1855 (Jan. 8) New York N.Y. to Amsterdam, Netherlands. Gray datelined folded cover with red "New. York, Am. Packet, Jan 10" exchange cds and pencil "21" cents prepayment rating for U.S. inland and American packet postage, sent via, carried as endorsed on Collins Line Atlantic from New York Jan. 10th to Liverpool arriving Jan. 22nd, red London (1.23) transit backstamp and manuscript "4" pence debit to the Netherlands, red Amsterdam (1.25) arrival backstamp and manuscript "40" Dutch cents due; minor internal tear, a fresh and Very Fine British open mail use to Holland, ex-Pullin.
Estimate; $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

1855 (Jan. 10) New York N.Y. to Bruges, Belgium. Datelined folded letter with blue "Paul A. Brez, New York" oval backstamp and endorsed "p Atlantic", partial red "New-York Am. Pkt. Jan 10" exchange cds, carried by Collins Line Atlantic from New York Jan. 10th to Liverpool arriving Jan. 22nd, red London (1.23) transit backstamp and black "U.S. Pkt." straightline, manuscript "4" pence debit, flap with black "Angleterre Par Ambt. Ouest, 24 Janv 1855" cds and framed accounting handstamp with "6" Dutch cents due rating at center, red Bruges arrival backstamp; some aging, F.-V.F. and scarce use.
Estimate; $200 - 300.

London struck "U.S.PK.T." in black to show letter brought to G.B. by American packet. The British portion for up to a ½ ounce letter under the 1849 postal convention between the United Kingdom and Belgium was 4 pence. Ostend clerk struck the black accounting boxed handstamp, but did not fill in the values. 6 decimes postage was marked for 4 decimes was owed to the British and 2 decimes Belgium internal postage for a ¼ ounce letter. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

1855 (Mar. 12) Bridgehampton, N.Y. to Berlin, Prussia. Cover with "Bridgehampton N.Y. Mar 12" cds and manuscript "Paid 24" rating, red "New-York Am. Packet. Mat 21" exchange cds, carried by Collins Line Nashville from New York Mar. 21st to Liverpool arriving Apr. 3rd, London (4.4) backstamp with "U.S. Pkt." and "3/Cents" debit h.s., Aachen (4.5) backstamp and blue manuscript "7" sgr. due rating, Berlin (4.7) arrival backstamp, Very Fine, This is the only westbound voyage of the "Nashville" for the Collins Line, which was chartered for one round voyage to replace the Pacific., ex-Winter.
Estimate; $500 - 750.

The 24¢ prepayment (regular British rate) was insufficient for a letter to Germany. New York sent letter at British Open Mail by American packet rate (3¢ overpayment of 21¢ rate) which paid letter only to G.B. London marked U.S. PKT handstamp to show source of letter and sent it to Berlin unpaid under Anglo-Prussian Convention of 1852. Est. $500-750 (Image)

Est. $500-750

1855 (Mar. 23) Newark N.J. to Krientz, Switzerland. Blue folded letter with bold strike of red "Newark, Paid, Mar 23" cds and matching "22" cent rating handstamp, clear strike of red "New.York Am. Packet, Mar 24" exchange cds, red Paris (4.10) transit cds, reverse with Basel (4.11) and Luzern (4.12) backstamps, red crayon due rating; small stain, F.-V.F.
Estimate; $150 - 200. Est. $150-200 (Image)

Est. $150-200

1855 (May 19) Westland Mo. to Copenhagen, Denmark missent to San Francisco. Buff cover with manuscript "Westland Mo May 19th 55" postmark and mataching "Paid 6" rating, "San Francisco Cal. 16 Jul" cds and matching "DUE 4" and "MISSENT" handstamps, "N.York Br. Pkt. '23' Aug 14" debit exchange cds, carried by Cunard Line Asia from Boston Aug. 15th to Liverpool arriving Aug. 25th, red Aachen (8.28) transit backstamp and blue manuscript "13" debit rating, K.D.O.P.A. Hamburg (8.29) backstamp, red crayon "17½" and "65" final due rating; blue ms. spot, Fine and unusual San Francisco missent use.
Estimate; $300 - 400.

San Francisco apparently marked the cover 4¢ due for the diffence between the prepaid 6¢ postage and the 10¢ transcontinental rate. The New York exchange office sent it as an unpaid letter in Prussian closed mail to Aachen, then to Hamburg where it was turned over to the Danish post office in Hamburg. Prussia debited Hamburg 13 silbergroschen due Prussia. Hamburg converted this debit to 17½ Lubeck schillinge, which was equivalent to 56 sk. To this was added 9 sk. for transit from Hamburg to Denmark for total postage due of 56 sk. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

1855 (May 28) Baltimore Md. to London, England. Orange cover with blue "Baltimore Md. May 15" cds and red "PAID" and small "24" rating handstamp, endorsed "pr Atlantic via New York" at top left, New York pencil "24" and red "3" credit handstamp, carried as endorsed by Collins Atlantic from New York May 16th to Liverpool arriving May 28th, red London Paid (5.28.1855) arrival cds, Very Fine and scarce use.
Estimate; $150 - 200. Est. $150-200 (Image)

Est. $150-200

1855 (Jul. 16) Calmar, Sweden to Austin, Texas. Cover with "Calmar 16/7 1855" origin cds, manuscript "via Prussen & Osdtende" endorsement, Ystad (7.18) backstamp, red Aachen (7.23) transit cds and framed "Aus Schweden / per Siraland" handstamp, blue ms. "10" on reverse, manuscript "34" rating and additional "2" for double weight, carried by Collins Line Baltic from Liverpool Jul. 28th to New York arriving Aug. 8th, black "New-York Am. Pkt. Aug 8" exchange cds and matching "84" cent due rating for double the 42¢ Prussian Closed Mail rate, Very Fine and rare 84¢ double rate letter from Sweden by Prussian Closed Mail, ex-Hahn.
Estimate; $300 - 400.

