The William H. Gross Collection: 1847 and 1851-56 Issues continued...

VERY FINE. A "TRIPLE THREAT" COVER SHOWING USE OF A SHEET-MARGIN PAIR OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE FROM THE FIRST PRINTING (RARE ON OR OFF COVER), PAYING THE 10-CENT OVER-300 MILES RATE ON BRITISH PACKET MAIL TO FRANCE (RARE--ONLY SIX 5-CENT 1847 MULTIPLES ON COVERS TO FRANCE ARE RECORDED BY WALSKE), AND, FINALLY, SENT FROM NEW ORLEANS TO MOBILE AS MARKED "WAY" MAIL. WITHOUT QUESTION, THIS ONE OF THE GREAT 1847 ISSUE TRANSATLANTIC COVERS.

Steven C. Walske, collector and noted authority on U.S.-French mails, published a comprehensive article on 1847 Issue covers to France in Chronicle 234, in which he states that only six covers to France have multiples of the 5c 1847 Issue. The reason for this is that the under-and-over-300 miles domestic rates applied only for a brief time before the uniform 5c British Open Mail rate was applied to British Packet mail to France. Walske writes: "When the U.S. 1847 stamps first came into use, the principal route between the United States and France was by the British-operated Cunard line to England and then by Dover packet and railroads within England and France. The United States had no postal treaties with either England or France, so letters could not be fully prepaid to their destination. Within the United States, inland postage to the departure port was required to be prepaid. Rates on the entire route were governed by the U.S. postal act of 1 July 1845 (5c per half ounce for less than 300 miles, 10c for over 300 miles) and by the France-England postal treaty of 1 June 1843. This treaty set English transit and sea postage of 10 decimes (equivalent to 20c U.S.) per 7.5 grams (0.2646 ounces) to be debited from England to France and indicated by a 'Colonies &c. Art. 13' marking applied in London. French inland rates, also set out in the 1843 treaty, varied according to distance. Thus, a recipient in France would be charged the French inland postage from the Channel port of entry (typically Boulogne during this period) plus the English transit and sea charges."

Signed Ashbrook who notes "A rare way cover". Ex Knapp, Eno, Pope and Boker. With 1985 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF SIX 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE COVERS TO FRANCE RECORDED BY WALSKE -- ONLY TWO SHOW USE OF THE STAMP TO PREPAY THE OVER-300 MILES RATE IN CONJUNCTION WITH BRITISH PACKET SERVICE. AN IMPORTANT TRANSATLANTIC COVER OF THE CLASSIC IMPERFORATE STAMP ERA.

Steven C. Walske, collector and noted authority on U.S.-French mails, published a comprehensive article on 1847 Issue covers to France in Chronicle 234, in which he states that only six covers to France have the 10c 1847 Issue paying postage. One of these is the "Rush" cover with a strip of six, which really stands in a class of its own. Another cover is prepaid 10c, to which 24c was paid in cash for the full 34c postage during the Retaliatory Rate period -- that remarkable cover also falls into a different category. The remaining four covers divide into two prepaid for the over-300 miles rate, which applied to British Packet mail to France until July 1848, and two prepaid for the double 5c British Open Mail rate (they were over the half-ounce limit). Therefore, this cover is one of only two 10c 1847 Issue covers from the first period of British Packet mail to France.

Walske explains this period of U.S.-French mails: "When the U.S. 1847 stamps first came into use, the principal route between the United States and France was by the British-operated Cunard line to England and then by Dover packet and railroads within England and France. The United States had no postal treaties with either England or France, so letters could not be fully prepaid to their destination. Within the United States, inland postage to the departure port was required to be prepaid. Rates on the entire route were governed by the U.S. postal act of 1 July 1845 (5c per half ounce for less than 300 miles, 10c for over 300 miles) and by the France-England postal treaty of 1 June 1843. This treaty set English transit and sea postage of 10 decimes (equivalent to 20c U.S.) per 7.5 grams (0.2646 ounces) to be debited from England to France and indicated by a Colonies &c. Art. 13” marking applied in London. French inland rates, also set out in the 1843 treaty, varied according to distance. Thus, a recipient in France would be charged the French inland postage from the Channel port of entry (typically Boulogne during this period) plus the English transit and sea charges."

Ex Hayes, Haas, Rose, Craveri and Hackmey. With 1970 P.F. certificate (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB 5-CENT 1847 STAMP ON A MAGNIFICENT BLUE-LINED MOURNING ENVELOPE TO PARIS, FRANCE. THIS IS ONE OF TWO PRIVATE SHIP COVERS TO FRANCE WITH THE 1847 ISSUE, ACCORDING TO STEVEN C. WALSKE'S CENSUS.

