Red New York cds with red "SHIP" straightline on folded letter to New Jersey with manuscript "8" and "Ship Virginia."

In 1825, Postmaster General John McLean established a new way of treating letters carried by non-contract ships from New Orleans to New York, Philadelphia and Providence, Rhode Island. The Postmaster General created the fiction that such vessels were "Impliedly under contract" so that, unlike other non-contract vessels whose letters were rated based on the distance (i) from the port of entry to destination without regard to the distance traveled to arrive at the port of entry, or (ii) were charged a flat rate if the letter was addressed to the port of entry without regard to the distance traveled to reach the port of entry, these letters were also charged for the distance over any waters they traveled if those waters were official post road (e.g., in the case of a letter from New Orleans to Philadelphia, the distance down the Mississippi River from New Orleans to the sea and the distance from the sea up the Delaware River to Philadelphia.) 9

This letter carried from New Orleans to Rahway, NJ via New York City which is rated under the old system for the distance from New York City to Rahway (6e for not over 30 miles + 2c ship fee) without regard to the 103 miles traveled down the Mississippi River and across Long Island Sound to New York.

This was carried on the Ship Virginia in 1825 before the "Mail Route" fiction was created.

Red "New York Mar 2" cds with red "MAIL ROUTE" marking. Manuscript "18 3/4" on 1829 folded letter to Philadelphia.
Folded letter datelined "New Orleans January the 26th 1829" relating to a shipment of 530 bales of cotton.

Carried on "Brig Nereus" to New York. Placed in regular closed bag mail and rated "18 3/4" for 150-400 miles.

Under an interpretation of the Mail Route fiction, no 2 cent ship fee was paid because the ship was deemed to have carried the mail under an "implied contract" with the post office department.

Red "New York Dec 10" with red "MAIL ROUTE" marking. Manuscript "24" and "Ship Illinois Capt. Waterman" on 1828 folded letter to Boston.

The "Mail Route" marking was applied from 1827 to 1830 to private ship letters that were not classified as "Ship Letters" under the "impliedly under contract" ruling by the Post Office Department. This allowed these letters to be treated as though they were part of official postal routes, resulting in higher inland postage charges. This discriminatory practice was discontinued in 1830, as it faced criticism for unfairly inflating rates on non-contract ship letters.

This letter was carried on the ship Illinois. 2c Ship fee not added because vessel was an implied contract ship.

Rated for the distance down the Mississippi River and over Long Ssland Sound (12 12 1/2 c for 80-150 miles) but not including the part of the voyage over the Atlantic Ocean (which was not an official post road).

This cover, date lined "New York Feby 13 : 1826," was carried by a non-contract ship, the "Niagara" to Balize rather than New Orleans. There it was stamped "SHIP" and rated 14/½/24 (124/24) for 80-150 miles from Balize to New Orleans in this way + 24 ship fee." The mail avoided a higher fee for the greater distance (254).

This 14 1/2 cent rate for a ship letter delivered at the port of entry into the mail system is not consistent with the postal laws in effect in 1826. However, it aligns with the Mail Route Fiction.

Red "New York Jul 7" cds with red "MAIL ROUTE" marking. Manuscript "18 1/2" and "per Aretia" on 1828 folded letter to Boston.

The Mall Route fiction only applied to ships sailing from New Orleans to Boston, Philadelphia or Providence, not to vessels sailing from these ports to New Orleans.

Carried on a non-contract ship Aretia, the mail was taken off the vessel at the Belize, and turned Into the post office, at the entrance to the Mississippi River. This cover was carried from New Orleans to Boston. It was charged 18 1/2cents as a Mail Route cover for the Mississippi River part of the trip and for the Boston Harbor portion (total 150-400 milles).

Red "MAIL ROUTE" marking on folded letter to New York with manuscript "12" and "Ship Louisiana." This letter is endorsed as leaving New Orleans 22 March 1828 and received in New York on April 22.

New Orleans Mail Route letters addressed to northern ports, such as this one, were charged postage from New Orleans to the mouth of the Mississippi, a distance of 100 miles which carried a single weight rate of 12 1/2 cents under the 1825 schedule of rates.

