30c Orange (38). Used with 3c Dull Red, Ty. II (26), tied by Boston large "Paid" grids on blue 1860 folded letter to Manila, Philippines, endorsed "By way of Southampton", red "New-York Am. Pkt. Sep. 28" and Hong Kong backstamps, red London transit, magenta manuscript "12" credit and "1d" British Colonial credit handstamp, letter refers to tobacco monopoly in Manila and upcoming U.S. presidential election, stamps lifted and hinged in place as are many from this correspondence, vertical file fold at left well away from stamps

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF ONLY THREE RECORDED COVERS TO THE PHILIPPINES WITH THE 1857-60 ISSUE, AND THE FINER OF THE TWO WITH THE 30-CENT 1860 STAMP.

George H. Peirce came to the Philippines from New England as a 19-year old clerk in the firm of Peele, Hubbell & Company. By 1862 he was responsible for buying one-third of all the abaca exported from the Philippines. In 1868 he became a partner in the firm. The Peirce correspondence began to leak out into the marketplace in the 1980's, and in 1994 the auction sale of 29 Peirce covers, under the name "The Manila Find," was held by H. R. Harmer of New York. Over half have their stamps either reattached by hinges or missing. The cover offered here was included in the 1994 Harmer's auction.

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