Lot 2137
1847 Boston to Nova Scotia, via Halifax
Unusual Use Written at Sea
Mise à prix: $150
Estimation: $300 - $500
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.}
Provenance
Ex Malcolm Montgomery
Informations sur la vente
The Philatelic Icons Sale 2026 | June 26-28
Sale 28: U.S. & Worldwide Stampless Postal History, and 18th Century American Historical Documents — Friday, June 26, 2026 | 3pm EST, 12pm PST
We are honored to present The Philatelic Icons Sale, the largest and most significant auction Americana Stamps has ever offered.
America's history lives in the letters that crossed goldfields and battle lines, in express covers that linked frontier towns to the outside world, and in the stamps that mark how a young country built its postal system from scratch. This sale brings together more than 1,500 lots that trace that story, including philatelic icons seldom offered to the public.
This auction is a natural fit for 2026, the 250th year of the United States, and for the Boston 2026 World Expo (May 23 to 30, Booth 141), the once-per-decade international exhibition where we are proud to open the sale. More than 750 lots are accompanied by Philatelic Foundation certifications, the largest concentration of certified material we have ever offered in a single sale.
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✔ High-resolution imagery of all aspects of the item
✔ Links to reference articles and supporting research
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✔ Census data and population insights
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Whether you are pursuing a long-sought rarity or simply enjoy the chance to study material of this caliber, we invite you to explore the Philatelic Icons Sale and join us in Boston for our largest in-person preview to date.