Sale 1262 — United States Stamps and Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Thursday, 26-28 July, 2022
Category — Railroad, Transatlantic, Potato Famine, Steamboat
Lot
Symbol
Photo/Description
Cat./Est. Value
Realized
26
"N & W RR March 15 5". Pencil manuscript postmark with 5c rate applied by route agent for Norwich & Worcester Railroad on Mar. 14, 1848 folded letter from New York to Webster Mass., carried by steamboat to Norwich where entered the mails, minor soiling, Very Fine, the earliest recorded Norwich & Worcester use, ex Hahn
E. 400-500
200
27
Norwich & Worcester R.R. Jan. 23. Clear strike of red route agent's circular datestamp with manuscript "Way 6" on blue folded letter datelined at New York on Jan. 22, 1849 and addressed to Webster Mass., central file fold, Very Fine and rare, this was carried by steamboat to the Allyn's Point terminus of the railroad, where it entered the mails with the route agent's circular datestamp, fewer than five railway "Way" letters are known from all railroads
E. 750-1,000
500
Back to Top28
Norwich & Worcester Railroad, Exhibit Balance. 12 covers on exhibit pages with write-ups, four stampless with red or blue "Norwich & Worcester R.R." route agent circular datestamps, five covers bearing 3c 1851-57 Issue stamps, one a lady's embossed cover, others with Norwich & Worcester R.R. or Worcester & Nashua R.R. corner cards, one with embossed train design, two with 3c 1861 stamps including one tied by the "N&W" with Star fancy cancel, other with Superintendent's Office embossed corner card, finally a strip of three No. 24 with route agent's circular datestamp on a red and blue Patriotic cover to Milford Mass., Very Fine and a nice basis for expansion on this railroad, see our website PDF for a complete scan
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E. 1,500-2,000
1,000
Back to Top30
(Salem Mass., 1760) "SaSh 8:16 dwt". Manuscript ship-letter postmark and rate (8dwt plus 16gr ship fee) on folded cover to John Reynell in Philadelphia, receipt docketing "From Capt. Jno. Brown, Rec'd 6mo:4:1760", minor toning along folds, still Very Fine, an extremely rare Salem ship marking (listed but unpriced in ASCC Vol. 3), ex Historical Society of Pennsylvania
E. 750-1,000
475
Back to Top31
(Petersburg Va., 1789) Private Ship Letter to Scotland. Folded letter datelined "Petersburg in Virginia, 4th Octr. 1789" to Dingwall, Scotland, sender's routing "Ship Isabella, Capt. Currie", brownish "SHIP" handstamp, matching "GREENOCK" straightline backstamp, red Bishop's mark struck off cover, manuscript rates, Very Fine
Image 2
E. 300-400
150
Back to Top32
1806, Amsterdam to Providence. Folded letter datelined "Amsterdam 8 Decr. 1806", sender's directive "pr Enterprise" at lower left, red "New-York Mar. 9" and matching "SHIP" handstamp, red "36" rate, clear strike of "Daniel's Life Preserver in case of Shipwreck, Bathing & Wapping, A National Concern, Established 1806" handstamp on back, cut around the advertisement to open, Very Fine and very unusual, Francis Columbine Daniel, a doctor from Wapping, invented a life preserver; on July 21, 1806, he arranged a demonstration with many people floating down the Thames wearing his preservers and engaging in all sorts of activities from playing musical instruments to loading and firing a rifle, an unusual early advertising marking
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E. 200-300
100
Back to Top33
New York to Dublin, Ireland via First American Packet. May 31, 1847 folded letter to Dublin, Ireland, carried on maiden voyage of the Washington, which was the first sailing of the Ocean Steam Navigation Company Line, red "New-York Jun. 1" circular datestamp with matching "Paid" arc, endorsed "p Washington Str.", London June 15 and Dublin June 17 receiving backstamps, manuscript "1/-" one-shilling discriminatory due marking, contents related to relief for victims of the Irish Potato Famine, accompanied by a second duplicate letter carried on the Cunarder Britannia on the same day, also charged "1/-" for ocean postage but properly since this was a Cunard steamerVERY FINE PAIR OF COVERS SENT BY COMPETING PACKET SHIPS ON THE SAME DAY, INCLUDING ONE ON THE JUNE 1, 1847, MAIDEN VOYAGE OF THE WASHINGTON, CHARGED ONE-SHILLING DISCRIMINATORY POSTAGE DUE IN ENGLAND. THESE WERE THE OPENING SHOTS OF THE RETALIATORY PERIOD.
