23 July 1838 Waghorn Cover

23 July 1838

1838 (July 23): Entire letter from Philadelphia, USA to Thomas N. Richards in Calcutta, marked internally "duplicate", carried outside the Mails to Liverpool and there endorsed "via Marseilles" in manuscript, and prepaid "4/7d." in red manuscript (10d. British postage, 3/9d. French postage for an under ½ ounce letter), annotated "No.14 / D&T W" (D and T Willis, Waghorn's Agents in Liverpool) in top right corner; struck with "CARE OF MR. WAGHORN / ALEXANDRIA / L'POOL" handstamp in black (Sidebottom type 8) with "PAID AT / LIVERPOOL" in red, London tombstone "Paid" in red and transit cds in black (Aug 21) on reverse and circular "Angleterre Par Calais" and oval "P-D" in red, carried from Marseille on the French Packet "Scamandre" to Malta (Sept 6) and thence on the "Léonidas" to Syra (Sept 11) and the "Lycurgue" to Alexandria, arriving on September 14th, thence to Suez and carried on the EIC "Berenice" steamer to Bombay (as the "Semiramis" had been delayed) with framed datestamp of receipt in black (Oct 21) and rated "15" annas in manuscript to pay. Calcutta "G.P.O." arrival in red (Nov 2). Full transcript enclosed. A superb and rare entire, especially so emanating from the United States. Note 1: Journey time from London to Bombay circa 70 days. Note 2: Sidebottom recorded just 5 examples of this handstamp, this being the second cover in his listing. Peter Smith in "Egypt Stamps & Postal History" recorded 8 examples with the earliest dated June 21, 1838. Provenance: Collection Frederick Rowland Hill, Christie's, London, 5 Dec 1989, ex lot 480.

Frederick Rowland Hill "Camellia"