convention. The public was not notified until Feb. 24, the date the Cunard steamer "America" departed Liverpool with the first mails from England under the new convention. Adequate instructions were not in place at the U.S. exchange offices of Boston and New York and a variety of errors were made. The new convention allowed mails to and from France to travel in the British open mail through England.
This letter shows that the Boston postal clerks did not know how to treat letters from France under the new convention. This letter was paid only to U.S. port and required postage due in the U.S. Boston, however, marked the letter as fully prepaid. This error in rating is known on mails of this voyage only.
Realized: $450