1822 (Apr. 4) Philadelphia Pa. to Schiedam, Holland via Hamburg. Folded letter carried by private ship to Hamburg, endorsed "per Ship Recovery" at bottom left, entered mails with "Hamburg" straightline across back flaps and "Hamburg Post Office for America" oval handstamp (der Linden 2251) showing castle, red crayon "4" rating adjacent, Very Fine and rare Hamburg marking.
Estimate; $500 - 750.

The Hamburg Castle oval is a state postal marking, quite unusual with writing in English. We only have seen recorded four examples of this marking on mail from or to the United States. Est. $500-750 (Image)

Est. $500-750

1829 (Oct. 13) Manila, Philippines to Boston Mass. via Salem. Folded letter datelined "Manilla Oct 13. 1829", endorsed per "Mandarin" at bottom left, entered mails with Salem Ms., Mar" cds and matching "Ship" handstamp with manuscript "8" due rating for 6¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee, Very Fine and rare.
Estimate; $750 - 1,000.

AN EXCEPTIONALLY EARLY INCOMING USE FROM THE PHILIPPINES TO THE UNITED STATES. Est. $750-1,000 (Image)

Est. $750-1,000

1836 (Oct. 31) Canton, China to Boston Mass. Gray datelined folded letter carried by private ship to the United States, entered mails with perfect strike of Boston fancy red "Ship 6" scroll due handstamp, docketed as received Apr. 1st 1837, contents concern detailed business accounting of items being shipped to Batavia and elsewhere, five months in transit, Extremely Fine.
Estimate; $2,000 - 3,000.

A PRISTINE GEM USE FROM CHINA WITH THE BOSTON FANCY "SHIP 6" SCROLL DUE HANDSTAMP. Est. $2,000-3,000 (Image)

Est. $2,000-3,000

1844 (Aug.) New York N.Y. to Tours, France. Folded letter with 'The Sun' Newspaper and Foreign Letter Office, New-York. United States seven-line black on orange label, red "Outermer, Le Havre, 13 Sept 44" cds, manuscript "7" decimes due rating, Tours (9.15) arrival backstamp, forwarded to Paris, Very Fine and rare forwarder's label, with 2017 P.F. certificate.
Estimate; $1,000 - 1,500. Est. $1,000-1,500 (Image)

Est. $1,000-1,500

1848 (Sep. 13) Vera Cruz, Mexico to New York N.Y. Datelined folded letter with bold "Paid at Vera-Cruz" (S.G. CC2 £2,000) crowned circle with red manuscript "1/-" 1s prepaid rating, "Vera Cruz, 1849, SP 15" double-arc datestamp on front and reverse, Vera Cruz (9.15) transit backstamp, carried as endorsed by RMSP Line Severn from Vera Cruz Sep. 16th to Mobile arriving Sep. 20th, blue "Mobile Ala., Sep 21" with matching circle "Ship" and "10" rating handstamp, Very Fine and choice.
Estimate; $1,000 - 1,500.

A RARE USE FROM VERA CRUZ TO THE UNITED STATES BY THE ROYAL MAIL PACKET VIA MOBILE. Est. $1,000-1,500 (Image)

Est. $1,000-1,500

1851 (Mar. 6) Edinburgh, Scotland to New York, N.Y. Light strike of blue "Dalkeith, Mar 5" framed postmark on Ocean Penny Postage illustrated propaganda design envelope, State 5a, J. Valentine imprint at right, Ackerman and Johnstone imprints at bottom, red Edinburgh "Paid, Mar 6, 1851" transit cds and red manuscript "1/" prepaid one shilling rating, blue and black Liverpool (3.7) backstamps, small red "21 / Cents" credit handstamp, carried by Collins Line Arctic from Liverpool Mar. 8th to New York arriving Mar. 23rd, partial red "Am. Packet, Paid 24, Mar 23" exchange cds (Winter 30); some edge wear and tears, Very Fine.
Estimate; $2,000 - 3,000.

AN OUTSTANDING OCEAN PENNY POSTAGE PROPAGANDA USED TRANSATLANTIC TO THE UNITED STATES. Est. $2,000-3,000 (Image)

Est. $2,000-3,000

1851 (Aug. 24) Edinburgh, Scotland to New York, N.Y. Light strike of blue "Dalkeith, Au 24" framed postmark and manuscript "paid 1/" rating at top right on Universal Brotherhood illustrated propaganda design envelope, State 1, Johnston & Hunter imprint at left, J. Valentine imprint at bottom, red Edinburgh "Paid, Au 24, 1851" transit cds and red manuscript "1/" prepaid one shilling rating at left, red London "Paid" (8.25) transit cds and matching large red "21 / Cents" credit handstamp, carried by Havre Line from Southampton Aug. 28th to New York arriving Sep. 8th, red "Am. Packet, Paid 24, Sep 8" exchange arrival cds (Winter 30); some edge wear, Very Fine.
Estimate; $2,000 - 3,000.

AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD PROPAGANDA ENVELOPE USED TRANSATLANTIC TO THE UNITED STATES.

The ribbon has the ideals of the League: "Arbitration for War, Universal Brotherhood, and Freedom of Commerce". The first printing of State 1 has the wording ARBITRATION spelled in error, and was correctly in further states. Est. $2,000-3,000 (Image)

Est. $2,000-3,000

1912, R.M.S. Titanic U.S. Mail Facing Slip. Printed form reading "San Francisco (D) Cal. From Sea Post '2' Letters" with "O.S. Woody" and "Titanic" straightlines, matching "Transatlantic Post Office, AP 10 12" cds; faint staining from contact with sea water, Very Fine.
Estimate; $5,000 - 7,500.

AN OUTSTANDING POSTAL RELIC FROM THE FAMED R.M.S. TITANIC.

Facing slips were commonly used by postal clerks for sorting the mails in order to identify a particular packet of mail according to its city of destination and/or mode of transportation. Oscar Scott Woody, mail clerk on the Titanic, prepared a quantity of facing slips in advance of sorting the mails. Each bears the "Transatlantic Post Office 7" cds dated on April 10th 1912, the day the Titanic sailed from Southampton, plus handstamps with the ship's name and postal clerk O.S. Woody's name to show that he had been responsible for sorting that particular bundle. On the night of April 15th 1912 when the Titanic was sinking, Woody had a quantity of these facing slips, as well as his letter of assignment, in his breast pocket when he disembarked the Titanic into the freezing waters with only a cork life preserver. Remarkably, these paper items survived significant damage because the life jackets kept most of the upper body above water. Est. $5,000-7,500 (Image)

Est. $5,000-7,500