12¢ Black (17), horizontal strip of three, ample to mostly clear margins, used with three 3¢ Dull Red, Type I (11), slight creases, manuscript cancels, two 3¢ stamps tied by "Holmes Hole Ms. May 4" (1857) circular datestamp on yellow cover to Batavia, Java, Netherlands East Indies, addressed to Captain S. Lyman Norton of the ship Minstrel, in care of Paine, Stricker & Co., sender's directive "Via Southampton" but prepaid 45¢ instead of prevailing 33¢ rate--carried on the Cunarder America, departing New York May 6, 1857, and arriving at Liverpool May 17--red "New-York May 5, 1857" circular datestamp (not the normal foreign-mail office marking), magenta manuscript "40" cents credit for British Packet service, red British transit datestamp (May 18), manuscript "30" for additional postage due in Batavia, faint cover bleaching not affecting stamps, otherwise Fine--the sender wrote "Via Southampton" to indicate the route, but by this date the rate to Java by British Mail via Southampton was only 33¢; the 40¢ credit applied in New York may have ensured that it traveled on the faster route via Marseilles (45¢ rate)--ex Hackmey.

The Norton Correspondence

This sale contains three remarkable covers addressed to Captain S. Lyman Norton as he sailed the ship Minstrel from Boston to the East Indies and Far East in 1857 and 1858. Included are covers with the 1851-56 Issue addressed to Java (lots 246 and 297) and Singapore (lot 270).

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