Steven C. Walske, collector and noted authority on U.S.-French mails, published a comprehensive article on 1847 Issue covers to France in Chronicle 234, in which he states that only two covers are recorded that were carried by private ship to France. Regarding these covers, Walske writes: "Non-contract ships also carried small amounts of mail to France, and private ship rates applied to this type of mail in both the United States and France. In the United States, the 1845 inland rates applied: 5c per half ounce if sent less than 300 miles, and 10c if sent over 300 miles. France assessed a one decime (2c) ship fee plus variable inland rates until July 31, 1849. After that, collections in France were 3 decimes per 7.5 grams to the port of arrival or 6 decimes to other parts of France." The other cover, illustrated in Walske's article, also comes from the Octavius Yates correspondence.

Ex Matthies, Rust and Boker (Image)

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VERY FINE. A VERY COLORFUL BRITISH PACKET COVER TO FRANCE WITH THE 1847 ISSUE. SENT FROM NEW ORLEANS TO MOBILE AS UNMARKED WAY MAIL.

Van Koppersmith refers to these Mobile covers as unmarked way mail (Chronicle 215, pp. 196-198).

Ex Haas and Garrett. With 1983 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN ATTRACTIVE AND SCARCE USE OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE ON COVER TO FRANCE.

This was carried on the Cunarder America, which departed Boston on May 1, 1850, and arrived at Liverpool on May 13.

Ex Rust and Boker. With 1989 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY LATE USE OF THE 1847 ISSUE AT A SMALL LOUISIANA POST OFFICE ON BRITISH PACKET MAIL TO FRANCE. ONLY SIX MULTIPLES OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE ARE RECORDED BY WALSKE ON COVERS TO FRANCE.

The under- and over-300 miles domestic rates applied to U.S. mail to France for about one year, from July 1847 to July 1848. After the Retaliatory Rate conflict, the uniform 5c per half-ounce British Open Mail rate applied to British Packet mail to France, starting in February 1849. For this reason, multiples of the 5c 1847 (or, for that matter, a single 10c 1847) are rare on covers to France. This very late use in May 1851 was rated 15 decimes due in France, therefore, it did not exceed the half-ounce limit. The sender or clerk at the Franklin, Louisiana, post office may have been confused and paid the domestic rate for distance.

Ex Gibson, Rust and Boker. (Image)

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VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED 1847 ISSUE COVER TO ITALY. AN IMPORTANT "DESTINATION" COVER IN OUTSTANDING QUALITY.

Ex Pope and Kapiloff (this was not included in our 1992 sale). (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A RARE 1847 ISSUE COVER TO GERMANY AND CERTAINLY ONE OF THE FINEST EXTANT.

Signed Ashbrook who notes "Excellent shade of 5c." Ex Waterhouse, Krug and Rust. (Image)

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VERY FINE. A RARE USE OF THE 1847 ISSUE TO RHENISH PRUSSIA VIA ENGLAND AND FRANCE.

Coblenz is a historic city and fortress of Germany, capital of the Prussian Rhine Province, 57 miles southeast from Cologne by rail. It is located on the left bank of the Rhine at its confluence with the Mosel, from which its ancient name Confluentes was derived. This cover was carried on the Cunarder Niagara, departing Boston on May 14, arriving in Liverpool on May 25, 1851. It is the only reported use of the 1847 Issue to Coblenz.

Ex Ring, LeBow and Hackmey. With 2005 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE USE OF THE 1847 ISSUE ON A COVER TO BERLIN, PRUSSIA.

Only two covers bearing the 1847 Issue (5c or 10c) are known used to Berlin. The other was an attempted demonetized use where most of the stamp was torn away.

Ex Craveri and Hackmey. With 2000 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS COVER-FRONT IS ONE OF THE FEW EXAMPLES OF THE "U.S. STEAMSHIP/POSTAGE NOT PAID" MARKING EXTANT, AND IT IS THE ONLY USE OF THE MARKING WITH THE 1847 ISSUE.

Richard F. Winter described this unusual New York foreign-mail office marking in an article in Chronicle 136 (pp. 285-286). At the time he was only aware of a few covers to France with this marking. Winter writes: "Taken literally, the 'U.S. STEAMSHIP/POSTAGE NOT PAID' marking would mean that the U.S. inland postage was paid and the sea transit was not paid... Lacking any definitive information on this marking, examination of the few covers seen does not provide any sensible reason for New York's use of the handstamp other than the incorrect rate mentioned above. Since so few of these markings have been reported it may be that the marking was abandoned soon after it was first used because it was ambiguous and confusing."

Ex Boker (Image)

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