Auction Detail
July 2023
United States Postal History
Prices Realized Now Online
folded letter datelined "Hampton July 12th 1840", two-line "T.P. Hampton" and "Hounslow Jy 13 1840" handstamps, addressed to Toronto, Upper Canada, rated "1/-", carried on the maiden voyage of Cunard's Acadia departing Liverpool August 4 and arriving Boston August 17, overland to Pictou, Nova Scotia then by Unicorn to Quebec with August 20 transit, charged "1/4" due on Toronto, very fine and attractive maiden voyage cover
folded letter to Philadelphia with red framed "Paid at Liverpool JA 1 1848" and "1/-" handstamp, endorsed "pr. Cambria", departed Liverpool January 1 and arrived New York January 18, red "New-York 7cts. Jan 17" exchange datestamp, very fine, carried on the first direct mail voyage by the Cunard Line to New York
red datestamp and matching "Paid" on folded letter to London via New York City, manuscript "Paid to New York 18¾, Paid Steam Boat Postage 25" totaled to "43¾", endorsed "per British Queen", red "Too Late" handstamp of New York as this cover arrived after the June 1 sailing date, instead carried by Swallowtail Line's George Washington departing New York June 7, arrived Liverpool July 1 with two-line "Liverpool Ship Letter" backstamp and July 2 London datestamp, manuscript "8" due, very fine, the only recorded freight money cover from Gardiner, Maine, as the freight money sailing fee was only 12½c versus the 25c paid the difference was returned to the Gardiner postmaster as was the custom of the New York post office, ex-Winter, see Chronicle Vol. 45, No. 4 ("Freight Money Paid in Gardiner, Maine")
faint datestamp on folded letter to Chesterfield, England, manuscript "1/11½" rate for 4½d Canadian inland, 11½d to New York, and 7½d (12½c) freight money fee, red "Montreal L.C. Dec 13 1839" double circle datestamp with matching "Paid" and "18¾" credit, carried by Black Ball Line's Oxford departing New York December 19 and arriving Liverpool January 11, two-line "Liverpool Ship Letter" backstamp, "8" due handstamp for uniform ship fee, very fine, one of two recorded freight money letters from Chambly, ex-Winter
red datestamp with patching "Paid" on folded letter from Dundas, Upper Canada to Kinross, Scotland, manuscript rate including 4½d Canadian inland postage, 1sh 3d postage to New York City, and 7½d (12½c) freight money fee (totaled to 2sh 3d), carried by Swallowtail Line's George Washington departing New York June 7 and arriving Liverpool June 24, two-line "Liverpool Ship Letter" and London arrival backstamps, manuscript "1/8" due for 8d ship fee plus 1sh inland postage, very fine, one of two recorded freight money letters from Dundas (both from the same correspondence), ex-Winter
black rimless datestamp with manuscript date on folded letter to Edinburgh, Scotland, manuscript "Paid 2/7½" for all fees including 12½c freight money sail fee, red "New-York Jun 15" exchange datestamp, carried by Black Ball Line's England departing New York June 19 and arriving Liverpool July 10, backstamped "Liverpool Ship Letter" and London July 11, handstamped "8" due, light wear, still very fine, the only recorded freight money letter from Katesville, ex-Winter
red handstamp with manuscript date and framed "Paid" on folded lettersheet to London, England, manuscript "9" rating for Canadian inland postage, "City of Toronto U.C Ap 9 1839" double circle transit datestamp and "Paid 7&25" handstamp (for 7d from Toronto to the border and 25c United States inland to New York), red "New-York Apl 15" exchange datestamp, carried by Kermit Line's Virginia departing New York April 16 and arriving Liverpool May 9, backstamped "Liverpool Ship Letter" and May 10 London arrival, rated "1/7" due for 8d incoming ship fee and 11d British inland, very fine and attractive, Toronto did not mark freight money fees on letters although the 12½c fee was prepaid, ex-Winter
26 covers including November 1822 wrapper carried by Hudson at the end of the first period of operation, 1821 Acasta (Baltimore to Liverpool three years before Black Cross Line), 1827 Hudson with Cowes U.S. Consular backstamp, 1828 Cambria, 1833 President and Sovereign, later ships including Amazon, Henric Hudson, Margaret Evans, Montreal, Samuel Robertson, Southampton, Toronto, Victoria, and Westminster, all generally fine to very fine, a scarce and attractive group of this significant line
38 covers mounted on exhibit pages, ships including the Atlantic, Baltic, Pacific, Arctic, Ericsson, and Nashville, wide variety of different exchange markings from both sides of the Atlantic, generally fine to very fine, filled with provenances including ex-Tabeart, Needs, White
approximately 68 items, most of which are written up on exhibit pages, begins with a few 1840s/50s covers but heavily focused on the second half of the 19th Century with better frankings and destinations, several NYFM cancels, 12-rate cover from New York to England, San Francisco to Yorkshire on last voyage of Cuba, and more, generally fine to very fine, an interesting group for the specialist
33 items mounted on exhibit pages, begins with 1846 illustrated lettersheet showing her original six-mast design, August 1845 maiden return voyage folded letter from New York to London, 1846 New Orleans to London via New York, August 1852 maiden voyage to Australia folded letter from Worksop to Melbourne with 1sh Green (ex-Ward), November 1852 Melbourne to Sydney with Victoria 2p Yellow brown, January 1853 maiden return voyage Melbourne to England with NSW 3p Sydney View, October 1853 Melbourne to London second return voyage with Victoria 3p Blue (ex-Ashby), November 1853 Sydney to England second return voyage with NSW 3p Queen Victoria, April 1854 London to Sydney franked 1sh underpaying the NSW ship letter rate on scrapped Great Britain voyage (Louis certificate stating that this franking of 1848 10p Brown and two 1854 1p Red is unique), October 1854 Melbourne to Scotland third return voyage with Victoria 1sh Blue (ex-Moreton), October 1854 Melbourne to New Brunswick with Victoria 1sh Blue (ex-Tabeart), May 1857 Sydney to England with two NSW 6p Gray, May 1857 Melbourne to London registered letter with two Victoria 6p Yellow orange and 1sh Rose & blue (ex-Moreton), May 1857 Melbourne to England with Victoria 6p Orange "woodblock" and red "Paid 22 Au 57 Liverpool Ship" handstamp (only used on this voyage), May 1857 Melbourne to Ireland with strip of three Victoria 2p Victoria on Throne, two May 1857 covers from Adelaide to Scotland with South Australia adhesives, May 1861 Victoria to England with Victoria 6p Blue, and more, generally very fine, an extraordinary collection documenting the history of this steamship during her service to both the United States and Australia, replicating this group would be exceedingly difficult
approximately 123 items on exhibit pages, all identified by voyage, an incredible array of uses and markings including several Philadelphia freight money letters, "Steam Boat" handstamp on cover to Albany, Penny Black used with "Exeter Py Post" and "Fore Street Hill Penny Post" handstamps, "Harnden's Express from Boston" handstamp, oval "PL" (Paid Late), two letters referring to the loss of the Columbia in 1843, forwarder's handstamps including "Maze Bristol", "Gilpin's Exchange Reading Room and Foreign Letter Office N. York", "Meyer & Hupeden New York", "George Hart New-York", "Harnden & Co's Foreign Letter Office Phila.", "Meyer & Stucken New York", and "Hale's For. Letr. Office New York", generally fine to very fine, an extraordinary lot documenting the early history of this significant vessel, viewing a necessity as words cannot accurately convey just how many scarce and interesting items are here