Black New York City Clam Shell, Feb 8, Dot Variety, on folded letter datelined "Bordeax le 29 Novembre 1801" on folded letter to Philadelphia. Manuscript "Sh 14 1/2,"

Carried privately by ship to New York, rated Ship 14 1/2 for 12 1/2 c to Philadelphia + 2c ship fee.

Received on Feb 10, 71 days later. Letter is in French

Black New York City Clam Shell, Aug 20, Dot Variety, on folded letter docketed August 20, 1801 to Alexandria, Virginia. Large red manuscript "17"

Black New York City Clam Shell, Mar 6, Dot Variety, on folded letter datelined New Orleans 10th Feb 1802, to Philadelphia.

Orange New York City Clam Shell, Mar 27, dash variety on 1802 folded cover to Portsmouth, NH. Manuscript " Sh 42" and "P. Two Friends via New York"

Black New York City Clam Shell, Feb 18, Dot Variety, on folded letter to Connecticut. Manuscript "36 1/2"

The letter appears to have been carried from the Southeast Coast (possibly the Carolinas) to New York where it was put in the mail. The distance from New York to New Haven is about 80 miles. This was rated as a triple rate letter.

Letter from a husband about a business trip to his wife.

Black New York City Clam Shell, Oct 5, dash variety, on 1802 folded letter from New York to Philadelphia. Manuscript "Insurances William Wallis Spring 1802" docketing.

Black New York City Clam Shell, Oct 25, on 1802 folded letter addressed to William Meredith, Esq., Counsellor at Law, Philadelphia. No contents.

The letter is rated 12½ cent rate for a distance of 50-100 miles

Black New York City Clam Shell, Mar 18, Dash Variety
on 1803 folded letter to Massachusetts with manuscript red "12" rate.

Black New York City Clam Shell, Apr 4, dash variety, on folded letter datelined Amsterdam Jan 18th, 1803.

The cover originated Jan 18 in London and is docketed Feb 2nd.
It entered mails at New York as a Ship Letter with manuscript "Sh" (Ship) and 2c added to the 17c distance rate for a total due of 19c.

The cover was carried privately outside of any mails from England to arrive in New York probably April 4th. This practice was relatively common up to about 1870 when the postal rate became low enough to not make it worth anyone's effort to avoid.

The Falmouth Packet's Lady Arabella was scheduled to sail on 20 January 1804. Its anchor chain broke the same day and the ship was driven ashore; therefore no departure to New York. When this letter was written the writer probably knew this as sailing dates were known to most.

The Falmouth Packet ship Prince Adolphus, carrying the previous mail and its own, departed 7 February 1804 but had to put back into port on the 8th. The Prince Adolphus finally got off to New York on 12 February arriving 6 April 1804.....two days after this cover's arrival mark, taking 7 weeks to cross.

Since this April 4 date is before the arrival of the packet it had to go on a private ship.

This letter was carried on the "Two Friends" that was reported on April 4, 1803 (in New York Daily Advertiser) as having arrived from London in 29 days.

Red New York City Clam Shell, Mar 17, dash variety, on folded letter docketed March 15th, 1804 from "East Chester" to Attica, NY.

This is a very late usage of the red clam shell. Calvet Hahn records latest use as March 22, 1804, only 5 days later.

New York City stampless folded letter to Troy. 17 rate; toned vertical file fold; business conten

Red New York City clamshell on stampless cover to Philadephia. 12 1/2 rate, No Contents

Very Fragile, Faults, taped together, 3 total pieces, see images

Red Baltimore Jan 8 cds on folded letter to Fredricktown, datelined Jan 8 1802. Red "10" manuscript.

BALTE.MD.("E"&"D"high)(1 8) ASCC Baltimore #18

Black "NEWBt Ms JAN 8" cds on 1800 folded letter to Portsmouth.

New Jersey TREN. N.J OCT/17 1801 CDS with matching "PAID" handstamp on large folded letter with manuscript "34" rate marking, to New Haven CT.

Red "FRANKt, KY Mar 24" cds on 1817 folded cover Providence, RI, with "Ship 10" and "25" manuscripts.

Black Petersburg, VA cds on folded cover to Norfolk. Manuscript "12 1/2"

Pittsburgh, PA DEC 1 cds on 1820 folded letter to Philadelphia. Manuscript "18 3/4' rate.

Black "NEWPT RI MAY 22" cds, Newport folded letter to Providence, RI with manuscript "Sh 10"

Black "NEWPT RI JUN 19" cds on 1807 folded letter to Alexandria with manuscript "20"

Red Salem, MS cds, datelined Boston Oct 12 1808, on folded letter to Hollowell, Maine. Manuscript "17" rate marking.

Clear Strike of "Charln. S.Ca. Mar 26" cds with matching "Ship" rating handstamp and manuscript "53" on folded letter to St. Simons, Georgia. Letter datelined Dec 7, 1807 from Liverpool endorsed "pr Romp/ v Charleston", Very Fine.

Rated as Triple Rate by the Act of March 2, 1799 . ( 17c letter rate up to 300 miles plus 2c ship fee).

Before the introduction of navigable post road letters carried by ship on coastal routes in 1827, ship letters were charged the equivalent overland mileage rate and the additional 2c ship fee.

St. Simons Island is off the Georgia coast near Brunswick. The Charleston cds is an example of the second shipment of circular datestamps supplied by the Post Office Department.

Brown Providence, RI JAN 11 cds on folded letter to New York with manuscript "17" rate.

Black "SAVAN GA MAY 2" cds on 1807 folded letter to New York with manuscript "25"

Black "NEWARK, NJ JUN 17" cds on folded cover to New Work. Datelined 16 June 1802 with manuscript "24"