The so-called Retaliatory Period resulted from Great Britain's effort to maintain its monopoly on transatlantic mail carriage through the subsidized Cunard steamship line, which operated without competition from 1840 through 1846. In response to the emergence of subsidized American Packets in 1847 (the Ocean Line), the British issued an order (effective June 9, 1847) authorizing its receiving offices to collect the usual British Packet postage on letters carried to England by American subsidized steamers. This effectively allowed England to collect 24c packet charges for every inbound letter, whether or not any service had been performed. Examples from the Washington's maiden voyage are very scarce, and this pair of duplicate letters, sent by both competing packets to ensure delivery, is a wonderful way to demonstrate the issue.
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Image 2
E. 1,500-2,000
2,100
Back to Top34
(London, England, to Boston, Feb. 22, 1849) First Westbound Cunard Sailing of Treaty Rate Period. Folded letter datelined Feb. 22, 1849 and addressed to Boston, red London Feb. 23, 1849 circular datestamp and manuscript "2/4" rate, endorsed for and carried on the Cunarder America from Liverpool on Feb. 24 -- the first westbound sailing under the new Treaty Rate -- arrived Boston Mar. 8, "Paid" handstamp and manuscript "10" rate, Very Fine
E. 300-400
350
Back to Top35
England to Maine. Buff cover with blue "The U.S. Military Argus, 334 Broadway, New-York" cameo corner card with illustration of American flag, W. Eaves N.Y. imprint, to Auburn Me., British "19 MR 1858" circular datestamp, bold "19" debit handstamp, blue "London Mr. 19 58" backstamp, "Br. Packet Mar. 21 24"due datestamp, red "X" in circle overstruck by other markings, Very Fine, unusual use of American cameo envelope from another country
E. 200-300
375
Back to Top36
Irish Potato Famine, Quaker Relief, 1847-48. Exceptional mounted exhibit tracing the postal history of the Quaker relief efforts during the Irish Potato Famine, primarily through the Central Relief Committee (CRC), chronological pages present an overview of the Quaker efforts, with covers and letters of historical importance as well as a number of covers of philatelic significance (highlighted with red borders in the linked PDF), the history is extensive with lots of good letter content and covers traveling in both transatlantic directions, covers to Ireland and England are stampless, some to the U.S. are franked with G.B. stamps, the detailed page write-ups place each cover in the context of the relief efforts, one cover is from the landlord of the Kearney family (the direct ancestors of President Barack Obama), the items of philatelic significance include two discriminatory rate covers carried on the June 1, 1847 trip of the Washington, which was the first Collins Line U.S. packet to England -- that trip inaugurated the famous Retaliatory rate period between the United States and Great Britain -- also a Retaliatory Rate incoming cover to New York and others with good postal markings including a "2/-" shilling due handstamp, condition is fresh essentially throughoutVERY FINE AND FASCINATING EXHIBIT TRACING THE QUAKER RELIEF EFFORTS FOR THE IRISH PEOPLE DURING THE GREAT POTATO FAMINE.
We could expound further on this exhibit but viewing the linked PDF is the best way to fully appreciate it. Ex Duffney.
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E. 3,000-4,000
4,500
Back to Top37
Steam-Packet Franklin, Lake Champlain, Capt. R.M. Sherman. Bold strike of red handstamp on folded letter datelined "Burlington July 17, 1834" to Montreal, Canada, light vertical file folds, Extremely Fine strike, ex Jarrett
E. 300-400
1,100
Back to Top38
Uncle Sam. Vessel-named marking within elaborate frame with cupids and floral elements on folded letter datelined "Louisville Mar. 19th '47" to New Orleans, neat "STEAM" and "10" handstamps, fresh and Very Fine Mississippi River steamboat marking, ex Jarrett, illustrated in Milgram
E. 300-400
2,300
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