10c Yellow, 24c Green & Violet (120). Rich colors, 24c slight corner crease, tied by circle of wedges cancel, red "New York Paid All Br. Transit Apr. 24" (1869) backstamp on cover to naval officer on board the U.S.S. Piscataqua (later Delaware) in care of the U.S. Consul at Hong Kong, China, sender's routing "Via Southampton, red "32" credit handstamp (corresponding to the credit for 42c rate via Marseilles), red London transit datestamp (May 7 or 8), red crayon "1" British colonial rate, Hong Kong-Singapore Marine Sorter backstamp (June 10-17), docketing indicates addressee did not receive the letter until months later on Dec. 25, 1869

VERY FINE AND IMPORTANT 1869 PICTORIAL ISSUE COVER, COMBINING THE 10-CENT AND 24-CENT VALUES FOR THE 34-CENT BRITISH MAIL RATE VIA SOUTHAMPTON, BUT CREDITED FOR THE FASTER ROUTE VIA MARSEILLES AND MOST DEFINITELY CARRIED BY THAT ROUTE.

Only three 24c 1869 covers to China are recorded in the 1869 PRA Census. This cover is the third earliest of all known 24c 1869 covers, preceded by an April 7 usage to Shanghai (ex Mack, Siegel Sale 876, lot 122) and an April 23 usage from New York to Mobile. Use of the Hong Kong-Singapore Marine Sorter backstamp is also quite rare.

Comparing this cover with the ex-Mack cover to Shanghai is instructive. Both covers were prepaid 34c and marked by the sender to go via Southampton. The ex-Mack cover did travel on the slower Southampton route and took 57 days to reach the Hong Kong transit ship (NY 4/7, London 4/17, Hong Kong Marine Sorter 6/3-8, the split dates referring to departure and scheduled arrival dates). The cover offered here, contrary to the sender's directive, was bagged for the British route via Marseilles and appropriately credited 32c, not 24c. The 32c credit comprises 24c for British overseas postage and 8c extra for fast transit via Marseilles. (Perhaps a clerk in the New York foreign-mail office was feeling charitable toward a naval officer). Comparing the transit dates with the ex-Mack cover, this journey was 10 days shorter (NY 4/24, London 5/8, Hong Kong Marine Sorter 6/10-17, for a total of 47 days to reach Hong Kong transit ship).

Ex Coulter. With 2006 .P.F. certificate

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