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Catalog Data

Medium:
paper; ink ( ); adhesive /
Type:
Covers & Associated Letters
Date:
1860
Description:
Envelope without contents posted in Hong Kong on December 30, 1860 (backstamp), and addressed to Captain John A. Dahlgren, US Navy, Washington, District of Columbia. The letter was sent unpaid and marked by a forwarding agent to go via Marseille, France. A blue oval marking of the agent, Wetmore, Cryder & Company, was struck in the lower left corner. The agent arranged to get the letter, which was probably written earlier and left with him, into the British mail at Hong Kong. The letter was marked in the upper right corner for a 1-cent debit to the UK, the local fee owed to the colonial office at Hong Kong. On December 31 the P&O steamship “Ottawa” departed Hong Kong with the letter and arrived at Galle, Ceylon, on January 15, 1861. The letter was transferred to the P&O steamship “Nemesis,” departing Galle on January 18 and arriving at Suez on February 3. The letter was carried overland to Alexandria, departing there February 4 on the P&O steamship “Euxine” and arriving at Marseille on February 10, 1861. It was sent through France to London, arriving on February 12, 1861, as shown by a backstamp. At London, the US was debited 24 cents, as shown by handstamp 24/CENTS, which later was overstruck by the New York datestamp. This debit was for the transit fees from Hong Kong owed the UK. The letter was sent to Queenstown to go on board the Inman Line steamship “Edinburgh,” an American-contract steamer departing on February 14 and arriving at New York on March 1, 1861. The next day, March 2, a New York exchange office clerk marked that the letter had arrived by American packet. He marked the letter for 45 cents postage due separately with a black handstamp. This was the correct rate for a letter up to .5 ounce arriving in the British mail from Hong Kong via France. since the letter was carried across the Atlantic by an American contract vessel, the British were entitled to 24 cents and the Americans 21 cents
Object number:
2004.2004.42
See more items in:
National Postal Museum Collection
Data Source:
National Postal Museum
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8838073ad-520e-4b8b-a486-da480ec8356a
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npm_2004.2004.42