(Route 7309 - Prepaid Steamboat Fee) 1856 (Feb 28, circa) Lexington Miss. to New Orleans La. via Vicksburg, 3¢ red Nesbitt buff entire bearing two 1¢ blue (24) singles, one on reverse, all cancelled by matching circular grids from the Carroll Hoy correspondence to New Orleans La., matching "Lexington Miss. Feb 28" cds, routed by post road to Yazoo City to join steamboat Route 7312 to Vicksburg, transferred at Vicksburg to Route 7309 for New Orleans; flap tear, vertical file fold, usual filing holes, F.-V.F., A rare example of a prepaid 2¢ steamboat fee. Estimate  $500 - 750. The practice of prepaying either the 2¢ steamboat fee or 1¢ way fee was unusual. The former was unnecessary as the Masters fee was paid from the 3¢ postage collected and not from the addressee. The 2¢ additional prepayment may have been a misconception by the sender that the steamboat fee had to be prepaid. $0 (Image)