1c Blue, Type IV (9). Horizontal pair, margins to in at bottom, used with 3c Dull Red, Type II (11A) and tied by grid cancels, red "New-York Br. Pkt. Nov. 2" (1853) circular datestamp on folded printed notice from Charleston S.C. to Stockholm, Sweden, red "Per Steamship James Badger between New York and Charleston" backstamp, manuscript rates including "13-3/4" silbergroschen for British and Belgian transit, "1R 8Sbc" Swedish postage due (56 skilling banco), also "18-3/4" silbergroschen debit to Sweden, transit and receiving backstamps

VERY FINE. A RARE 1851 ISSUE COVER TO SWEDEN, CARRIED ON THE WINTER ROUTE AT THE END OF 1853.

Prior to the catastrophic crop failures and famine of 1867-1869, which drove Swedish farming families to leave their country, there was only a small population of Swedes living in the United States. Consequently, mail volume was low, and covers from the 1840s and 1850s are rare. This cover, franked for the 5c shore-to-ship rate, was carried from New York on the Cunarder Asia, arriving Liverpool Nov. 13. From there it traveled along the winter route via Aachen to Cologne, Hamburg, Kiel, Kosor, Copenhagen, Helsingborg, Gothenburg and Stockholm.

Ex Neinken and Wagshal. Accompanied by a letter from Richard Winter discussing the rates and routing and also by Winter's Chronicle article (No. 189, pp. 39-65) on U.S.-Sweden mail--which sheds additional light on this use

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