United States Stamps continued...

Group of four covers franked with 1851–61 Issue stamps sent to Canada, consisting of two covers and two folded letters including (35) 10¢ Type V tied by “Sylvania, O.” CDS on cover to Canada with bold red “U.S. Paid. 10” handstamp at upper right, multiple Canadian transit and receiving backstamps; (33) 10¢ Type III Relief B tied by “Albion, Mich. Jan 17 (1859)” circular datestamp on cover to Georgetown, Canada West, with red “United States 6d” and matching “Paid” in circle markings, along with transit and Georgetown receiving backstamps; 1856 folded letter to Nova Scotia franked with (9/11) 1¢ and 3¢ stamps tied by black Boston “Paid” in grid cancels, with red Boston CDS, black Boston British Packet CDS, and black Canadian receiving backstamp, file fold affects the left 1¢ stamp; and folded letter to Canada franked with (7/11A) 1¢ and 3¢ strip of three tied by black “New York Apr 17” circular datestamp cancels, with light red Canadian markings on face and backstamp, file fold affects the strip. A fine and appealing group illustrating various rates and exchange markings used on U.S.–Canada mail during the 1851-61 period.

Group of three covers franked with 1851-61 10c Issue stamps illustrating transcontinental postal uses between California and the East during the 1850s. The first cover bearing a (35) 10c Type V with guideline at left originated in New York and was addressed to San Francisco, California, endorsed “Via Panama” with a New York Ocean Mail CDS tying the stamp. The other two covers were sent eastward from California, first one bearing a (32) 10c Type II with guideline at left used by pen cancel on turned cover showing a neat strike of the red "Strawberry Valley, Cal." CDS with manuscript "Dec 16" in center (2007 APEX cert) and the other franked by (35) 10c Type V stamp on cover with "Per Overland Mail via Los Angeles" printed endorsement at tope left, bearing a June 24 California town cancel and addressed to New Haven, CT. An attractive trio of covers representing different routes in operation for coast-to-coast communication prior to the completion of the transcontinental railroad, faults and general wear but overall fine.

A nice group of five cross-border covers from the United States to Canada, each franked with a 1851-61 10¢ Issue stamp, representing a diverse array of postal markings, destinations, and plating characteristics. The first, a Boston to Montreal cover, bears an (14) imperforate Type II from position 5R1 tied by "PAID" in grid cancel, and features the distinctive early period red oval “United States” exchange marking used by the Boston Exchange Office. The second cover, sent by the same sender to the same recipient, is dated 1861 right before the stamps were demonetized and franked with a perforated (35) 10¢ Type V, showing the later Boston “United States” marking with dotted inner line. A third cover from Fulton, New York to Clark’s Hill, Canada West, bears a (32) perforated Type II tied by town cancel, with a bold red straight-line “U. States” exchange marking. The fourth cover, from Auburn, Maine to Queens County, Nova Scotia, is franked with a (35) 10¢ Type V showing a vertical guideline at right, and struck with a red arc-style “United States” marking. The fifth cover, sent to Charlotte County, New Brunswick in 1860, bears a (35) 10¢ Type V showing part of the Toppan, Carpenter imprint at left margin, also with a red arc “United States” exchange marking. Small faults here and there, but overall fine-v.f. group illustrating the rich complexity of pre-Confederation cross-border postal communication.

Interesting group of seven 1851–61 Issue covers to Europe, six to France and one to Switzerland, each bearing a U.S. stamp combination used to prepay or partially prepay transatlantic postage. The group includes: 1) 1859 cover to Switzerland franked with (9) 1¢ Type V, (14) 10¢ Washington Type II and a perforated (33) Type III, interesting imperf-perforated mixed franking sent via Britain; 2) 1856 folded letter from New Orleans to Paris, with pair of (9) 1¢ Type IV & (11) 3¢ Type I single; 3) 1855 folded cover from New Orleans to France with (9) 1¢ Type IV and pair of 10¢ Type III, red New York exchange marking; 4) 1860 folded letter from New Orleans to France, franked with (35) 10¢ Type V and (29) 5¢ Jefferson Type I, with boxed "P.D." and clear “Et. Unis Serv. Br. A.C.” receiving handstamp; 5) 1859 folded letter to France bearing (36) 12¢ Plate 1 and (26) 3¢ Type III, tied by Gavelston, Texas cds, with red boxed "PD"; 6) 1856 cover with a horizontal pair of (15) 10¢ Type III & (7) 1¢ Type II single, tied by New Orleans cds cancels sent to France via New York; and 7) 1860 cover with original contents sent from New York to Paris then forwarded within France franked with (26) 3¢ Type III and (36) 12¢ Plate 1, French transit and boxed "PD" markings.

Faults here and there to be expected but overall a fine and appealing assemblage of transatlantic covers ideal for someone interested to begin a new areas of study encompassing the wonderful world of 1850s-1860s U.S.-Europe postal history.