Black Nov 5 Boston, Ms cds with red manuscript "40" on 1803 folded letter to Philadelphia.

France and England were at war from 1793-1815. It was unclear to the French as to where official American sympathies would finally rest; as they suspected that our Post was opening certain important mails, they sometimes would write a secret message in lemon juice, which was invisible to the eye. When these letters were received, a small chunk would be removed and soaked to bring out a trace of a message; if none appeared, so be it. But if there was a message, the entire letter would be soaked.

This 1803 letter, addressed to Philadelphia, is an example of this practice.

Stampless folded letter to New York with an APR 15 1835 Ypsilanti, Michigan Territorial postmark (Mic.T). Manuscript "25" for single letter rate to New York (400 miles).

1836 folded letter from Dundas, Canada to Albany, NY via Queenston. Red Dundas cds and blue Nov 2 Lewiston, NY cds. Red manuscript "6 1/2" rated for 4 1/2 pence Canadian postage to the border + 2 pence "Ferriage." Manuscript "18 3/4" US Postage due for 150-400 miles.

Mail between American and Canadian post offices, which were separated by the Niagara or St. Lawrence Rivers had to be ferried across because there were no existing bridges at this time. From January, 1829, until their termination in March 1837, the Canadian Deputy PMG levied a 2 pence "Ferriage" fee to be added to the appropriate Canadian postage due.

From the George Kramer Exhibit

Red "Baltimore Rail Road" handstamp with manuscript "ch 25" on Baltimore to Massachusetts folded letter, datelined November 15, 1838. Rated for over 400 miles rate.

The small notation "ch"is uncommon; it signified that addressee had an account with the Post Office, and that this letter did not have to be paid upon receipt.

On July 7, 1838, Congress passed an act providing "that each and every railroad within the limits of the United States which now is or hereafter be completed, shall be a post route, and the PMG shall cause the mail to be transported thereon". "RAILROAD" type markings were struck on mail which did not originate in a post office.

According to Remele, the railroad contracted to carry mail from Baltimore to Philadelphia, and from all intermediate Post Offices on the line, did not cross into Philadelphia until November 1838 when the Philadelphia, Wilmington, and Baltimore Railroad Bridge was completed. This letter is datelined November 15, 1838.

Red "Halifax, PAID" tombstone handstamp on 2 November 1846 folded letter to New York.

Once the steam packet service between Halifax and Boston was established, correspondents could use the Cunard vessels for their letters. As this was not an item in the Cunard contract, the charge was the same as for the ocean mail : one shilling Sterling, which had to be prepaid. On arrival in the United States letters were charged as ship letters, seven cents.

This letter prepaid one shilling Sterling carried by the Cunard line "Britannia" out of Halifax on the November 5 1846. Britannia made Boston on November 7 and the letter was charged 7 cents: 2 cents ship letter fee and 5 cents for United States Inland postage. The "PAID" portion of the Halifax handstamp was deleted at Boston.

Red New-York Dec 28 cds and red circled "10" on folded letter datelined 5th November 1846, from Logan Estate, St. James', Jamaica to Upper Canada. Forwarded in New York and charged ten cents United States' and sevenpence Canadian postage. It arrived in Newmarket on 1 January 1847.

The letter comments on unfair competition from slave colonies:

"The British Government may be passing Laws for the advantage of Canada, but their late act for the introduction of Slave grown Sugar at a reduced duty will half ruin our West India Colonies, and it will only be with good Seasons and every economy that we shall be able to make Sugar Estates pay the expense of cultivation and leave a surplus to live on it. Keep us from Beggary for a reduction in Wages cannot be expected to take place so long as the present scarcity of labourers exists."

22 October 1847 folded letter from Raleigh, Canada West to Cavendish, Prince Edward Island. This family letter travelled via London, C.W., Montreal and Quebec, C.E., thence probably by Cunard Line feeder service to Pictou, NS. arriving there on 8 November 1847; it passed through Charlottetown, P.E.I. on 12 November 1847 (all marks on reverse). The letter was charged two shillings and threepence Currency to Prince Edward Island' and a further twopence from Charlottetown to Cavendish in Queen's County.