Kalmar in 1397 was site of Scandinavian Unity Treaty. Ystad was a Swedish seaport near Malmo. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

1856 (Mar. 21) Brooklyn N.Y. to Berlin, Prussia. Orange buff cover with "Brooklyn. N-Y. Mar 21" cds with manuscript "15" rating, endorsed "per Steamer Hermann Bremen", black "N. York U.S. Pkt. '9' Mar 22" debit exchange cds, carried as endorsed by Ocean Line Hermann from New York Mar. 22nd to Bremenhaven arriving Apr. 9th, red "4½ /2 Sgr. America uber Bremen" handstamp, Prussian "6½" sgr. due rating, Berlin arrival backstamp; original enclosed letter accompanies, Very Fine.
Estimate; $150 - 200.

Red orange 4½/2 Sgr. due handstamp was applied at the Hannover office in Bremen, showed that 4½ silbergroschen was due for the international fee and 2½ silbergroschen for the transit fee to Berlin. The total, blue "6½"sgr., was collected at destination. Est. $150-200 (Image)

Est. $150-200

1856 (May 21) Morrisville Pa. to Funchal, Madeira Islands. Cover with letter from Clymer correspondence, "Morrisville Pa. May 22" cds with manuscript "Paid 65 cts" rating, red "New York Am. Pkt. May 24" exchange cds and red manuscript "44" cents credit to G.B., carried by Collins Line Atlantic from New York May 24th to Liverpool arriving Jun. 4th, red London Paid (6.5) transit, Portuguese blue "160" reis due handstamp; thick 10-page contents, ex-Winter.
Estimate; $400 - 600.

Surgeon George Clymer, U.S.S. "Jamestown", noted on the reverse that the 10-page letter, dated 21 & 22 May 1856 from his wife was received on his ship at Funchal at "9½ A.M. Monday June 16th, Per the Avon from Southampton." Letter carried to Funchal on the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. steamship "Avon" en route to the Caribbean from Southampton. Portuguese marked 160 reis postage due. Est. $400-600 (Image)

Est. $400-600

1856 (Jun. 2) Funchal, Madeira Islands to Washington D.C. Cover from Clymer correspondence with June 2nd enclosure, Madeira (6.2) origin and London (6.9) backstamps, manuscript "44" single rate updated to "88" double rate, carried by Collins Line Atlantic from Liverpool Jun. 11th to New York arriving Jun. 22, "New-York Jun 23 Am. Pkt." exchange cds with "1.30" due rating, Very Fine and scarce origin, ex-Winter.
Estimate; $200 - 300.

Letter was carried from Funchal to Southampton on the Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. steamship "Tamar" returning from the Caribbean to England. New York added 2 x 21¢ = 42¢ U.S. share to the 88¢ and marked $1.30 postage due. Envelope contained an 18-page letter from Surgeon George Clymer, U.S.S. "Jamestown", flagship of the African Squadron, to his wife care of Commodore Shubrick in Washington, D.C. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

1856 (Jul. 24) Madeira to Washington D.C. Double-weight light buff cover with enclosed letter from Dr. George Clymer, surgeon on the U.S. Frigate St. Lawrence datelined "San Antonio da Serra. Madeira, July 13th. 1856." to his daughter sent unpaid via British open mail, entered mails with "Madeira, JY 23, 1856" double-arc backstamp, carried as endorsed by African Steamship Co. Niger from Funchal Jul. 23rd to Plymouth arriving Jul. 29th, reverse with "Plymouth, Packet Letter, JY 30, 1856" cds and red London (7.31) transit cds, London manuscript "1.20" debit to U.S. for transit and sea postage, carried by Cunard Line Canada from Liverpool Aug. 2nd to Boston arriving Aug. 13th, "Boston, Br. Pkt., 13 Aug" exchange cds and debit update to "1.40" for $1.40 due, Very Fine and scarce double rate from Madeira.
Estimate; $400 - 600.

London's debit of $1.20 to the U.S. was correct (double 65¢ rate, less 10 cents for U.S. inland). The Boston clerk may have thought it was a ship letter, so added 10¢. Est. $400-600 (Image)

Est. $400-600

1856 (Oct. 7) Geneva, Switzerland to New York N.Y. Blue folded letter with "Geneve, 7 Oct 56" cds and bearing Switzerland 1854-55 20r pale orange (23) and 1855-57 40r yellow green (29), margins to slightly in, tied by lozenge cancels for the 60r rate by American steamer from G.B., black "PD" circle handstamp, blue "P. Reynaud & Cie., Bijouterie Horlogerie, Geneve" merchant oval at top right, red "Suisse, Fernex, 9 Oct. 56" exchange cds, red "Bureau Maritime, Le Havre, 10 Oct 56" transit backstamp, carried by Collins Line Atlantic from Liverpool Oct. 15th New York to New York arriving Oct. 28th, New York black "6" due handstamp (Winter 284), a Very Fine use.
Estimate; $300 - 400. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400