Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

**Pioneer Steamships**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description
1001		S.S. Robert Fulton. Two covers on well-annotated exhibit pages, each endorsed "Robert Fulton": Jul. 6, 1821 from New Orleans to Boston entering mails with red "New-York Jul. 24" circular datestamp, matching "Ship" handstamp and ms. "20-1/2" rate, and May 1, 1822 from Balize (at the mouth of the Mississippi River) to Portsmouth N.H. entering mails with red "New-York May 21" circular datestamp, matching "Ship" and ms. "20-1/2" rate, the long voyages included stops at Havana and Charleston, both covers are Very Fine, the Robert Fulton is described by historians as the first coal-powered steamship (with auxiliary sails) designed for ocean voyages, launched in 1820 she ran the New York-Charleston-Havana-New Orleans route, making 18 voyages in five years, however, despite this activity, covers carried on the Robert Fulton are very scarce (Image)	E. 500-750
1002		S.S. British Queen. 1841-42, specialized study of mail carried by the British Queen, one of the first Cunard steamships to make transatlantic crossings, she sailed under the British flag until August 1841, when she was sold to the Belgian government in the first serious effort to establish a non-British steamship service on the North Atlantic, comprises eleven covers on annotated exhibit pages with copious notes, incl. four carried on the last outbound or homebound voyages as a ship under the British flag, followed by covers from the first, second and last voyages under Belgian flag (one originating in Russia), Very Fine, an extremely scarce group of covers (Image)	E. 1,000-1,500
1003		S.S. President. 1840-41, specialized study collection of this early Cunard steamship, which completed only four transatlantic crossings before disappearing on the return trip from New York to Liverpool in March 1841, comprising 13 covers incl. three from the maiden outbound voyage, maiden return, second outbound (3), second return (3, incl. one from New Orleans with 50c plus 50c Freight Money charge), last outbound voyage, also incl. 10/29/1840 from Baltimore intended for the President but refused because Freight Money charge had not been paid, and a remarkable cover from Charleston S.C. 8/27/1840 with two large "25" handstamps (25c plus 25c Freight Money) intended for President sailing but handstamped "Too Late" in N.Y. and sent on the Blue Swallowtail Line's Roscoe, all Very Fine, a fascinating study of mail carried by this historic (and ill-fated) Cunarder, all carefully described on exhibit pages with extensive detail regarding sailings and markings, the maiden voyage covers are worth $400-500 each, the two prepaid Freight Money covers $500-750 each, and the others $200-300 each -- the opportunity to acquire this significant collection in one lot is priceless (Image)	E. 3,000-4,000
1004		S.S. Great Western. Three covers carried in 1839 by this famous Cunard steamship, all with Freight Money charges and "Bristol/Ship Letter" handstamp, sender's ship designation "Great Western", incl. Philadelphia to London rated 37-1/2c (12-1/2c plus 25c Freight Money) on 6/13/1839 trip, another from Philadelphia to London rated $1.50 (4x postage plus 4x 25c Freight Money) on 8/1/1839 trip, last from Charleston S.C. to Scotland rated in ms. 25c plus 25c (Freight Money) on 11/15/1839 trip, Very Fine, each cover is described in detail on an exhibit page, these are the "Classics" of transatlantic postal history (Image)	E. 1,000-1,500
1005		Pioneer Steamship and Sailing Packets. Approximately 300 covers on annotated exhibit pages in nine albums, each volume identified by line or vessel as follows: Falmouth Packets (1791-1836), Great Western Steamship Co. (1838-46), S.S. Liverpool (1838-40), Blue and Red Swallowtail Lines (1827-54), Pioneer Steamship Lines (two volumes, 1838-49), Sailing Packets (1798-1854), and Black Ball Line (1818-47), an extraordinary array of markings and usages incl. maiden and final voyages, Freight Money letters, Harnden markings, U.S. Express Mail, Canada "U.S. Post Paid" straightline, low-volume lines such as Cope's Philadelphia, Welsh, Red Star, Black X Line, Dramatic Line, New Line, H & H, New York-Grennock Immigrant Line, Red Cross, Boston Importing Co., N.O. & N.Y., several "Consignee Letter" endorsements, British "Ship Letter" handstamps, all described in meticulous detail with extensive background notes and letter transcripts, excellent condition, this period of transatlantic mails is filled with history and romance, and this collection represents a unique opportunity to acquire a lifetime's work assembling a representative collection of covers carried by pioneer steamships, sailing packets and obscure early mail lines	E. 5,000-7,500
1006		Cunard Line Maiden Voyages. Three covers on annotated exhibit pages, incl. May 16, 1840 Inaugural Cunard Line voyage of the Unicorn, July 4, 1840 maiden outbound voyage and Aug. 1 maiden return voyage of the Britannia, each cover has ship name clearly designated, Very Fine, these are significant artifacts from the inception of Cunard's transatlantic packet service (Image)	E. 750-1,000
1007		S.S. Unicorn. Mar. 18, 1846 folded prices current with "Per 'UNICORN' Steamer" printed in heading (very unusual) and endorsed in ms. "per Unicorn" at top left, from Liverpool to Silas Pierce & Co. in Boston, red "London Ship Letter Paid 18 MR 1846" crown datestamp, red "Ship 6" handstamp applied at Boston, Very Fine, this was carried on the second transatlantic voyage of the Unicorn after the end of her service as a contract Cunard steamer, at this point she was privately owned and not under Royal Mail contract, examples of mail carried by the Unicorn during this period are rare -- on annotated exhibit page and with related correspondence (Image)	E. 200-300