As late as 1847 letters from Canada were still being rated by the distance carried; thus charges remained very high - a letter from Canada West (previously Upper Canada) to Prince Edward Island was charged the rate for 901-1000 miles, two shillings and threepence Currency.

10 December 1847 folded letter to St. John, New Brunswick to Boston, Massachusetts with red "X" postage due rate marking.

Letters from St. John, New Brunswick to the United States were sometimes carried privately to the United States (often by ship) and posted privately at the first port of call. This letter was carried to Eastport and placed in the post unpaid. 10 cents was the rate for a half ounce letter carried more than 300 miles as of 1 July 1845.

1847 folded letter from Cropland, Prince Edward Island to New York, carried over the Pictou Summer Route.

This letter was carried across the Northumberland Strait to Amherst, New Brunswick and then passed to St. John for exchange at St. Andrews. In the United States it has been charged a further ten cents, the rate for a half ounce letter carried over 300 miles.

Letters from Prince Edward Island crossed the Northumberland Strait either to Pictou, Nova Scotia or via Cape Tormentine for Amherst, New Brunswick. There followed a long journey through New Brunswick for exchange at St. Andrews. The distance was 302 miles in winter, via Cape Tormentine, 365 miles in summer, via Pictou. The rate was one shilling and three halfpence Currency, which had to be prepaid, plus United States postage.

Passengers travelling to Europe from the United States by the British packets had the luxury of being able to write letters during the first part of their journey from Boston and then place them in the post when the vessel called at Halifax, Nova Scotia. Such letters from Nova Scotia to the United States had to be prepaid to the border, United States postage could be prepaid or left unpaid.

S.S. 'Cambria' out of Boston to Sowell, Massachusetts, via Halifax, Nova Scotia, 3rd September 1847.

'At Sea, Sept. 2. 1847
My Dearest Wife - We were detained by the fog in Boston Harbor, not five miles from you till 2 oclock this morning. This delay, as you may suppose was not a little trying, & the more so as you may suppose as we might have gotten outside of the Islands if the Boat had sailed promptly at 12 oclock. The delay of a single half an hour occasioned the further delay of twelve hours.'

A letter written on board 'Cambria' out of Boston on the 1st of September; the letter was posted at Halifax and travelled overland via St. Johns to be exchanged between St. Andrews, N.B. and Robbinston, Maine. Postage to the border, one shilling and a penny halfpenny Currency had to be prepaid. United States postage could be paid or unpaid - in this case charged at ten
cents (at which time the 'PAID' portion of the Halifax handstamp was deleted.}

31 May 1848 folded letter from Sydney, Cape Breton Island to Halifax, Nova Scotia. The letter was posted unpaid and sent overland to Halifax, charged elevenpence halfpenny Currency (tenpence Sterling) the rate for an half ounce letter carried 200-300 miles. The actual distance from Sydney to Halifax was calculated at 286 miles.

Letters from the northern extremities of Cape Breton Island to the remainder of Nova Scotia were often sent by sea utilizing the regular feeder services connecting Newfoundland, St. Pierre Miquelon and Halifax - such letters could travel at the port-to-port rate of fourpence Sterling, the overland route was more expensive and thus preferable for postal revenue.

Red Feb 3 New Orleans integral rate marking 5 cents, collect "Via Red River" on folded cover to Texas.

Contract Mail Steamboats carried Postal Department Route Agents, who took on-board mail, sorted, delivered to, and collected from, postal authorities along the way. This letter traveled from Alexandria, La. , overland to Jasper, Texas, to Zavala.

The Steamboat "Red River" ran from New Orleans to Shreveport, 1852 1857.

This is the earliest recorded cover, one full year before the ASCC listing.

New Orleans, La. to Lesa, Kingdom of Sardinia, Nov 29 1853 printed circular with red "New Orleans Nov 29" cds and matching "Paid 4" rating handstamp. New York large red "2" credit handstamp. to Great Britain carried by Ocean Line Hermann from New York Dec. 4 to Southampton arriving Dec. 19, Calais (12.20) entry cds, Lesa (12.30) arrival backstamp. Very Fine, an exceedingly scarce example carried by American contract steamship.

