1852 (Nov. 20) Meredusa, Ill. to Stanz, Switzerland, folded letter with "Meredusa Ill. Nov 20" cds sent unpaid, "N. York Br. Pkt. '23' Dec 1" exchange debit cds, carried by Cunard Line Asia from New York Dec. 1st to Liverpool arriving Dec. 12th, various backstamp transits including Stanz (12.17) arrival, red crayon "190" rappen due rating, Very Fine, this is the only recorded example of the Prussian 48kr rate to Switzerland. Estimate  $200 - 300. Prussian exchange office at Aachen marked 48 kreuzer (kr.) debit to Swiss (39 kr. foreign postage plus 9 kr. German transit fee of GAPU. Baden was one of the southern German states that did not benefit from the 6 kr. transit under the U.S.-Prussian convention of 1852 until 1 January 1853. Letter processed on Baden railroad (datestamp on reverse) travelling south from Aachen to Basel. Swiss marked 6 kreuzer (restated as 20 centimes) as internal postage to Stanz from Basel. Early Prussian closed mail cover to Switzerland and only cover seen that shows 48 kr. instead of 45 kr, Prussian debit on a letter to Switzerland (two month period rate). $0 (Image)