5¢ Red Brown (12), large margins including part of adjoining stamp at right, rich color, used with 1¢ Blue, Type II (7) pair and 3¢ Deep Brownish Carmine, Type I (11), 1¢ mostly large margins except slightly in at bottom right, 3¢ clear to large margins, 1¢ and 3¢ stamps tied together by grid cancels, pair and 5¢ tied by "New Orleans La. Feb. 10" (1857) circular datestamp on blue folded cover to Nantes, France, from the Garnier correspondence, red "New-York Br. Pkt. Feb. 18" circular datestamp--carried on the Cunarder Africa, departing New York on February 18, 1857, and arriving at Liverpool March 2--red Liverpool datestamp on back and Calais arrival datestamp (both dated March 3), "GB/1F60C" framed Anglo-French accountancy handstamp, "8" decimes due handstamp crossed out and re-rated "16" decimes for double rate (7.5 to 15 grams), Paris transit backstamp (March 4)

Extremely Fine. This beautiful cover to France from the "Three Months" period is the only one recorded with this three-color combination of 1851 Issue stamps. It is generally regarded as the most visually appealing of the covers from this rate period of U.S.-France mails.

The "Three Months" period, from January 1 through March 31, 1857, is defined by the introduction of new markings on mail from the U.S. to France via Great Britain, carried by British or American Packet. The changes reflect the new G.B.-France postal treaty, effective January 1, 1857. The most obvious marking, the "GB/1F60C" Anglo-French accountancy handstamp, indicates the British bulk mail charges on letters to France transiting Great Britain. On April 1, 1857, this transitional period came to an end when the new U.S.-France postal treaty went into effect, and the 15¢ rate became the new standard.

Covers to France are often seen with a single-rate U.S. prepayment and double-rate French postage charge. This is due to the difference in weight standards, with the U.S. using a half-ounce increment versus the French 7.5 gram metric increment. However, "Three Months" covers with prepaid double-rate U.S. postage are rare. This cover is the only recorded example with the unusual 5¢ 1856 plus 1¢ and 3¢ combination franking. A letter exceeding the half-ounce U.S. single-rate weight limit would weigh more than 14.17 grams and come close to exceeding the 15-gram limit for the French double rate--this was just under 15 grams.

Ex Sir Nicolas Waterhouse, J. David Baker, Louis Grunin, Frederick R. Mayer and Joseph Hackmey. Illustrated in Bakers' U.S. Classics (p. 282) and Frajola-Mayer, The United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856 (p. 65). With 2005 P.F. certificate.

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