daniel
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Post by daniel on Sept 10, 2022 3:34:15 GMT
Here's an interesting cover sent from Edinburgh to 9 Downing Street, London on 11th April 1815. The red hand stamp is known for the Chief Office, Edinburgh. The "Addl. 1/2",additional halfpence, fee mark in black was for the conveyance by mail coach in Scotland. The reverse shows, rather indistinctly, a known red double circle Duty Stamp (indicating that payment is owed) applied on arrival in London. It must read: B/day month day (possibly 14 Apr 14)/1815. The letter must have contained an enclosure since the inside is blank. Most interestingly, the letter is addressed to George Veitch at 9 Downing Street who may have been an Edinburgh merchant. 9 Downing Street was probably a private residence at that time. Numbers 1 to 9 were acquired in the 1820s by the Government with 1 to 8 being demolished and rebuilt as Government offices. 9 Downing Street is now the Downing Street Press Office.
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daniel
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Post by daniel on Sept 11, 2022 1:02:48 GMT
9 Downing Street Cover
In the example above, since the postage was not prepaid, it begs the question: how was the postage due determined in London? There is no mileage mark but top left there is a manuscript mark which depicts the charge 1/1, one shilling and one penny, the correct rate from Edinburgh to London, above 300 and less than 400 miles plus the halfpenny carriage charge. Although does this take into account the unknown enclosure?
Daniel
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vikingeck
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What I collect: Samoa, Tobacco theme, Mail in Wartime, anything odd and unusual!
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Post by vikingeck on Sept 11, 2022 13:47:31 GMT
The reverse shows, rather indistinctly, a known red double circle Duty Stamp (indicating that payment is owed) applied on arrival in London. It must read: B/day month day (possibly 14 Apr 14)/1815. The letter must have contained an enclosure since the inside is blank Not necessarily an enclosure daniel. The original sheet may have been larger than the item you have here . The message written on one half of the sheet which has been removed for filing at some stage. It may have been cut down in the past when the present letter came on to the philatelic market …..the contents being personal or business related to Mr Veitch’s heirs. is it possible you actually have a cover which was once part of a larger sheet? A separate enclosure would incur a double rate while a folio size sheet would be single 1/1 + 1/2d
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zipper
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What I collect: Classic GB, QV, France Ceres/Napoleon, Classic U.S., Cinderella & Poster Stamps
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Post by zipper on Sept 21, 2022 3:29:48 GMT
GB 1839 Freefront Signed by Sir William Clay MP Tower Hamlets -London - Petworth Link to Sir William
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daniel
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Post by daniel on Sept 7, 2023 4:24:06 GMT
Another transatlantic cover. Sent from, possibly a stockbroking firm in London, Stone & Mean to a client, J A Bartlett & Sons in New Bedford, USA. The letter was sent unpaid with a Lombard Street postmark for 20th June 1856 via the British Packet Ship Canada. The total cost, to be collected in the USA, was 24 cents, the equivalent of 1 shilling. The 19 cents mark in black is an accountancy mark indicating that from the 24 cents to be collected, 19 cents would be owed to the British Post Office covering British inland postage plus the cost of shipping. Finally, the large circular mark Br. Packet Boston 24 dated 3rd July indicating that 24 cents needed to be collected from J A Bartlett & Sons. The accounts between the American and British Post Offices would be settled each month by a payment in gold to whichever authority was owed money.
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daniel
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Post by daniel on Sept 7, 2023 16:40:37 GMT
I purchased this cover with the one shown above. It is a very similar cover but sent from Liverpool although also sent on the Packet Ship Canada. Again, we have the black Accountancy mark for 19 cents. Unfortunately the 24 cent due mark is indistinct and partially covered up by the Liverpool postmark for the 10th December 1852. However, there are two factors that make this cover much more interesting. Firstly, it has been sent from merchant bankers Baring Brothers & Co. Secondly, the paper used is of a much higher quality than you would usually find. The letter has been sent to Patrick Lennox of Wiscasset, Maine, USA advising him that £400 has been given to him by Captain Robinson of the ship 'Franchise'. The letter appears to be signed by a Baring, possibly Edward. Baring Brothers, which became Barings Bank, was one of the oldest merchant banks in Britain and was founded by Francis Baring in 1762. The bank collapsed in 1995 after suffering losses of £827 million resulting from fraudulent investments, primarily in futures contracts, conducted by an employee working at its office in Singapore. The business was subsequently sold to Dutch multinational banking corporation ING for £1. The foolscap sheet has a J WHATMAN/1851 watermark on thick laid paper. This company was founded by James Whatman in c.1733. He would go on to invent wove paper. The company was renowned for its high quality art paper.
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