STAMPLESS COVERS OF GREAT BRITAIN

1852 - UNPAID STAMPLESS COVER WITH BRITISH 1 SHILLING DUE HANDSTAMP
 AND TORONTO "1^s/4^d Cy" HANDSTAMP ON GLASGOW COVER

A Nice Trans-Atlantic Cover showing both British and Canadian postage due handstamps

COVERED BY OUR 5 YEAR PHILATELIC GUARANTEE OF AUTHENTICITY

Trans-Atlantic rate England to Canada carried by the Cunard Line "Africa" to New York which left Liverpool on May 8th.


 Reverse of Cover
Liverpool Oval Packet Mark and Offset Cancel of Octagonal Packet/Glasgow Mark

1852 Trans-Atlantic unpaid packet cover from Glasgow to Toronto, Canada West (Ontario). Cancelled Black Circle "1sh/4d Currency" accountancy mark showing amount of postage due. Backstamped in black oval Liverpool Packet Mark cds. The general Trans-Atlantic Packet rate from England to the Canada at this time was 1 shilling under the January 1840 Agreement for a standard weight letter (up to ½ ounce). In addition there was due 2 pence for the Canadian inland delivery for a total due of 1 shilling 2 pence in sterling (this equated to 1 shilling 4 pence in local Canadian Currency). As this letter was sent with no prepayment of postage, the full amount of 1s/2d was due. This requirement is noted by the British applied 1shilling mark, showing the amount of the total due to Britain for the Trans-Atlantic carriage (including British inland carriage) and the Canadian Post Office applied postage due handstamp of "1s/4d Cy". This provided the amount of postage due conversion from Sterling to Canadian currency so that the postman would know how much to collect for the letter. These are the scarce Arnell type A-5 and F-1 handstamps, the “1s/4d cy” used at Toronto, which had it by May of 1846 and was handling its own foreign mail via New York. Arnell further notes that: "In 1851, when the Canadian Post Office came into being, the British Post Office introduced accounting marks on letters addressed to British North America to show the amount owing it on unpaid letters." This is the “1 shilling” squiggly line handstamp. The rate changed to 8d (10 p currency) in March of 1854 so this British mark was only in use for 3 years.

Toronto applied Arnell Type A-5 1 shilling 4 pence Canada Currency accounting stamp to show conversion from 1sh/2d sterling due

Toronto applied Arnell Type A-5 1 Exemplar

British applied - Arnell Type F-1 Exemplar

British applied black 1 shilling sterling accountancy stamp indicating amount due to Britain - Arnell Type F-1

Black Octagonal Glasgow Cancel

[Please note that stampless cover catalogue numbers come from the following reference works: R. M. Willcocks, England's Postal History to 1840 with Notes on Scotland, Wales and Ireland (1975); R. M. Willcocks & Barrie Jay, The Postal History of Great Britain and Ireland 1981; Willcocks & Jay, The British County Catalogue of Postal History - Volumes 1 & 2, 2nd Ed. (1996); Barrie Jay, The British County Catalogue of Postal History Volume 3 London, 2nd Ed.(2005); Willcocks & Jay, The British County Catalogue of Postal History - Vol 4 (1988), Willcocks & Jay, The British County Catalogue of Postal History - Volume 5 (1990); American Stampless Cover Catalogue 2nd Ed. (1997); J.C. Arnell, Atlantic Mails - A History of the Mail Service between Great Britain and Canada to 1889 (1980); F. Jarrett, Stamps of British North America; W. S. Boggs, The Postage Stamps and Postal History of Canada; Hargest, History of Letter Communications between US and Europe 1845-1874, Starnes, US Letter Rates to Foreign Destination 1847-GPU; Tabeart, United Kingdom Letter Rates 1657-1900; Moubray, British Letter Mail to Overseas Destinations 1840-1875, J.J. MacDonald, The Nova Scotia Post, Its Offices, Masters and Marks (1985)]

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OUR 5 YEAR PHILATELIC GUARANTEE OF AUTHENTICITY

As a Life Member of the American Philatelic Society and in association with the American Philatelic Society's new guidelines on expertization, Berryhill & Sturgeon, Ltd. will guarantee the authenticity of this philatelic item to the purchaser of record for a period of five years from the date of sale. You will receive a full color receipt with our written guarantee of authenticity - signed and sealed. Please note that our five year Guarantee of Authenticity does not apply to condition issues such as centering, cancel, gum, paper or other aspects of the item. It is the buyer's responsibility to promptly examine the material upon receipt for any vices, defects or other dissatisfactions and return it within our seven day examination and "return-for-any-reason" period. However, if at any time during the five year period you receive an opinion from the American Philatelic Expertizing Service that this item is not authentic, please return the item in its original condition along with the written guarantee and contrary opinion and we will refund you the original purchase price and the cost of the opinion.