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Catalog Data

Medium:
paper; ink / handwritten; handstamped
Dimensions:
5.511811 x 5.354331 in. (14 x 13.6 cm)
Type:
Covers & Associated Letters
Place of Destination:
FRANCE (republic)
Place Through:
GREAT BRITAIN
New York
Date:
December 7, 1850
Description:
7 December 1850 folded letter from Havana, Cuba, to Paris carried "out of the mails," probably in another letter or package, to an unknown agent in New York, who posted letter on December 13, 1850. Agent wrote instructions in the lower left corner for the desired routing of the letter, "Royal Mail/Steamer Asia," and paid two 5-cents = 10-cents for the British open mail rate by British packet for a letter weighing between .5 and 1 ounce. This is hastily marked in pencil, lower left corner, and looks like a "w." Letter carried from New York (December 18) to Liverpool (December 28) by Cunard steamship "Asia," and reached London on December 29. Here the letter was marked with the orange boxed handstamp, COLONIES &c ART.13 to show it was an unpaid letter from overseas, and it was treated under letter bill accounting Article 13, whereby France owed the UK 3-shilling 4-pence for each 30 grams of bulk letter weight. Letter arrived at Paris on January 3, having entered France at Calais, and was marked in the upper left corner for a weight of 10 grams, which was later reevaluated by an inspector who wrote his initials alongside in pencil. After making an error, the correct postage due of three x 15 decimes = 45 decimes was marked in the lower left corner.
Topic:
Covers & Letters  Search this
Object number:
1995.2049.6
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm85e2c3e47-c1cc-4409-bad2-10514166faab
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_1995.2049.6