Under U.S.-British Treaty of 1848, newspapers could be sent to Kingdom of Sardinia via England at 4 cents each. Unsealed printed circulars were treated under the newspaper rate. Until April 1853, letters prepaid 4 cents show a 2 cents credit to Great Britain.

Blue "Fredk Loison's Printed Circular" handstamp with red New Orleans "PAID 2" handstamp on Feb 7 1855 unsealed printed circular from New Orleans, La. to Saulxures, France. Sent under the newspaper rate of 2c by British open mail, carried by Collins Line Atlantic from New York Feb. 21 to Liverpool arriving Mar. 4, red manuscript "15" centimes postage due rating, Very Fine.

Rated 2 cents paid for circular rate by British open mail and 15 centimes postage due in Saulxures.

November 1858 folded letter from Boston to St. John, New Brunswick with black oval "United States 6d" exchange office marking.

Black Haverhill, Ms Nov 14 1859 cds and "U. States" exchange office arced handstamp on folded letter to Nova Scotia.

The envelope of a letter posted unpaid in Haverhill and charged ten cents, sixpence Currency, the cross-border rate at the time. It was passed to Boston and, judging by its journey time, was included in the mail carried by British coastal steamer to Halifax, arriving there on 19th November 1859. The dates coincide with the scheduled sailing times of the Cunard Line 'America'

New York to Kentville, Nova Scotia, via Boston, Massachusetts, 16 July 1859. Partial wrapper of an entire posted unpaid in New York directed 'Pr Steamer from Boston for St. John'; charged ten cents, the cross-border rate at the time, it was marked with the exchange office charge of sixpence (Currency) and sent from St. John, New Brunswick to Kentville, via Windsor, Nova Scotia arriving there on 21 July 1859.

Letters from New York for Nova Scotia were sent by land to Boston for express steamship to St. John, then passed across the Bay of Fundy for Annapolis and on to destination. The New York exchange office used an oval '6d' handstamps for letters to the Maritime Provinces.

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island to Sherbrooke, Canada Fast, 10 November 1859. The cover prepaid threepence currency at Charlottetown that travelled via Montreal, Canada Fast, marked by that office on 23" November 1859 (reverse); this suggests that it travelled overland, or was held for the Cunard feeder service for mails from the United.

Although Canada adopted decimal currency on 1 July 1859 Prince Edward Island did not change until 1 January 1872; inter-provincial letters from Prince Edward Island continued to be rated in pence and shillings currency, threepence currency per half ounce.

Boston, Massachusetts to Georgetown, Prince Edward Island, via Halifax, 1 June 1859.

This folded letter prepaid five cents in Boston and carried by British packet, the Cunard Line 'Canada', to Halifax. At Halifax the sea postage of fourpence Sterling was raised to which twopence Sterling inter-Provincial postage was added for a total of sixpence Sterling, ninepence Prince Edward Island Currency. On the reverse are Halifax and Prince Edward Island transit marks for the 2nd and 7th of June.

Brampton, Canada West, to Summerside, Prince Edward Island, 22 April 1860. A family letter (brother to sister) charged five cents. The letter travelled via Lennoxville and Montreal, 26 - 27 April 1860, and arrived in Charlottetown in May 1860. On the reverse, there is a large red arrival handstamp of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, dated 7th May 1860.

The letter reads:
"What are they getting the Rifle companies for, do you expect an invasion from some foreign enemy or is it to keep down civil commotion. I hope the conservative party in politics, now in power, is not driving the democrats into rebellion. Even this would be better than that you should devise a scheme to rush into republicanism and throw off by force of arms your allegiance to Great Britain!"

Canada adopted decimal currency on 1" July 1859 and letters to Prince Edward Island were charged five cents per half ounce if prepaid, although the threepence handstamps remained in use for some time, occasionally modified locally.