380th Auction

1848, ACADIA: Folded letter dated "Liverpool 26 May 1848" with matching red boxed "PAID AT LIVERPOOL MY 27 1848" and endorsed "p. Acadia" to Petersburg, Virginia. Paid "1/-", charged "12" cents upon arrival, fine

1848, AMERICA: Folded letter dated "Liverpool 2nd June 1848" with matching boxed "PAID AT LIVERPOOL..." endorsed "America via Boston" to Petersburg, Virginia. Paid "2/-", with red "BOSTON SHIP JUN 13" arrival, charged with "22" cents, there was no attempt in the USA to charge paid mail carried by Cunard, fine

1848, BRITANNIA: Victoria 1p. red, three singles and 1847 Embossed 1sh. green, four singles, mostly touched, tied by numeral "466" to folded letter to New York, paying the 2oz letter rate plus 3d. late fee, upon arrival, charged with "17" cents as triple rate, attractive and rare entire

1848, HERMANN: Return Maiden Voyage, Departure delayed four times by breakdown, folded letter dated "Liverpool 25 April 1848" endorsed "p. Steamship Herrmann via Southampton to Petersburg, Virginia. Paid "1/-" for the ½oz letter, charged again upon arrival with "34" cents, fine

1848, AMERICA: Folded letter dated "Boston Aug 15th 1848" with red "PAID" and "29", endorsed "Streamer for Liverpool via New York" with red boxed "COLONIES &c Art. 13" alongside to Rheims, France. Charged with "16" decimes upon arrival, fine

1848, BRITANNIA: Folded letter dated "New Orleans Dec 2 1848" with matching cds. "NEW ORLEANS DEC 2" and straight line "PAID" and "34", endorsed "pr. St. Britannia", to London, there charged again with "1/-", fine

1848, CAMBRIA: Folded letter dated "London 15 June 1848" to Washington, with Forwarder cachet "FORWARDED BY MESSrs COUTTS & Co", upon arrival in Boston red "BOSTON SHIP JUN 30" struck and charged with "12" cents, on arrival in Washington on 1st July, the date the new law was effective, the rate was changed to "34" cents - the very first retaliatory rate, fine

1848, CAMBRIA: Folded letter from Halifax with red "HALIFAX PAID OCT 2 1848 NOVA SCOTIA" to New York, paid "1/-" and upon arrival red "BOSTON SHIP OCT 6" struck and charged again with "29" cents, scarce as most mail was sent overland thus not charged twice

1848, EUROPA, Maiden Voyage, folded letter dated "Liverpool 7 Mo July 14 1848" with matching red "PAID AT LIVERPOOL JY 13 1848" alongside to New York, paid "4/-", upon arrival red "BOSTON SHIP JUL 27" struck and charged with "87" cents as triple rate, some minor ink corrosion, otherwise a fine and attractive entire

1848, EUROPA: 1847 Embossed 1sh. green tied by numeral to folded letter, endorsed per Europa" to Andover, Massachusetts. Upon arrival charged and red "NEW ORLEANS SHIP JAN 1 29cts" applied, stamp touched and unobtrusive vertical crease, yet attractive entire of the last westbound Retaliatory Rate voyage

1848, EUROPA: folded lettersheet with full content (list of good on elaborately printed letterhead "Fellmongers, Leather Dressers" from "NOTTINGHAM OC 13 1848"  to New York, paid "1/-", charged upon arrival with "24" cents, fine

1848, HIBERNIA: Folded lettersheet from "MÜNSTER 3/7 7-8A" endorsed "via England pr. Mailsteamer", paid "20" silbergroschen, to New York, upon arrival charged "24" cents retaliatory fee for delivery at port of arrival

1848, HIBERNIA: Folded letter dated "Zante 12 august 1848" to Boston, paid "3"d. local postage and "1/-" to the UK, carried per H.M.S. Volcano" and "Indus" via Malta and Southampton to London, charge paid by forwarder, upon arrival in Boston charged with "24" cents, fine

1848, TRENT: Folded lettersheet from "TRINIDAD JY 21 1848" to New York, per Royal Steam Packet "Eagle" to St. Thomas, from there in the "TRENT" to Bermuda and New York and charged again with "24" cents, fine and attractive with very few covers known from the West Indies

1848, AMERICA: Victoria 2d. blue and 1847 Embossed 10d. red-brown tied by numeral to envelope endorsed "p Royal mail packet" to new York, upon arrival charged with "12" cents (10c. as double letter and 2c. ship fee), adhesives with faults, yet and scarce entire from the first westbound voyage under the Restored Rate period

1848, EUROPA: Folded letter dated "Boston Decr 27- 1848" endorsed "p Steamer Europa" to London, unpaid, per Harnden Express with red cachet "FROM HARNDEN & Co. COMMISSION MERCHANTS NEW-YORK " alongside, charged "1/-" upon arrival

1849, CANADA: Folded letter dated "Brooklyn Feb 6th 1849" to Manchester, posted unpaid and charged "1/-" upon arrival, interesting entire of te last eastbound voyage in the restored rate period

1849, CANADA: Folded lettersheet from Boston (February 5th) endorsed "p Steamer Canada" to London, paid "48" cents., upon arrival charged with "2/-" as the Convention rate was not effective until the departure of February 15th., interesting entire of the last eastbound voyage of the Restored Rate Period

