#161 1873 10c Brown, Tied on Cover to Cuba via Steamer

Stamp tied by blue target cancel with matching "STOCKTON, ME. AUG. 2, (1875)" on cover to Cuba via New York on steamer "City of Merion", black "NA1" in oval.

The Havana post office applied this large oval NA1 marking which denotes the single rate 1 real (equivalent to 12.5 US cents) internal postage due. The postage rate only paid for carriage to the Cuban frontier, with internal Cuban postage to be paid by addressee upon delivery. The overpayment of U.S. postage by the sender was likely a consequence of the previous month’s rate reduction for American packet mail service to Cuba from 10 cents to 5 cents per half oz, with this letter being franked for the old higher rate.