1844 (Aug. 9) Naples, Sicily to Philadelphia Pa. via London. Folded letter entered mails with Marseilles (8.14) entry cds, red London (8.20) datestamp with manuscript "1/3" paid by agent and reposted to Philadelphia with red manuscript "1/-" shilling packet fee prepaid, carried by Cunard Line Britannia from Liverpool Sep. 4th to Boston arriving Sep. 17th, Philadelphia "20¾" (the "/4" is red crayon), Very Fine, ex-Winter.
Estimate; $500 - 750.

A SCARCE EXAMPLE OF THE PHILADELPHIA 20¾ RATE HANDSTAMP STRUCK IN RED, ONLY NINE RECORDED EXAMPLES.

Letter carried by ship to Marseilles, where it entered French mail system. At London, forwarding agent Heath, Furse & Co. (handstamp on reverse) paid 1s3d for ¼-½ oz letter, crossed thru their name in the address, and paid 1s packet postage to U.S. Letter rated at Philadelphia and not at arrival port of Boston. Postage due consisted of 2¢ ship fee plus 18¾¢ U.S. inland fee from Boston to Philadelphia. Italicized version of Philadelphia rate stamp in red quite scarce since color shifted to blue soon after its was introduced. Red strikes are recorded from June 1844 to October 1844.

"Special Arrangement" with the Liverpool Postmaster

Businessmen in Philadelphia and other eastern cities complained about delays in mail arriving via Boston, due to sorting and rating. After an 1843 request to the Liverpool Postmaster by the U.S. Postmaster General, from June 1844 to late 1848 mails to Philadelphia and ten other cities were made up in separate parcels in Liverpool. These were included in the New York bag, from where they were forwarded un-postmarked.

Philadelphia's 20¾ and circled 12 postmarks were obtained specifically for incoming British mails arriving via Boston under the Postmaster General's special arrangement with the Liverpool Postmaster. Est. $500-750 (Image)

Est. $500-750