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The Steven Walske Collection of United States-France Transatlantic Mail continued...

Civil War Period Mail
Lot Sym. Lot Description  
560 c ImageFrance, 1860, 80c Rose on Pinkish (20; Yvert 17B). Three, tied by diamond of grids cancels on Jan. 5, 1861 cover from Marseilles, France, addressed to "Honorable Mr. Lincoln, Elected U.S. President", crayon "27" credit to U.S., carried on New York & Havre Line steamer Arago, red "New York Paid 15 Jan. 23" circular datestamp and "Am. Service" octagonal handstamp (ties left stamp), Washington D.C. Jan. 24 arrival datestamp, "Forwarded" straightline and sent with a "For 3" due notation to Springfield Ill., subject docketing at left by John Hay refers to construction of a frigate, missing backflap and some minor edge tears

VERY FINE APPEARING TRIPLE-RATE COVER FROM FRANCE TO PRESIDENT-ELECT ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

Lincoln was elected on Nov. 6, 1860, and left Springfield for Washington on Feb. 11, accompanied by his secretary, John Hay, and others. He was inaugurated as the country's sixteenth president on March 4, 1861. Between the time of his election and his inauguration, seven states would secede from the Union. As he was not yet in office when this letter was written, 3c was due for the forwarding postage to Springfield. (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $1,200.00
Will close during Public Auction
561 c ImageFrance, 1860, 80c Rose on Pinkish (20; Yvert 17B). Tied by diamond of dots cancel, Bordeaux Jan. 22, 1861 double-circle datestamp on blue tissue-paper folded cover to New Orleans in Confederate State of Louisiana, manuscript "3" credit for British Packet service (in error), carried by Allan Line steamer Anglo-Saxon via Portland Me., red "Boston Paid 15 Feb. 7" circular datestamp and "Am. Service" octagonal handstamp, stamp with tiny nick bottom right corner, Very Fine, an Apr. 1, 1859 amendment to the 1848 US-GB treaty added the Allan Line as an American Packet, this mail was consistently mis-rated for 3c British Packet, Louisiana seceded from the Union on Jan. 26, 1861, this cover arrived just after the formation of the Confederacy (Image)

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 E. $ 1,000-1,500

CLOSED
Will close during Public Auction
562 c ImageFrance, 1854, 5c Green on Greenish (13; Yvert 12). Two singles, full to large margins, affixed slightly overlapping with 20c Blue on Bluish (15; Yvert 14A), tied by diamond of grids cancels, red "Bureau Maritime Le Havre 3 Fev. '61" double-circle datestamp on private-ship-rated blue folded notice to New Orleans in the Confederate State of Louisiana, manuscript "Nuremberg" ship directive at top, blue "Bill of Lading" and matching forwarder's handstamps, entered New Orleans with three strikes of "Drop 1ct" in circle U.S. marking used by New Orleans Confederate Post Office, pencil "Due 6 cents", some wear and missing part of unprinted bottom of notice but cover is fully intact, Very Fine, an extremely rare Confederate use of this drop-rate marking, illustrated and discussed in Confederate Philatelist (Mar. 1970, article accompanies) (Image)

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 E. $ 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $1,800.00
Will close during Public Auction
563   ImageFrance, 1860, 80c Rose on Pinkish (20; Yvert 17B). Bright color and full to large margins, tied by diamond of dots cancel on 1861 cover front only from Paris, France to New Orleans in the Confederate State of Louisiana, Paris May 17 double-circle datestamp, "3" credit to U.S., carried on Cunarder America, arriving Boston May 31, on the day postal relations were suspended by order of the Postmaster General, red "Boston Paid 15 Jun. 1" circular datestamp and forwarded to New Orleans despite the suspension the prior day, "Due 10" Confederate postage due handstamp struck in New Orleans, Very Fine and fascinating use (Image)

