The Harvey Mirsky Collection of the United States 1847 Issue continued...

AN EXTRAORDINARY POSTAL HISTORY ARTIFACT WITH A COMBINATION OF THE 5-CENT AND 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE PAYING PART OF THE POSTAGE FOR LETTERS ADDRESSED TO CREW MEMBERS ON BOARD THE CLIPPER SHIP SAMUEL RUSSELL, WHICH WAS ENGAGED IN THE CHINA TRADE.

The Samuel Russell was a 957-ton clipper ship built for the China Trade in 1847 by Brown & Bell of New York City. The ship was built for A. A. Low & Brother, to whom this package wrapper (front) is addressed. In 1849 the firm erected the A. A. Low building at 167-171 John Street, now part of the historic South Street Seaport historic area in lower Manhattan. A. A. Low launched his own fleet of clippers, among which were the Houqua, the first streamlined ship, named after his Chinese business partner who had died in 1843, and the Samuel Russell, named after the founder of the mercantile company for which Low had worked as a clerk.

The following information is summarized from http://www.bruzelius.info/Nautica/Ships/Clippers/Samuel_Russell%281847%29.html: In 1847 Captain N. B. Palmer, who supervised the building of the new ship, was given command. On Sep. 14, 1847, the Samuel Russell sailed from New York to Hong Kong in 114 days. In 1848 she sailed from Whampoa (China) to New York in 83 days. Also in 1848 Captain Theodore D. Palmer replaced his brother as master of the ship. From Jan. 15 to May 6, 1850, she sailed from New York to San Francisco in 109 days. On Oct. 29, 1850, she sailed from Whampoa to New York in 89 days.

There is no year date present to match with the May 31 postmark date or to correlate with the known voyage dates. The triple-rate franking and "Unpaid 5" notation could be interpreted as evidence it was mailed in May 1849, shortly after the triple rate for the 1 to 1-1/2 ounce weight class had been eliminated. The new rate progression was ordered on March 15, 1849, to bring the domestic rate progression in line with the U.S.-Great Britain postal treaty, but it took some time for the regulation to become widely known. The 15c postage in stamps plus the "unpaid 5c" postage due adds up to 20c, the correct postage for a letter weighing 1 to 2 ounces sent under 300 miles. If the postage due was 15c (as indicated by the "15" marking) then the total of 30c corresponds to the 2-3 ounce weight class.

The sender's notation on this address panel (front only) indicates that it contained more than one letter intended for crew members. The 1847 Postal Regulations stated that "letters addressed to different persons, enclosed in the same envelope or packet, cannot be sent through the mails, under penalty of ten dollars, unless addressed to foreign countries." Since the letters contained in this package were apparently intended to be sent to a vessel in a foreign port, the sender seems to have avoided breaking the law.

Ex Stollnitz. (Image)

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VERY FINE FRONT. THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE 1847 ISSUE ON MAIL TO CHILE OR, IN FACT, CARRIED TO ANY DESTINATION UNDER THE MARCH 1844 POSTAL CONVENTION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE REPUBLIC OF NEW GRANADA.

The Postal Convention between the U.S. and the Republic of New Granada (then consisting primarily of Colombia and Panama) was signed on March 6, 1844, and went into effect on December 20, 1844. It provided for the transportation of mail bags off-loaded by U.S. naval vessels across the Isthmus of Panama. Individual letters would be rated with the normal rates of postage.

This is the only example of mail carried under the Treaty of New Granada bearing an 1847 stamp. The 5c stamp paid the postage from Philadelphia to Washington D.C. The letter (now reduced to a front) was then placed in a sealed bag and sent to Chagres on board a U.S. Navy vessel. The mail bag was transported across the Isthmus of Panama, then carried down the west coast of South America by the (British) Pacific Steam Navigation Company to Valparaiso (Chile), and finally inland to Santaigo. It was rated with Chilean postage due at Valparaiso.

This piece of mail is addressed to a midshipman under the command of Lieutenant James Melville Gilliss (1811-1865), who led the U.S. Naval Astronomical Expedition to the Southern Hemisphere from 1849 to 1852. The main purpose of the Gilliss expedition was to measure the distance of the earth from the sun by observing the motions of the planet Venus simultaneously from the Southern and Northern Hemispheres. Although Gilliss completed his observations in Chile, the complementary ones were neglected in the United States, and so the main scientific purpose was not achieved (http://www.enotes.com/exploration-discovery-reference/exploration-discovery).

