Lot no. 8116

1868: 1861 30¢ orange and 1868, 12¢ black “F” grill (split), both tied by excellent strikes of NYFM pre-cursor 12 segment leaf cancels (Skinner NYFM 68-7) on printed address cover addressed to “..Pacific Mail Steam Ship Company, Hong Kong”; manuscript “pr. China, via Marseilles” at lower left; red London transit marks and numeral “32” credit at top; on reverse NY transit and very rare double circle “Hong Kong & Singapore Marine Sorter B” ; Extremely Fine and attractive cover with scarcer fancy cancel; stamps full pre-pay the 42¢ rate for ½ oz by British Mail via Marseilles which started in January 1868. 2016 Philatelic Foundation certificate (Scott 71,97 var.). The Pacific mail Steamship Company was founded in 1848 by a group of New York City merchants, William Aspinwall, Edwin Bartlett, Henry Chauncey, Mr. Alsop, G.G. Howland and S.S.Howland. These merchants had acquired the right to transport mail under contract from the United States Government from the Isthmus of Panama to California. In 1867, the company launched the first regularily scheduled trans-Pacific steamship service with a route between San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Yokohama, and an extended line to Shanghai.