15¢ Brown & Blue, Type II (119), deep rich colors and proof-like impression, well-centered, used with 2¢ Brown (113) and 3¢ Ultramarine (114), cancelled by matching circular cork cancels, "Phillipsburg (N.J.?) Apr. 20" (1870) duplex datestamp on buff cover to Burgdorf, Switzerland, "New York Br. Transit Apr. 21" circular datestamp, "INSUFFICIENTLY PAID" straightline handstamp, blue crayon "2" indicates double rate, matching "50" next to stamps indicates 50 centimes (10¢) deficiency, "VIA OSTENDE" straightline handstamp, red "70" centimes crayon due, Basel and Burgdorf backstamps, Extremely Fine and colorful, from April 1868 through April 30, 1870, the rate to Switzerland via British Closed Mail was 15¢; effective May 1, 1870, eleven days after this was mailed, the rate was lowered to 10¢; there was also a 20¢ rate via NGU Closed Mail which ended two years earlier in April 1868; the sender affixed 20¢ postage on this cover, either for the old NGU rate or for a double-rate letter at the soon-to-be-implemented 10¢ British Closed Mail rate, the deficiency as a double 15¢ rate letter was detected at the New York exchange office and the blue "50" marking next to the 2¢ stamp indicates the 50 centimes underpayment (U.S. 10¢), a 20 centimes penalty was added to the deficiency and rated 70 centimes due in Switzerland, ex Kuphal ("European's Large Gold" collection)

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