(Freight Money) 1838 (Sep. 22) Philadelphia Pa. to London, England via New York. Light gray folded letter with red "Forwarded From Hale's For. Letr. Office, New York" four-line handstamp on reverse and pencil "25" cent freight money fee prepaid, placed in letter bag unpaid, carried by Great Western from New York to Bristol, "Bristol/Ship-Letter" handstamp and "1/5" rating crossed out and rerated "2/10" for double the 1s5d, red London "10.18" arrival backstamp, Very Fine and early freight money letter showing prepayment by Hale & Co., ex-Winter.
Estimate; $500 - 750.

Letters showing freight money prepayment at New York are quite scarce as the fee was seldom marked. The G.B. single letter rate consisted of 8d incoming ship fee plus 9d inland fee from Bristol to London. Est. $500-750 (Image)

Est. $500-750

(Freight Money) 1839 (Jun. 12, Jul. 31) Philadelphia Pa. to London, England. Two folded letters carried by the Great Western from New York to Bristol on the 8th and 9th return voyages, first with "37½" rating for 25¢ freight fee and 12½¢ inland postage to New York; second with "150" rating for quadruple 25¢ freight fee and 12½¢ inland postage to New York, Very Fine pair of freight money letters, ex-Arthur White.
Estimate; $300 - 400. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

(Freight Money) 1841 (May 13) Philadelphia, Pa. to Halifax, England. Folded cover with blue "Philada Pa. Feb 6" cds with matching clear "Paid" double-octagon handstamp and manuscript "25" cent rating for 12½¢ freight fee and 12½¢ inland postage to New York, carried by Sailing Packet from New York to Liverpool, partial "Liverpool/Ship Letter" two-line handstamp and manuscript "8" pence due rating for ship fee, Very Fine freight money letter by sailing packet.
Estimate; $150 - 200. Est. $150-200 (Image)

Est. $150-200

1842 (Jun. 6) London, England to New York N.Y. Light gray folded part-printed General Post Office Notice requesting "1/8" one shilling 8 pence for a letter held for postage, entered mails with bold strike of red London Crowned (6.6) datestamp and sent free despite printed "On Her Majesty's Service" and "W.L. Maberly" endorsements, Liverpool (6.7) octagon exchange datestamp (Tabeart M24), carried by Cunard Line Caledonia from Liverpool Jun. 19th to Boston arriving Jul. 5th, red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' " arrival cds and manuscript "20¾" due rating for 18¾¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee, Very Fine and choice, ex-Pullin.
Estimate; $300 - 400. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

1842 (Jun. 30) London, England to New York N.Y. Datelined folded letter with red "Returned for Postage" and "Detained For Postage" framed handstamps, additional script "Returned for Postage" framed handstamp on flap, manuscript "Forwarded by Majmar Jordain & Co." London forwarder endorsement on flap, both handstamps on face deleted upon payment, red London Paid (9.3) tombstone datestamp and red manuscript 1/-" schilling prepaid rating, carried by Cunard Line Acadia from Liverpool Sep. 4th to Boston arriving Sep. 18th, red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Sep 18" cds and "20¾" rating for 18¾¢ inland plus 2¢ ship fee, Very Fine and scarce "Returned for Postage" transatlantic use.
Estimate; $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

1848-50 Cuba to the United States via Charleston S.C. Small group of 4 covers with different Charleston markings comprising 1848 Cuba to Providence with red "Charleston, 10, Jul 1848 Cuba via Charleston with red "12" handstamp rating, 1850 Cuba to Portland via red "Charleston S.C., 12½, Jun 11" integral-rate large cds; 1849 Cuba to New York via red "Charleston S.C., 12½, Jul 11" integral-rate small cds; 1849 Havana to New York with red Charleston cds and matching "12½" rating handstamp endorsed "per Ysabel Va Charleston", a Very Fine group.
Estimate; $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

(Retaliatory Rates) 1848 (Sep. 5) Rotterdam, Holland to Philadelphia, Pa. Folded letter from endorsed "p. Steamer from Liverpool", blue Rotterdam (9.5) datestamp and manuscript "120" Dutch Cents rating on reverse for single prepaid rate, London "Paid 7 SP 1848" cds and red manuscript "1/8" 1sh8d credit to G.B., carried by Cunard Line Acadia from Liverpool Sep. 9th to Boston arriving Sep. 24th, red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Sep 25" cds and matching red "34" retaliatory due rating for 10¢ inland postage and the 24¢ packet fee, fresh and Very Fine.
Estimate; $200 - 300.

Letter carried on 12th of 25 Cunard voyages westbound to the U.S. under the retaliatory order. The Boston "34" rating handstamp is reported used July 27 to December 16, 1848. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

(1848/1849 Treaty) 1849 (Feb. 14) Paris, France to Monroe, Mich. Cover with "Paris 14 Fevr" origin cds and manuscript "15" décimes prepaid rating on reverse, red London (2.15) and Liverpool (2.16) transits, carried by Cunard Line America from Liverpool Feb. 24th to Boston arriving Mar. 8th, red "Boston Ms. 'Ship' Mar 10" cds with matching "Paid" and "24" rating handstamp, Very Fine, This letter was carried on the first Cunard voyage under the new 1849 convention.
Estimate; $400 - 600.

On February 15, 1849, President James K. Polk signed a proclamation making effect the new United States-Great Britain Postal Convention. The public was not notified until Feb. 24, the date the Cunard steamer "America" departed Liverpool with the first mails from England under the new convention. Adequate instructions were not in place at the U.S. exchange offices of Boston and New York and a variety of errors were made. The new convention allowed mails to and from France to travel in the British open mail through England.

This letter shows that the Boston postal clerks did not know how to treat letters from France under the new convention. This letter was paid only to U.S. port and required postage due in the U.S. Boston, however, marked the letter as fully prepaid. This error in rating is known on mails of this voyage only. Est. $400-600 (Image)

Est. $400-600