3c Dull Red, Type II (11A). Positions 67-70L3, horizontal strip of four, large margins to in including sheet margin at right with full guideline, affixed to flap and cancelled by heavy manuscript on 1856 folded letter from Nantes, France, to San Francisco and forwarded to Park's Bar Cal., French postage paid by France 20c and 40c Napoleon (15, 18a), 40c slightly oxidized, tied by diamond of dots cancel, red boxed "PD" handstamp (PAid to Destination), carried on New York & Havre Line Union, a non-contract sailing departing Jan. 16, 1856 and arriving New York Feb. 7, bold black "New-York Ship 5cts. Feb. 8" circular datestamp with "5" crossed out (probably after postal clerk noticed the address to California) and re-rated with manuscript "12" for 10c domestic postage and 2c ship fee, carried by steamers via Panama, upon arrival in San Francisco on Mar. 22 a postal clerk applied the strip of four (stamps possibly left by the recipient) and crossed out the "12" marking, another 3c stamp, Position 66L3, contiguous to the strip, applied to front over French stamps for forwarding postage to "Parks Bar, Yuba Co.", tied by "San Francisco Cal. 22 Mar." circular datestamp, some slight wear including strip and single 3c with matching horizontal crease

VERY FINE. AN ASTONISHING 3-CENT 1851 ISSUE MIXED-FRANKING COVER FROM FRANCE TO CALIFORNIA, WITH STAMPS OF TWO COUNTRIES, FULLY PAYING FOUR DIFFERENT RATES INCLUDING FORWARDING POSTAGE IN CALIFORNIA.

In summary of the information above, this remarkable mixed franking paid the 60-centimes French postage, the 10c over-3,000 miles rate from New York to San Francisco, the 2c ship captain's fee and the 3c forwarding postage to Parks Bar.

Illustrated and discussed in an article by Stanley M. Piller in Chronicle 234 (pp. 120-122). With 2010 P.F. certificate

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