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 E. $ 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $650.00
Will close during Public Auction
564° c ImageSOUTHN. LETTER UNPAID. Perfect strike of blue two-line handstamp at bottom, another strike ties 12c Black, Plate 3, and 3c Dull Red, Ty. III (36B, 26) 12c stamp with double frameline at left, on border embossed 1861 cover to Paris, France, addressed to "Monsieur Hippolyte Messant, place Dauphine No. 14" (presumably Hippolyte Villemessant of Figaro fame), "New Orleans La. 10 Jun." (1861) circular datestamp and blue crayon "10" for prepaid Confederate postage, blue "Louisville Ky. Jun. 27" double-circle datestamp ties 3c stamp, "New York 9 Jun. 29" debit datestamp also ties 3c stamp, manuscript "15" (cents) applied in U.S. and "8" decimes due handstamp applied in France, which ties the 12c stamp, red Calais Jul. 13 arrival datestamp ties both stamps, Paris receiving backstamps (Jul. 13), stamps are scissors-separated but perfs are complete all around on both

EXTREMELY FINE. THIS IS ONE OF TWO RECORDED "SOUTHERN LETTER UNPAID" COVERS BEARING THE 12-CENT 1860 ISSUE AND ONE OF ONLY FIVE TO A FOREIGN DESTINATION. ITS HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE, EXTREME RARITY AND IMPECCABLE QUALITY COMBINE TO MAKE IT ONE OF THE QUINTESSENTIAL COVERS OF AMERICAN POSTAL HISTORY.

The U.S. May 27, 1861, suspension order prohibited post offices from forwarding southbound mail to disloyal Southern states. However, northbound mail continued to be sent via Louisville. Through June 6, northbound mails were forwarded to Louisville from Memphis or Nashville. From June 7 through 12, only the Nashville post office forwarded mail to Louisville, and Louisville continued to forward mail north.

With the resignation of W. D. McNish as Nashville's Federal postmaster on June 12 and the withdrawal of the U.S. mail agent from this route, Louisville held the mails still being sent north by the discontinued post office at Nashville. On June 24, Dr. John J. Speed, the postmaster at Louisville, was advised to forward letters from the South to the loyal states after removing postage. With approximately 5,000 such letters accumulating at Louisville by this date, Postmaster Speed employed a more practical means of invalidating postage by creating the "Southn. Letter Unpaid" handstamp.

Because the U.S.-France treaty had a provision for unpaid mail, this cover was allowed to go through the U.S. mails with no postage due until arrival in France. Two covers from this correspondence are known, both identically addressed on the same embossed envelopes. They were carried together in the mail postmarked at New Orleans on June 10. The other cover, ex Antrim and Wishnietsky, lacks the Louisville June 27 datestamp and has a single strike of the "Southn. Letter Unpaid" marking on the stamps. They were presumably released on the same day, which means that the Louisville office did not mark all letters in a consistent manner.

There are 29 "Southn. Letter Unpaid" covers recorded in the Special Routes book (No. 25 has been deleted as a fake since publication). The five recorded foreign-bound covers are as follows: 1) Louisville June 27, from St. Francisville La. to Prussia; 2) Louisville June 27, from Bayou Chene La. to France, ex Wunsch and Myers (Siegel Sale 882, lot 2001); 3) Louisville June 27, from New Orleans to France (the cover offered here, pictured on the front cover of the Special Routes book; 4) no Louisville datestamp, franked with Scott Nos. 36B and 26, from New Orleans to France, ex Antrim and Wishnietsky, Siegel sale 1064, lot 23; and 5) Louisville Jul. 11, from Petersburg Va. to England, 24c 1860, ex Matthies and Dr. Graves

Special Routes Census No. SLU-7. Ex Shenfield, Sweet, Judd and Kilbourne. Illustrated on p. 6 of Shenfield's Special Postal Routes and in Ashbrook's Special Service #28, p. 203. Pictured on the front cover and on p. 15 of the Special Routes book by Steven Walske and Scott Trepel (Image)

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 E. $ 80,000-100,000

SOLD for $80,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
565° c ImageCosta's Express -- New Orleans to Le Havre, France, via Brownsville and Tampico. Folded letter datelined "New Orleans, 17 Sept. 1861", addressed to Havre, France and carried by Costa's Express via Brownsville to Tampico, Mexico, where blue "Ramon De Obregon, Tampico" double-oval handstamp applied along with red "Tampico Nov. 29, 1861" British P.O. datestamp and Mexico, 1861, 1r Black on Green, Tampico District (7) to pay Mexican inland postage (though technically it did not enter the Mexican mails), carried by RMSP packet Clyde from Tampico on Nov. 29, arriving St. Thomas Dec. 12, then by RMSP Shannon on Dec. 16, arriving Southampton Jan. 1, 1862, clear strike of Three-Months period "GB/1F60C" Anglo-French accountancy handstamp, "8" decimes due handstamp, French transit and receiving datestamps including arrival at Havre on Jan. 3 -- three and one-half months after being written, stamp with inconsequential slight wrinkles

