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- Transatlantic cover to Londonderry, Ireland
Transatlantic cover to Londonderry, Ireland
Object Details
- Description
- August 12, 1856, envelope without its contents from Winona, Minnesota Territory to Londonderry, Ireland. Letter paid double rate (.5–1 ounce) of two x 24 cents = 48 cents, with a horizontal strip of four 10-cent green 1855, two 3-cent dull red 1851, and a horizontal pair of 1-cent blue 1851 adhesives. Of the 24-cent rate for a .5 ounce letter under the US-UK convention of 1848, the US was entitled to 5 cents, the UK to 3 cents, and the 16-cent sea transit fee went to the country whose steamer carried the letter. Because a British contract steamship was to carry the letter to the UK, the New York exchange office clerk credited two x 19 cents = 38 cents to the UK with a red orange handstamp. The letter was placed on board the Cunard steamship “Asia,” departing New York on August 20 and arriving at Liverpool on August 31, 1856. The letter was sent to Dublin, where it was marked with the scarce AMERICA/PAID/(date)/DUBLIN datestamp in blue ink. In January 1856 the British post office instituted procedures whereby mail received by the steamers at Liverpool too late to be processed at Liverpool would be sent directly to Dublin, where it would be “stamped and charged.” Special datestamps were sent to Dublin for this purpose. This letter shows the datestamp used for paid letters. Since the letter was fully paid, no postage due was marked. A partially struck postmark of Londonderry in green ink on the reverse shows arrival there on September 1, 1856.
- Data Source
- National Postal Museum
- Date
- 1856
- Object number
- 2004.2004.38
- Type
- Covers & Associated Letters
- Medium
- paper; ink ( ); adhesive /
- Place of Destination
- Londonderry, IRELAND (republic)
- Place of Origin
- Winona, Minnesota
- See more items in
- National Postal Museum Collection
- Record ID
- npm_2004.2004.38
- Usage
- CC0
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