5¢ Red Brown (12), horizontal strip of three, full margins to clear at top, rich color, tied by lightly struck "New Orleans La. Sep. 30, 1857" circular datestamp on blue folded letter to Port Vendres, France--sender's directive to go on the Cunard October 7 steamer sailing, but the New York exchange office held it for the next American steamer sailing scheduled for October 10, which was cancelled; instead, it went on the Inman Line City of Washington, departing October 15, 1857, and arriving at Liverpool October 28 under a special contract with the Post Office Department--"New York Paid 6 Oct. 10" 6¢ credit datestamp (American Packet), red Calais arrival datestamp (October 28), French receiving backstamps including Port Vendres (October 29), Very Fine, ex Caspary and Mayer, from our 1976 Rarities of the World sale, illustrated and described in detail in Frajola-Mayer, The United States Five Cent Stamp of 1856 (p. 77), signed Ashbrook

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