3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A). Horizontal pair, ample margins to touched at bottom, tied by "New-York Sep. 27" (1854) circular datestamp on blue folded letter to Rochester N.Y., clear strike of "Independent Line/Ahead of the Mails/Uncle Sam/and North Star/Via. Panama." oval handstamp, sender's directive"per Ind Steamer Uncle Sam, Sep. 1st 1854" at top, letter references the Uncle Sam sailing at 3 o'clock that afternoon, choice condition stamps, cover and marking

VERY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING AND RARE EXAMPLE OF THE VANDERBILT "AHEAD OF THE MAILS, UNCLE SAM" PROPAGANDA HANDSTAMP. THIS LETTER WAS CARRIED ON THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE UNCLE SAM ON THE PANAMA ROUTE.

This Independent Line was created by Cornelius Vanderbilt as an opposition line between California and New York via Panama, from August 17, 1853, thru September 1, 1854. His handstamps typically boasted that these sailings would be "Ahead of the Mails", implying faster delivery to the opposite coast.

Ex Haas and Kramer. Illustrated in Letters of Gold on p. 100

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