Cuba Imper. Eugenie 20 Juin 65. Clear strike of octagonal datestamp on cover to Bordeaux, France, endorsed "Vie de St. Nazaire" at upper left, neat "8" decimes due handstamp, receiving backstamp of July 11, trivial edgewear

VERY FINE. THIS IS BY FAR THE FINER OF THE TWO RECORDED USES OF THE "CUBA IMPER. EUGENIE" STEAMSHIP HANDSTAMP.

The side-paddle steamship Imperatrice Eugenie was built for the Compagnie Generale Transatlantique, also known as the "French Line" in 1864. She made her maiden voyage from St. Nazaire to Vera Cruz on Feb. 16, 1865, and was intended for use on the "Mexico Line", which carried mail between St. Nazaire in France and Vera Cruz in Mexico, with stops in Martinique and Santiago de Cuba. In June 1865 a reorganization took place in the French Line, due to the French military expedition to Mexico and the increase in volume of mail to Mexico. Markings thereafter bore the new "Ligne B" designation without the ship designation. It is possible this marking was applied on the last of the few voyages the Imperatrice Eugenie made before reorganization of the lines.

Only two examples of this marking are reported. The other has been cut out of the cover and then put back.

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