S.B. Mary Foley. Perfectly
struck red negative oval handstamp on lady's embossed cover to New Orleans,
red "Paid./F.A. Dentzel/Agt. P.O./N.O." in oval handstamp, ms. "Steamer
Mary Foley" at top left, with original letter datelined April 25, 1850,
Very Fine, an outstanding strike of this steamboat marking (Image) 
STEAMER/WINFIELD SCOTT.
Two-line handstamp in red, boldly struck on 1853 brown cover to Osterville
Mass., faint red "Martinez Cal. Nov. 30" circle with ms. date, matching red
"10" handstampVERY FINE. RECOVERED FROM THE WRECK OF THE PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP COMPANY STEAMER WINFIELD SCOTT. ONE OF THE MOST DESIRABLE OF THE PACIFIC COAST NAME-OF-BOAT HANDSTAMPS -- ONE OF SEVEN RECORDED WHILE THE WINFIELD SCOTT WAS IN SERVICE ON THIS ROUTE.
The Winfield Scott was a 1,291-ton steamer built in New York City in 1851, which was put into service along the Pacific Coast route in 1852. On December 2, 1853, she was stranded off Anacapa Island in the Santa Barbara Channel and lost, but the mails, passengers and cargo were saved. Our Levi records contain nine examples of the two-line handstamp, of which two were carried before the Winfield Scott was commissioned into the Pacific service.
Ex Polland. (Image)
Earliest Recorded Prussian
Closed Mail Cover. Blue folded letter datelined "New York 30 Oct.
1852" to Switzerland, red "N. York 7 Am. Pkt. Paid Oct. 30" credit
datestamp, ms. "per Baltic", other appropriate transit markings in
red and blue, Very Fine and choice, research by Allan Radin and Richard
Winter indicates that the first closed mail under the new Prussian Treaty
was carried on the Baltic on Oct. 30, 1852
(Image) 
BALIZE. Bold straightline
with faint ms. date and rate, "SHIP" straightline handstamp circular
datestamp on folded letter datelined "Chester July 11th 1808" from
Col. William Anderson to Col. Thomas H. Cushing at New Orleans, sender's
routing "Hon'd by Capt. Barry", very faint forwarding directions
with New Orleans address crossed out and "Fort Adams" added,
red "New Orleans Sep. 26" circular datestamp, ms. line thru rate at upper
right and re-rated "17" just below "Ship" handstamp, some bleed-thru from
cross-outs in letterAN EXTREMELY RARE "BALIZE" STRAIGHTLINE AND UNUSUAL FORWARDED USAGE BETWEEN NEW ORLEANS AND FORT ADAMS.
Fort Adams was established in 1798 on the left bank of the Mississippi, north of New Orleans. In 1807 Cantonment Columbian Springs was built to accommodate the large number of troops. In 1810, both the fort and the cantonment were abandoned.
Col. William Anderson (1763-1829) of Chester Pa. served on the staff of General Lafayette during the Revolutionary War and was present at Valley Forge, Germantown and Yorktown. He participated in the Battle of Brandywine. From 1809 to 1819, Col. Anderson was a member of congress. Col. Thomas H. Cushing, to whom this letter is addressed, also served during the Revolutionary War.
Ex Chase. The Balize straightline is priced at $4,500 in the American Stampless Cover Catalogue. (Image)
"West End Santa Cruz [Virgin
Islands] Dec. 19, 1840." Dateline on incoming folded letter to New York
City and forwarded to Monroe Mich., red "Wilmington N.C. Jan. 23"
circular datestamp and matching "Ship" handstamp, also red "New-York Jan.
29" and matching "Forwarded" handstamp, total rate is 52c, fresh and Very
Fine, an attractive incoming and forwarded ship's letter from a missionary
(Image) 
U.S. Mail Steamship Fah Kee
Apr. 21, 1866 St. Jago. Handstamp and "Steamship 10" in circle on
folded letter datelined "Santiago, Cuba Abril 20 de 1866" to New
York City, light vertical file folds, Very Fine and rare, perhaps ten
covers are known carried aboard this steamship from Santiago and this is
the only one recorded with the "Fah Kee" marking struck on the front of the
cover, the Fah Kee was a U.S. Naval vessel during the Civil War and
was sold to Waydell & Co. of New York, who made an arrangement in 1865 with
the Postmaster General to carry mails from New York to Santiago de Cuba via
Bermuda, illustrated in Stone's book on p. 285
(Image)