VERY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING AND EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF TRANSATLANTIC MAIL FROM NEW ORLEANS TO FRANCE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CIVIL WAR, CARRIED VIA BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS, AND TAMPICO, MEXICO, IN COSTA'S FIRST MAIL FROM NEW ORLEANS. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED OUTBOUND COSTA'S EXPRESS COVER.

On October 15, 1861, Antonio Costa announced a post office-endorsed foreign-mail private express service out of New Orleans. In his circular, he stated, "The undersigned, now suffering in common with others, the inconvenience of blockade and non-intercourse with foreign countries; has, by the advice and approval of J. L. Riddell, Post Master at New Orleans, taken all needful measures to establish at his own expense, a monthly mail between New Orleans and the Mexican port of Tampico, to connect with the regular British Mail steamers touching at that port." J. L. Riddell also added a postscript stating that, "Letters intended for this Mail, may be enclosed along with the money required per tariff above, and the outer envelope addressed to Costa's Foreign Mail, care of Postmaster, New Orleans." The tariff indicated was $1.00 to Europe, including C.S.A. postage. See Siegel Sale 832, lot 3026 for a scan of the notice.

Ex Robert A. Paliafito (his Mexico collection) (Image)

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 E. $ 20,000-30,000

SOLD for $20,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
566   ImageAmerican Letter Express -- Baton Rouge La. to Mielan, France. Black on white label which reads: "Due the AMERICAN LETTER EXPRESS CO. 1F 60 cent(imes), (for postage advanced,) on this letter. Send the amount in money to the Company at Louisville, Ky.", affixed at upper left (over another express label requesting 60 cents) on cover front with part of one flap to Mielan, France, originated in Baton Rouge (trace of datestamp identifiable on flap), carried by express to Nashville then transferred to Louisville where blue "Louisville Ky. Aug. 15, 1861" double-circle datestamp struck, then to New York with "New York 24 Aug. 24" credit datestamp, carried on Cunarder Europa, departing Boston Aug. 21 and arriving Queenstown Aug. 31, red boxed "P.D." handstamp, red French arrival datestamp, flap with transit and receiving backstamps

VERY FINE. ONE OF TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE AMERICAN LETTER EXPRESS POSTAGE DUE LABEL. THIS IS THE ONLY ONE USED TO A FOREIGN DESTINATION.

The American Letter Express Company advertised its across-the-lines mail service with a basic rate of 15c. Their instructions stated: "Enclosing 15 cents in money. This prepays all expenses to its destination. The rates here given are for letters not exceeding half ounce in weight... Do not use U.S. stamps or stamped envelopes, they are valueless when coming from the Confederate States."

Evidently some letters were received without the requisite prepayment, and these were delivered to the recipient postage due. The 1 franc 60 centimes requested on this label covers the postage costs only and equates to 30 cents -- double the 15c treaty rate and reflected in the 24c credit to France in the New York exchange office datestamp. The express fee was paid by the sender.

Only two examples of the postage due label prepared by American Letter Express are recorded in the Special Routes book -- this cover front to France and one with a U.S. 3c 1857 Issue stamp to New York. They were both postmarked at Louisville on August 15. It is possible that the label was only used on one batch of mail forwarded from Nashville and was thereafter discontinued as impractical.

Special Routes Census No. N-AX-10. This label illustrated in Special Routes book on p.51 (Image)

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 E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $2,400.00
Will close during Public Auction
567 c ImageFrance, 1853, 40c Orange on Yellowish, Ty. I (18; Yvert 16). Vertical pair, ample to large margins, tied by diamond of dots cancels on 1861 folded letter from Ecommoy, France, to New Orleans in the Confederate State of Louisiana, Ecommoy Dec. 4 double-circle datestamp and Brest transit backstamp, "3" credit to U.S., carried by Allan Line steamer Iowa, arriving Portland Dec. 18, clear strike of red "Portland Me. Paid 15 Dec. 18" exchange office circular datestamp and "Br. Service" octagonal handstamp, diverted with complete strike of "Dead Letter Office Feb. 12, 1862" circular datestamp on back over flap (dated day of release), internal dateline of May 1862 must have been applied after return to France, Very Fine (Image)

