1808 (May 27) Halifax N.S. to New York N.Y. Datelined folded letter endorsed "via Boston", carried by private ship, entered mails with indistinct Boston cds and matching "SHIP" handstamp with manuscript "19" cent rating for 150-300 miles plus 2¢ ship fee, Very Fine cross-border use, ex-Dr. Robertson.
Estimate; $500 - 750. Est. $500-750 (Image)

Est. $500-750

1850 (Jul. 8) Boston Mass. to Maitland N.S. Blue datelined folded letter with red "Boston '10cts' 8 Jul" cds and red "Paid" straightline handstamp, carried by ship to St. John, entered mails with "St. John N.B. / Ship Letter" two-line and manuscript "1/1½" cy. rating, reverse with St. John (7.10) cds and Halifax (7.12) arrival oval, Very Fine.
Estimate; $750 - 1,000. Est. $750-1,000 (Image)

Est. $750-1,000

1853 (Feb. 9) Halifax N.S. to New York N.Y. Datelined folded letter with "Halifax, Nova Scotia, FE 9 1853" cds with matching "Nova Scotia." scroll handstamp, endorsed "p. Sir John Harvey" at top, "Boston Mass, Feb 11" cds and matching "Ship" rating handstamp with manuscript "10" cents postage due rating, ex-Young, Clark. Illustrated in Jephcott/Greene/Young.
Estimate; $2,500 - 3,500.

ONE OF ONLY FOUR RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE "NOVA SCOTIA" SCROLL HANDSTAMP.

The four recorded examples of the "Nova Scotia" scroll handstamp covers are from February 1853, this is the only one recorded with the Boston transit cds and "Ship" handstamp. The other three bear a "Steam" rating handstamp. Est. $2,500-3,500 (Image)

Est. $2,500-3,500

1856 (Apr. 20) Boston Mass. to Bridgetown N.S. Blue folded letter carried by private ship to St. John, entered mails with "St. John N.B. / Ship Letter" two-line handstamp with matching "6" pence handstamp, reverse with St. John (5.3), Annapolis (5.5) and Bridgewater (5.6) arrival, Very Fine, ex-Halifax.
Estimate; $750 - 1,000.

The 6d rate for a letter from New Brunswick from or to the United States was valid from July 6th 1851. No ship letter fee was charged. Est. $750-1,000 (Image)

Est. $750-1,000

1855 (c., Oct.) Halifax N.S. to New York N.Y. via St. John N.B. Orange cover endorsed "via Windsor", entered mails with "Colonial Express Mail. St. John. N.B. Oct 13" cds and matching "10" cent due handstamp; some docketing, Very Fine.
Estimate; $750 - 1,000.

In September 1845, the U.S. Post Office Department appointed steamboat letter carriers to handle the mail on the Boston-Portland-Eastport steamer route. In 1853, the U.S. Post Office extended their steamboat letter carrier system to St. John. The Rates of Postage chargeable on letters thus forwarded are the same as by the land route: 6d cy. or 10¢ per ½oz. Prepayment will be optional and may be made by affixing Postage Stamps but no less than the whole postage. It must be borne in mind however that loose letters forwarded cannot be prepaid in money, they must either be prepaid by affixing Postage stamps or be forwarded unpaid. When loose letters, either unpaid or prepaid by stamps, were handed to the steamboat letter carrier, they were struck with Express Mail circular datestamps. As such letters did not go through the Post Office, they did not bear any New Brunswick postmark but only those applied on board the steamers.

The Nova Scotia Post Office Department found that mail sent from Halifax to the United States via the British packet to Boston was costly to the public. Beginning in 1856, the Nova Scotia Post Office gave an annual grant of £100 to Colonel Favor to carry mail from March 1st to December 31st by his express from St. John to Boston via Eastport and Portland (where closed mail to Canada changed to the railway to Montreal). The subsidy to Favor continued until December 31st 1861. Nova Scotia letters to the United States and Canada that were to go by "Steamer "Emperor" and Favor's Express" and later "per Express Steamer Express" were to be marked so and these were made up in special bags by the post office at Windsor, Nova Scotia. Est. $750-1,000 (Image)

Est. $750-1,000

1860 (Dec. 20) Barbados to Nova Scotia via New York. Datelined folded letter carried by private ship John Moody as endorsed to New York, entered mails with United States 1857, 1¢ blue (24) and three 3¢ dull red (26) singles, all tied by two strikes of "New-York, Jan 21" duplex, red "U. States / C" exchange office arc handstamp, carried by coastal steamer to Halifax (Jan. 30th oval backstamp); some aging, Fine, Prepaid at the 10¢ rate value from July 1, 1851.
Estimate; $300 - 400. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

1863 (Nov.) United States to Annapolis N.S. Orange cover entered the mails with "YARMOUTH. N.S. / SHIP LETTER" two-line handstamp and manuscript "7½" for 5¢ postage plus 2½¢ ship letter fee, reverse with Yarmouth (11.16.63) origin and Annapolis (11.19.63) arrival cds, Extremely Fine, ex-Greene (backstamp)., Illustrated in Young.
Estimate; $5,000 - 7,500.

A CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE YARMOUTH SHIP LETTER HANDSTAMP.

Although this cover does not have an enclosure, it almost certainly from the United States. Est. $5,000-7,500 (Image)

Est. $5,000-7,500