1837 Cover carried by the Black Ball Line ship South America, written in New York on October 14, 1837, and received in the U.K. at Liverpool. Marked with 'LIVERPOOL/SHIP LETTER' (Type S.13, in use 1834–38). Addressed to Mr. Fallow, Esq., M.P., 5 Peel St., Manchester.

Rated at 1/3d, comprising 6d for the ship letter rate, 7d for inland postage (30–50 miles), and 2d for the ship's gratuity. The South America, a 616-ton vessel, was in service with the Black Ball Line from 1832 to 1843, under the command of Robert H. Waterman by 1836. The ship was later used as a whaler from 1843 to 1860.

The cover has a strike of the scarce "5"

Numbers 3,4,5, and 6 are the only ones known. This strike of '5' is the earliest for this numberm previously 1839 was earliest and 1840 latest. All examples (save one from Manchester to Blackburn 1839) are addressed to Manchester from Liverpoo. So far none are known from Manchester to Liverpool - the use of the stamp is obscure, it was at first thought to be connected with the Manchester-Liverpool railway but this seems now to be unlikely.