Ex Rohloff, Kapiloff and Sevenoaks. Illustrated in the Alexander census on page 908. With 1998 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A SCARCE USE OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE ON A COVER TO ENGLAND, SENT DURING THE FIRST MONTH OF USE OF THE 1847 ISSUE.

With 1999 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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VERY FINE. A RARE USE OF THE 5-CENT 1847 ISSUE ON A COVER TO HOLLAND, WITH THE "ENGELAND OVER ROTTERDAM" MARKING.

It is very unusual for covers to Holland via England to be marked with any type of auxiliary marking, such as this "Engeland over Rotterdam" handstamp. This cover is also the second earliest reported use to Holland. Only two covers are known used to any destination in Holland outside of Amsterdam or Rotterdam -- this cover and one to Kampen.

Ex Mason, Gore, Moody and Kapiloff. With1999 P.F. certificate (Image)

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FINE. A REMARKABLE AND RARE RETALIATORY RATE COVER FROM BOSTON TO NOVA SCOTIA VIA NEW YORK. ONLY TEN RETALIATORY RATE COVERS BEARING U.S. STAMPS ARE RECORDED, AND THIS IS ONE OF ONLY TWO TO BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MIRSKY COLLECTION.

The full history of the Retaliatory Rate period is told in our catalogue for the famous Rush cover, available at http://www.siegelauctions.com/2006/912/912.pdf . The so-called Retaliatory Period resulted from Great Britain's effort to maintain its monopoly on transatlantic mail carriage through the subsidized Cunard steamship line, which operated without competition from 1840 through 1846. In response to the emergence of subsidized American packets in 1847 (the Ocean Line), the British issued an order (effective June 9, 1847) authorizing its receiving offices to collect the usual British packet postage on letters carried to England by American subsidized steamers. This effectively allowed England to collect 24c packet charges for every inbound letter, whether or not any service had been performed.

The United States vehemently protested the British order through diplomatic channels, but efforts to persuade the government to rescind the anti-American postal tariff were unsuccessful. In December 1847, U.S. Postmaster General Cave Johnson petitioned Congress for power to levy like charges on mail carried by British steamers to or from the United States, but he was not authorized to do so until June 1848. On all Cunard sailings from June 24, 1848 (the Caledonia from Liverpool) through December 31, 1848 (the Europa arriving at New York), American packet postage was required on all inbound and outbound mail to England whether or not one of the American vessels was used, creating the so-called Retaliatory Rate. Beginning with the departure of the Europa from New York on January 10, 1849, earlier rates were restored, and soon after the new U.S.-British treaty rate was effected.

This cover to Nova Scotia reflects the dispute between Great Britain and the United States. The 10c strip of three pays the 5c rate for internal U.S. postage from Boston to New York, plus a 1c overpayment of the 24c Retaliatory Rate. The letter was carried aboard the Cunarder America, which departed New York on August 16 and stopped at Halifax on its way to Liverpool. The 1sh 8p due from recipient represents the one-shilling charge for British packet postage, plus 8 pence for internal postage for distance of 101 to 200 miles for delivery to Pictou (9 pence in local currency).

Ex Pope and Dr. Robertson. With 1985 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE USE OF THE 1847 ISSUE ON MAIL CARRIED BY PRIVATE VESSEL DURING THE RETALIATORY RATE PERIOD. ONLY SIX SUCH USES ARE RECORDED.

Please refer to the previous description for an explanation of the Retaliatory Period. The 10c postage paid the over-300 miles rate from Batavia N.Y. to port of departure. Since the Retaliatory Rate (24c) was not paid, the post office presumably made the decision to place this letter on board a private vessel bound for Great Britain. The 8 pence due was the standard rate for the combined British ship letter fee and inland postage.

Ex Hart (Image)

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FINE APPEARANCE. AN IMPRESSIVE FRANKING AND A RARE USE OF THE 1847 ISSUE TO FULLY PREPAY THE 24-CENT TREATY RATE TO ENGLAND.

Most 1847 Issue frankings on covers to foreign destinations pay the domestic postage from origin to port of departure. The ship fee and overseas postage from port of arrival to destination were typically paid by the recipient. This cover was carried aboard the Cunarder Europa, which departed New York on April 17, 1850, and arrived in Liverpool on April 29. The five 5c 1847 stamps fully prepay the rate to destination (1c overpayment of 24c treaty rate). Only five or six such covers are known.

Illustrated in the Alexander book (page 916). Ex Waterhouse, Rust and Kapiloff. With 1992 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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