12¢ Black (17), three singles, large margins to slightly in, small tears in right stamp and file crease through left 12¢ stamp, used with 1¢ Blue, Type IV (9), large margins to touching, tied by "Philadelphia Pa. Oct. 2" (1855) circular datestamps on blue folded letter to Alexandrovsky, near St. Petersburg, Russia, sender's route directive "Via Prussian Closed Mail" and prepaid 37¢ rate, red "New-York Am. Packet Oct. 3" circular datestamp on back, magenta manuscript "14" credit--carried on the Collins Line Baltic, departing New York October 3, 1855, arriving Liverpool October 14--red "AACHEN 16/10 FRANCO" (October 16) framed datestamp, blue manuscript "f6" on back and "f3" on front indicating German and Russian transit fees had been paid, Fine, an extremely rare 1851 Issue cover to Russia and one of the few with the 37¢ Prussian Closed Mail rate--this letter refers to the fall of Sevastopol during the Crimean War and the end of Danish-American treaties--ex Ishikawa and Hackmey, with 1999 P.F. certificate

The Winans Correspondence

The two folded letters offered in lots 294 and 295 are addressed to William L. Winans, who worked for the American railroad construction firm Harrison, Winans & Eastwick. He and his brother Thomas traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia, while the firm worked on construction of the Czar's new railroad from St. Petersburg to Moscow. The Winans' contract was to equip the new Russian railway with locomotives and stock cars. They established workshops in Alexandrovsky, near St. Petersburg. When the railway was completed in 1851, Thomas returned to Baltimore with his Russian wife, while William stayed until 1862.

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