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 E. $ 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $900.00
Will close during Public Auction
568 c ImageMAILS SUSPENDED. Clear strike of oval handstamp, two singles France 1862, 80c Rose (28; Yvert 24) affixed slightly overlapping and tied by "16" in five-point star of dots on 1864 European-size cover from Paris, France to Savannah Ga., Paris May 9 double-circle datestamp and "18" credit to U.S. for double-weight, carried on NGL steamer America, departing Southampton on May 11 and arriving New York May 22 where red Paid 30 arrival datestamp applied, diverted and returned to France, on arrival back in France the blue "B. Des Rebuts Des Non-Valeurs 7 Nov. '64" double-circle datestamp was struck on back with matching script "Direction Gle des Postes Ouverte Loi du 19 Nov 1790. Lettre en rebut" handstamp, small inconsequential hole in cover above address not affecting any markings, slight wrinkling

VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED LETTER FROM FRANCE WITH THE "MAILS SUSPENDED" MARKING, WHICH WAS USED BY THE UNITED STATES TO RETURN MAIL FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES ADDRESSED TO THE CONFEDERATE STATES.

The U.S closed all postal communications with the seceded Confederate States in May-June 1861. Sometime in 1862 the "Sent Back to England" marking was discontinued, and the "Mails Suspended" oval was used on mail from foreign countries to the Confederate States. This 1864 usage might have been inspired by the resumption of flag-of-truce mail in July 1863. (Image)

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 E. $ 5,000-7,500

SOLD for $5,250.00
Will close during Public Auction
569° c Image12c Black (69). Two, used with two 3c Rose (65), tied by circle of V's cancels, red "Boston Paid 12 Feb. 9" credit datestamp on red and blue "Liberty and Union" States' Names Patriotic cover to Paris, France, with Magee imprint on back, carried on Cunarder Australasian arriving Queenstown Feb. 19, red Calais arrival datestamp (Feb. 21) also ties two stamps, receiving backstamp

VERY FINE. A SPECTACULAR CIVIL WAR PATRIOTIC COVER TO FRANCE FROM THE FAMOUS ANGELL CORRESPONDENCE.

Dr. Henry C. Angell was an optometrist who spent a considerable amount of time in Europe. Covers are known sent to him in France, Italy, England, Germany and Austria, plus a very few forwarded to other destinations. He was an art collector and undoubtedly appreciated the wide variety of Civil War patriotic envelopes mailed to him while he travelled abroad. In a New York Times article (March 6, 1897), Dr. Angell's name is mentioned in connection with the loan of seven works of art to an exhibition in Boston at Copley Hall, including two works by Corot.

Ex Matthies and Vogel (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 7,500-10,000

SOLD for $7,500.00
Will close during Public Auction
570° c Image12c Black (69). Two, used with horizontal pair of 3c Rose (65), tied together by circle of wedges cancels on red and blue "Give this wreath to the brave, who their country would save" Patriotic cover to Paris, France, with Magee of Philadelphia imprint at left, red "Boston Paid 24 Jan. 26" credit datestamp, carried on Cunarder Scotia arriving Queenstown Feb. 5, 12c tied by red Calais arrival datestamp (Feb. 7), large boxed red "P.D." handstamp, receiving backstamp

FRESH AND VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND EXCEPTIONALLY CHOICE DOUBLE-RATE CIVIL WAR PATRIOTIC COVER TO FRANCE FROM THE ANGELL CORRESPONDENCE.

Dr. Henry C. Angell was an optometrist who spent a considerable amount of time in Europe. Covers are known sent to him in France, Italy, England, Germany and Austria, plus a very few forwarded to other destinations. He was an art collector and undoubtedly appreciated the wide variety of Civil War patriotic envelopes mailed to him while he travelled abroad. In a New York Times article (March 6, 1897), Dr. Angell's name is mentioned in connection with the loan of seven works of art to an exhibition in Boston at Copley Hall, including two works by Corot.

Ex Matthies and Vogel (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. $ 7,500-10,000

SOLD for $12,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

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