12¢ Black (17), horizontal pair, huge margins showing parts of six adjoining stamps, left stamp small corner crease, used with horizontal pair of 1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), large margins to slightly in, tied by "San Francisco Cal. 16 Jan." (1855) circular datestamps on blue folded letter in French to Montpellier, France--carried from San Francisco to Panama on PMSS Sonora, departing Jan. 16, arriving Jan. 29; from Panama to New York on USMSC North Star, departing Jan. 31, arriving Feb. 8; Havre Line Union, departing New York Feb. 10, arriving Le Havre Feb. 27--red "New-York Am. Packet Feb. 10" circular datestamp, red "Outre-Mer Le Havre 27 Fevr 55" arrival datestamp, Paris and Montpellier backstamps (February 28 and March 1), prepaid 26¢ for the 21¢ American Packet rate to France via England plus 5¢ West Coast surcharge, but at New York it was placed on a Havre Line steamer direct to France (20¢ rate), without any French markings indicating the usual 6 decimes due on American Packet mail direct to France, Very Fine, a remarkable and very rare 1851 Issue transatlantic cover from California, Calves handstamp at bottom right, ex Haas, Dr. Kapiloff, Giamporcaro and Hackmey

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