5c Orange Brown, Ty. II (30). Unusually choice centering with perforations clear of design all around, beautiful warm shade, tied by well-struck open grid, "New-York Aug. 20" circular datestamp on 1861 folded letter from Puerto Rico to Halifax, Nova Scotia, via New York, bold "5" due marking, red "Forwarded by J.N. Onativia S. Co., New-York" two-line handstamp with "Augso. 1861" in ms, also with ms. "Missent to Newfoundland" at left, neat "Boston Br. Pkt. Aug. 21" backstamp, faint vertical file fold, some splitting along edges sensibly reinforced

VERY FINE. A REMARKABLE USAGE, SENT FROM PUERTO RICO TO A NEW YORK FORWARDER, THEN INTO THE MAILS TO HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA, BUT MISSENT TO NEWFOUNDLAND.

This extraordinary cover reached New York just as the new 1861 Issue was released and the demonetization of all earlier stamps commenced. Covers with the short-lived 5c Orange Brown are scarce, and, to the best of our knowledge, this is a unique usage.

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