1849, EUROPA: Folded letter dated "Liverpool 9 February 1849" with matching red "PAID AT LIVERPOOL FE 9 1849" and "1/-" handstamp, endorsed "p. Europa", to New York, upon arrival charged with "6" for the ship fee, fine and attractive entire of the last westbound voyage under the Restored Rate Period

1849, EUROPA: Buff envelope from "Paris N.Y. Jan 6" with manuscript "Paid 29" to Broughty Ferry, Scotland with arrival mark "DUNDEE JA 23 1849", upon arrival charged with "1/-" as prepayment was not possible under the Restored Rate rules. The cover was paid for twice, some wear but an interesting entire from the first eastbound voyage in the Restored Rate period

1849 THE NEW TREATY RATE PERIOD

The early voyages had no accounting hand stamps. These were not available until late March in the Exchange Office in Liverpool and early April in the US and then in inadequate numbers for the volume of mail. For the first four months the system worked imperfectly.

1849, AMERICA: Folded letter weighing 2oz from Liverpool with red "PAID AT LIVERPOOL FE 24 1849" to New York, paid "4/-", manuscript credit of "20" cents to the US, some minor ink corrosion, a fine and interesting entire from the first westbound voyage under the new treaty

1849, AMERICA: Folded letter dated "New York July 3rd 1849" with "5" cents due handstamp alongside to Sheffield, reverse with "AMERICA LIVERPOOL JY 15 1849", upon arrival charged "1/-", fine

1849, CANADA: Folded lettersheet from London to New York, endorsed "p Steamship 'Canada' via Liverpool", U.S. debited with "19 CENTS", upon arrival charged with "24" cents, fine and scarce

1849, EUROPA: Folded lettersheet from London with red "PAID 5 AP 5 1849" alongside to Petersburg, Virginia, credit to U.S. with red "5 CENTS", further red "PAID SHIP" struck unnecessarily and inaccurately, fine

1849, HERMANN: Folded letter dated "St. Andrews Bay 4 th February" to Dublin, manuscript "Paid 24" at upper right, upon arrival red "PAID MR 11 1849" applied, fine entire conveyed on the first trip under the new contract

1849, NIAGARA: Folded lettersheet with manuscript despatch "Roanoke May 24th" to Tuam, Ireland."Paid 24" in manuscript for a ½oz letter, struck "19" as credit to the UK alongside, with arrival mark, fine

1849, NIAGARA: Small envelope from "LIVERPOOL 23 MR 1849" to New York, U.S. debited "19" in manuscript, upon arrival in New York charged with "24", fine entire of the third westbound voyage

1849, NIAGARA: Folded letter from "MANCHESTER MR 15 1849" to Philadelphia, U.S. credited "5" cents in manuscript, slightly stained, otherwise fine

After the signing of the 1848 Convention between Britain and the United States there was only one semieffective American steamship line on the North Atlantic - the Ocean Line. This soon changed. The Collins Line was the first addition in 1851, but between 1855 and 1857 there were four. By 1862 there were none and despite a brief revival at the end of the Civil War the same situation existed in 1868

1846, MASSACHUSETTS: Folded letter dated "London 17 Jan 1846" to New York, paid "8"d. outgoing ship letter fee with red "PAID SHIP LETTER LONDON 17 JA 17 1846", upon arrival "6" cents ship fee charged, interesting entire from the last out of only four voyages

1847, SARAH SANDS: Maiden Voyage, folded letter dated "Chichster 18th January 1847" and endorsed "By the Sarah Sands" to Milton, Massachusetts, paid "1/-", should have been "8"d, upon arrival charged "NEW-YORK SHIP 7 cents.", fine and scarce entire

1848, HERMANN: Maiden voyage, dated "New York 20 Mars 1848" to Cognac, avoiding a retaliatory rate by being transferred directly to France with arrival mark "LE HAVRE 13 AVRIL 48", charged with "9" decimes, fine

1848, UNITED STATES: Final Voyage, folded letter from "GENEVA 29 AOUT 48", endorsed "par le Havre Steamer United States, paid to French port, upon arrival in New York charged "New-York... 29" retaliatory rate, fine and scarce entire

1848,WASHINGTON: Small envelope from "GIESSEN  11/6" endorsed "for New York via Bremen" with "ST.P.A. BREMEN 14/7" to Cambridge, paid "9" to Bremen, send unpaid to New York thus integral cds. "NEW YORK SHIP AUG 5 29cts." struck, fine and scarce

1848, WASHINGTON: Folded letter dated "Leipzig February 28th" to New York, sent under separate cover to Bremen, posted unpaid by forwarding agent John Heckenham with departure cancel "ST.P.A. BREMEN 14 3", upon arrival "24" cets charged, fine and interesting entire

1850, ARCTIC: Maiden Voyage, unpaid folded lettersheet endorsed "p Arctic" to London with black integral cds. "NEW YORK 21 OCT 20", upon arrival charged with "1/-", fine

1850, ATLANTIC: Maiden Voyage of Collins line, unpaid folded letter with integral cds. "NEW YORK 21 APR 27" to Carlisle, after transit of 13 days, despite damaging paddles in drift ice, arrival in Liverpool clear "AMERICA MY 10 50A" struck, not delivered in Carlisle and re-directed to Stockton with arrival mark "STOCKTON MY 13 1850" and "1" charged, fine