transatlantic post continued...

1854, WASHINGTON: Folded letter from Havana, Cuba to Madrid, carried per "Black Warrior" to New York. Forwarder Gudewill & Mohr prepaid 73 cents, the expensive rate via Southampton to Spain. New York Exchange Office applied a 52-cent credit to the UK in manuscript. Departure 4th November to Southampton on the 19th after the Peninsula packet had sailed, so sent to Madrid by French railways, Spain struck 20 reales due for Spanish inland. Only a couple of examples known of this rate

1855, ARAGO: Maiden Return Voyage, with "42" kr. cm pre-paid folded letter from Venice with matching boxed "VENECZIA 24" endorsed "pr First Steamer from Liverpool" with TPO mark "COBLENZ. 28 6 COELN" via "AACHEN 29 6" with red boxed "Paid 25 cents" applied, upon arrival red integral cds. "NEW YORK Am. Pkt. 30 PAID JUL 16" applied, fine

1855, ATLANTIC: Franklin 1c. blue and horizontal pair Washington 10c. green tied by grid to folded letter with adjacent cds. "NEW ORLEANS OCT 21" via "NEW YORK OCT 31" to Marseille, upon arrival first charged with "8" decimes, this corrected to "16" for a double letter, 1c. touched, otherwise fine

1855, BALTIC: Victoria 6d. orange tied by numeral "1" to part-paid folded letter endorsed "p. Kent via London" to Richmond, via London and Liverpool where put on the "BALTIC" arriving in New York with black integral cds. "N YORK. Am. Pkt. 21 DEC 13" applied, adhesives faults, otherwise fine

1855, NASHVILLE: Maiden and only voyage for Collins, folded lettersheet from "PHILADELPHIA MAR 20" with adjacent "PAID 21" to Cognac, upon arrival charged with "8" decimes, fine and interesting entire, the "Nashville" was chartered for one round voyage to replace "Pacific" which was unable to make the voyage

1855, PACIFIC: Small Envelope from "DOYLESTOWN DEC 29" to Brussels, Belgium, overpaid 25 cents as Belgium was not available as fully pre-paid destination, upon arrival in London red "U.S. Pkt" struck and manuscript "4"d. debit to Belgium applied, in Brussels boxed "DEBOURS ETRANGERS..." applied and total of "6" decimes applied in manuscript, attractive entire of the last voyage before being lost at sea

1855, WASHINGTON: Folded letter written "Bristol Channel The Tonquin" to Bath Maine. Posted unpaid via London with "3 CENTS" debit marking, then to Liverpool for "CANADA", post office wrongly decided that "Washington" would be quicker, she sailed from Southampton 7th November and arrived in New York 27th, 3 days after arrival of "Canada" with "24" cents due applied in Maine

1856, BALTIC: Victoria 1d. red tied by illegible numeral to printed circular to Baltimore, upon arrival "2" cents due applied, under the 1848 Convention there was no accounting for the ocean postage. Each country kept its own inland charge, adhesives small tear, otherwise fine

1856, ERICSSON: Folded letter from "SAN FRANCISCO 5 MAR 26 PAID" endorsed "Via Panama and New York" to Cognac, upon arrival in Calais charged with "16" decimes as double letter, fine entire, this steamer was on long term charter by Collins Line in an attempt to maintain the contracted bi-weekly sailings

1856, FULTON: Maiden Voyage, 1851 Franklin 1c. blue, horizontal pair, tied by cds. "NEW ORLEANS FEB 3" to printed matter to Augsburg, Bavaria. Upon arrival charged with "7" kreuzer, stamps cut into, slightly toned, otherwise fine and scarce entire

1856, FULTON: Maiden Return Voyage, buff envelope from St. Petersburg endorsed "pr. Prussian closed mail via Liverpool" to New York, in Aachen red "AACHEN PAID 23" applied, in New York red integral cds. "NEW YORK AM. PKT 30 MAR 29" struck, light edgewear, otherwise fine

1856, QUAKER CITY: Maiden and only voyage for Collins, buff envelope from "BALTIMORE FEB 14" to Yorkshire, prepaid with "24" cents noted in manuscript and handstamp applied, upon arrival "AMERICA PAID LIVERPOOL" applied, some edge wear, "Quaker City" was chartered for one round voyage only after the loss of "Pacific"

1857, ADRIATIC: Maiden and only voyage for Collins, unpaid folded letter from "NEW ORLEANS NOV 12 1857" via New York with integral cds. "NEW YORK 9 NOV 21" and Calais with "ET. UNIS SERV. AM.A.G. 5 DEC 57 J" (Salles 1777) struck alongside to Amsterdam, upon arrival charged with "60" dutch cents, fine

1857, ALPS:  Victoria 2d. blue and 6d. mauve tied by duplex-numeral "LIVERPOOL 466" to folded letter endorsed "per Alps" to New York, upon arrival black integral cds. "BOSTON MAR 20 5" applied, scarce and attractive entire conveyed with the only one-way voyage from this ship which had been chartered from Cunard

1857, ATLANTIC: Last eastbound voyage of the "Atlantic" and penultimate of the Collins line, unpaid double-weight folded letter from "NEW ORLEANS NOV 28" with handstamp "30" struck alongside, via New York to Havre, where it was charged "16" decimes, fine

1857, COLUMBIA: Maiden Voyage for Collins (first of two voyages only, repairs to "Baltic" took 6 months so "Columbia" was chartered) Unpaid envelope from "LOUISVILLE JUN 3 1857" endorsed "Prussian Closed Mail" to Stuttgart, charged with "30" cents and upon arrival "45" kreuzer, fine

1857, HERMANN: Last voyage, Napoleon 80c. horizontal strip of four tied by dotted numeral "1896" with adjacent cds. "MARSEILLE 12 JUN 57" to envelope to New York, sent via Calais to Southampton, upon arrival red "NEW YORK PAID JUN 30" struck, adhesives touched and one stamp small paper fault, still an attractive item of the last voyage and penultimate voyage of this line

1858, NORTHERN LIGHT: Maiden Return Voyage, Victoria 1sh. green tied by numeral "230" to folded letter to New York, credit handstamp "21" and further red "PAID" alongside, adhesive with straight margin at left, fine and attractive entire

1858, NORTH STAR: Victoria 1d. red and 2p. blue, horizontal and vertical pair, tied by duplex "LONDON E.C. SP 23 58" to envelope to Buffalo City, the letter was treated as an unpaid packet letter, the franking was ignored thus "INSUFFICIENTLY STAMPED" and "3 CENTS" as a debit struck alongside, upon arrival black integral cds. "NEW YORK AM. PKT. 24 OCT 14" struck, scarce and attractive entire of the last voyage of the "North Star"

1858, VANDERBILT: 1854 Victoria 1sh. blue with two singles 1d. green tied by numeral "1" to folded letter to Boston, endorsed "EUROPEAN", per "EUROPAPEAN" and "TEVIOT" to Southampton, from there to New York, manuscript credit of "8"d restatet as "16" cents alongside, adhesives some faults, otherwise fine