According to Bond, only about 30% of New York MAIL ROUTE covers are known to have the 12 1/2 c rate.

By January 1827, two-line handstamps reading "SHIP/14 1/2" had been prepared. This was the ordinary Ship handstamp applied at The Belize at the mouth of the Mississippi River for Ship mail going to New Orleans, a distance of 102 miles up the Mississippi River.

Red "MAIL ROUTE" on folded letter datelined May 3, 1829 to New York. Manuscript "Consignee" and "per Hannibal."

The Mail Route fiction did not affect letters that would have traveled free of postage and the ship fee under the old system. This letter was carried on the non-contract ship "Hannibal" and was Free as a Consignee letter.

Red "New York Dec 3" cds with red "MAIL ROUTE" marking on 1828 folded cover datelined "At Sea Lattd. 38° 48' - Longd. 70° 26', Oct 10th 1828" to Boston Mass., red "New-York Dec 3" cds and red manuscript "37½" rating, cover endorsed "Pr. Azelia" at bottom left, Very Fine.

Joshua Smith began writing this letter on October 10, at sea. After two additions at sea, he wrote a following note on "OCT 24th off Tortuga Bank." The following note was on "OCT 31st at "Plaquemine" LA. On Nov 9th, he wrote from New Orleans, where he sold the cargo. The Ship "Azalia" arrived in New York on Dec 3.

Letter mentions ship travels and that the "Chariot" sails well.

This cover is included in the United States Domestic Mails 1776 - 1869 Exhibit by George Kramer.

Red New York Dec 25 cds and red "MAIL ROUTE" marking on New Orleans, November 25, 1829 folded letter to Philadelphia. Manuscript "18 3/4"

The proper fee should have been 14 1/2 c for 12 1/2 cents for 80-150 miles to Philaelphia plus 2 cents ship fee. However, since the PMG determined that the Mississippi River was a post road, the 93 miles from New Orleans to Balize, the post office at the mouth of the river, would be added to the forwarding distance from New York, and the total (over 200 miles) now put this letter in the 150 - 400 mile classification (18 3/4 cents).

Faint "MAIL ROUTE" handstamp with manuscript "10", "P[er] Brig Laydon Chevy" on folded letter datelined "Charleston" July 14th 1829 to Philadelphia.

This letter is rated 10 cents for 30-80 miles (from the Atlantic to Philadelphia), which follows the regular postal fees.

Black "SHIP 14 1/2" handstamp on March 1, 1838 folded letter from New York City to New Orleans. Manuscript "Kentucy."

Red New York Jun 1 cds with red "MAIL ROUTE" marking on folded letter to Maine. Manuscript "25"

Red semi-circle "MAIL ROUTE" handstamp on folded printed prices current for perfumery and soaps, datelined March 12, 1828, to Providence R.I. Manuscript "18¾" rate, light vertical file fold and some slight overall soiling, Very Fine strike of this scarce marking used at Providence R.I. on incoming ship mail.

Black "SHIP" marking with manuscript "14 1/2" on folded letter from Providence to New Orleans. Dec 27, 1827 docketing.

Possibly New EKU.

Black "SHIP 14 1/2" straightline handstamp on May 29, 1827 Boston folded letter to New Orleans with manuscript "P. Illinois"

This cover was carried from Boston to New Orleans by a non-contract ship. The mail was taken off the vessel at the
Balize, and turned into the post office, at the entrance to the Mississippi River. It was thereupon marked SHIP and
rated 14 1/2 cents [121/2 cents for the distance 80 -150 miles + 2 cents hip fee), and placed in a closed bag for the trip up the River.

The Mail Route fiction only applied to ships sailing from New Orleans to Boston, Philadelphia or Providence, not to
Vessels sailing from these ports to New Orleans.

Red "SHIP" straightline on folded letter to New Jersey with manuscript "8" and "Ship Illonois." Datelined February 5, 1831. Carried on the non-contract ship Illinois.

Rated as under the pre-Mail Route system: New Orleans to Rahway, NJ via New York. No charge for distance from New Orleans, down the Mississippi River, along the Atlantic Ocean coast and across Long Island Sound. Rated 8¢ [6¢ for distance not over 30 miles - NYC to Rahway + 2¢ ship fee].