5c Red Brown (12). Vertical pair and single, full to large margins, tied by "New Orleans La. Jul. 29" circular datestamp on 1857 blue folded letter with merchant's albino embossed corner card to Nantes, France, red "New York Paid 3 Aug. 8" 3c credit datestamp, Le Havre arrival datestamp (Aug. 21), transit and receiving backstamps including arrival in Nantes on Aug. 22, single stamp with tiny corner crease

VERY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING USE OF THREE 5-CENT 1856 ISSUE STAMPS ON AN 1857 TREATY RATE COVER TO FRANCE BY AMERICAN PACKET DIRECT TO LE HAVRE.

The 1857 U.S.-France treaty set a fully prepaid rate of 15c per -1/4 ounce, effective April 1. On American Packet Direct mail, the U.S. credited France 3c for inland postage and retained 12c for U.S. inland plus packet postage. Despite the availability of 5c 1856 Issue stamps at New Orleans, covers bearing three 5c stamps to pay the 15c American Packet Direct service are very rare. This was carried on the Vanderbilt Line Ariel from New York on Aug. 8, arriving Southampton on Aug. 20.

Ex Mayer and Walske

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