The Raymond Vogel Collection, Part 1 continued...

VERY FINE. AN IMPRESSIVE THREE-COLOR FRANKING FROM PHILADELPHIA TO HONG KONG.

The 45c in stamps paid the rate for British Mail via Southampton. The "Overland Route" designation is unusual. (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

VERY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE 15-CENT LINCOLN MULTIPLE FRANKING ON A 45-CENT RATE COVER TO SWATOW, CHINA.

The three 15c Lincoln stamps pay the 45c rate by British Mail via Southampton. This rate is almost always paid with other 1861 Issue stamps (typically with 5c, 10c and 30c values). (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

VERY FINE. A COLORFUL AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE, IF NOT UNIQUE, COMBINATION OF STAMPS TO PAY THE 34-CENT RATE TO CHINA BY BRITISH MAIL VIA SOUTHAMPTON.

The addressee, Joseph C. A. Wingate, was U.S. Consul in Swatow, China, from 1863 to 1873.

Ex White (Doane auction of 1937), Knapp and Krug (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

VERY FINE. AN UNUSUAL COMBINATION OF 1861 ISSUE STAMPS TO PAY THE 53-CENT RATE TO CHINA BY BRITISH MAIL VIA MARSEILLES.

From the Nixon correspondence (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE AND UNUSUAL COMBINATION OF 1861-66 ISSUE STAMPS TO PAY THE 42-CENT RATE TO CHINA BY BRITISH MAIL VIA MARSEILLES.

This cover is addressed to Oliver B. Bradford, the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai, China. Bradford was appointed Vice Consul in 1871. Several years later, he was convicted of tampering with the U.S. mail and subjected to a congressional impeachment review (he was not impeached). Bradford went on to help build China's first railroad (source: Michael Laurence, Chronicle 80, p. 219). (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE FRANKING FOR THE DOUBLE 42-CENT RATE TO HONG KONG VIA MARSEILLES -- ULTIMATELY CARRIED TO YOKOHAMA, JAPAN. THIS IS ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED COVERS FROM THE VERY FIRST SINGAPORE-TO-HONG KONG SORTING TRIP, THIS BEING THE ONLY ONE CARRIED IN THE MAILS VIA MARSEILLES. A RARITY OF THE HIGHEST ORDER.

According to the Webb book, the sorting of mail on board ship was first tried in 1857 and was found to speed the delivery of the mails on arrival in Hong Kong. The Governor of Hong Kong petitioned to make this a permanent position, but the scheme was not implemented. Seven years later, after the GPO decided that Hong Kong should assume greater responsibilities, the sorting plan was green-lighted. An official from the Hong Kong post office would meet the P & O steamer in Singapore and sort the mails during the trip to Hong Kong. The mails could then be delivered immediately on arrival or forwarded faster to their final destination outside of Hong Kong. The new service started with the arrival of mails at the end of July 1868. Mails were sorted between Singapore and Hong Kong, and another line was also established to sort mails between Hong Kong and Shanghai.

The Webb book (Appendix XXXII) lists the recorded voyages and the number of known surviving covers carried on each trip. The first use of a Marine Sorter marking was on a sailing from Hong Kong to Shanghai, which left Hong Kong on July 15. One piece of mail is known from this trip, marked with the Marine Sorter B handstamp. The next use of the Marine Sorter marking (the first from Singapore) was on mail which arrived in Hong Kong on July 29 from Singapore. Two covers from this trip are known, both with the Marine Sorter A handstamp. The Webb book lists only one cover, which was carried via Southampton and routed through Alexandria (arrived June 18), Suez (departed June 28) and Galle. The cover offered here is not recorded by Webb.

Richard Winter provided the analysis of the routing of the cover offered here. It was carried aboard the North German Lloyd's Bremen, which departed New York on June 4 and arrived in Southampton on June 15. It was processed in London on June 16 and was then put on the P & O's Tanjore, which departed Marseilles on June 21, arriving in Alexandria on June 27. It then made the P & O sailing of the China, which departed Suez on June 28 -- the same ship that the Webb-listed example was carried on. The routing via Marseilles saved a significant amount of transit time between England and Alexandria, enabling it to make this sailing. The China arrived at Galle in Ceylon on July 12 and departed on the P & O Malacca on July 15, which carried it to Hong Kong after the stop in Singapore to pick up the Hong Kong postal official. It arrived in Hong Kong on July 29.

The background of the U.S. Flagship Piscataqua (later the U.S.S. Delaware) and the addressee, John F. Bingham, is summarized in an article by Richard B. Graham in the Chronicle 75 (August 1972), from which we quote (with minor edits and deletions): "The U.S.S. Piscataqua was launched on June 11, 1866, and first placed in commission on October 21, 1867. She was a screw steamer, 2400 tons, ship rigged, with 20 nine-inch smoothbore guns -- similar in appearance and armament to Civil War naval ships such as Admiral Farragut's Hartford. On December 16, 1867, the Piscataqua left New York for the Far East, arriving at Singapore on April 18, 1868. On May 15, 1869, her name was changed to U.S.S. Delaware, as one of several U. S. Navy ship name changes taking place on that date at the Navy Department in Washington... the Delaware left Singapore for home on August 23, 1870, reached New York on November 19, 1870, and was placed out of commission on December 5, 1870. This was the only voyage ever made by the Delaware, which was broken up in 1877. John F. Bingham was a 2nd Ass’t Engineer, assigned to the Piscataqua on September 30, 1867, and detached from her, after she returned home, on November 26, 1870." (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

A MOST UNUSUAL FRANKING ON A COVER SENT TO HONG KONG VIA FRENCH MAILS.

The 53c franking suggests that this was prepaid for the 53c rate by British Mail via Marseilles. However, as directed by the sender, it went by French Mail, requiring only 30c postage (with a corresponding 27c credit). (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

VERY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE COVER TO HONG KONG BY PRUSSIAN CLOSED MAIL VIA TRIESTE WITH CORRECT FRANKING FOR 36-CENT RATE.

A majority of mail from the United States to Hong Kong was sent via British Mail or less frequently by French Mail. The cover offered here was sent by Prussian Closed Mail, a route option that was available only for letters to Hong Kong and nowhere else in China. Prussian Closed Mail to all destinations in China had stopped in July 1857.

The U.S.S. Jamestown patrolled the Pacific during the Civil War to protect American commerce from Confederate privateers. (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com