Pioneer Steamships

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

1001

S.S. Robert Fulton. Two covers on well-annotated exhibit pages, each endorsed "Robert Fulton": Jul. 6, 1821 from New Orleans to Boston entering mails with red "New-York Jul. 24" circular datestamp, matching "Ship" handstamp and ms. "20-1/2" rate, and May 1, 1822 from Balize (at the mouth of the Mississippi River) to Portsmouth N.H. entering mails with red "New-York May 21" circular datestamp, matching "Ship" and ms. "20-1/2" rate, the long voyages included stops at Havana and Charleston, both covers are Very Fine, the Robert Fulton is described by historians as the first coal-powered steamship (with auxiliary sails) designed for ocean voyages, launched in 1820 she ran the New York-Charleston-Havana-New Orleans route, making 18 voyages in five years, however, despite this activity, covers carried on the Robert Fulton are very scarce (Image)

E. 500-750

1002

S.S. British Queen. 1841-42, specialized study of mail carried by the British Queen, one of the first Cunard steamships to make transatlantic crossings, she sailed under the British flag until August 1841, when she was sold to the Belgian government in the first serious effort to establish a non-British steamship service on the North Atlantic, comprises eleven covers on annotated exhibit pages with copious notes, incl. four carried on the last outbound or homebound voyages as a ship under the British flag, followed by covers from the first, second and last voyages under Belgian flag (one originating in Russia), Very Fine, an extremely scarce group of covers (Image)

E. 1,000-1,500

1003

S.S. President. 1840-41, specialized study collection of this early Cunard steamship, which completed only four transatlantic crossings before disappearing on the return trip from New York to Liverpool in March 1841, comprising 13 covers incl. three from the maiden outbound voyage, maiden return, second outbound (3), second return (3, incl. one from New Orleans with 50c plus 50c Freight Money charge), last outbound voyage, also incl. 10/29/1840 from Baltimore intended for the President but refused because Freight Money charge had not been paid, and a remarkable cover from Charleston S.C. 8/27/1840 with two large "25" handstamps (25c plus 25c Freight Money) intended for President sailing but handstamped "Too Late" in N.Y. and sent on the Blue Swallowtail Line's Roscoe, all Very Fine, a fascinating study of mail carried by this historic (and ill-fated) Cunarder, all carefully described on exhibit pages with extensive detail regarding sailings and markings, the maiden voyage covers are worth $400-500 each, the two prepaid Freight Money covers $500-750 each, and the others $200-300 each -- the opportunity to acquire this significant collection in one lot is priceless (Image)

E. 3,000-4,000

1004

S.S. Great Western. Three covers carried in 1839 by this famous Cunard steamship, all with Freight Money charges and "Bristol/Ship Letter" handstamp, sender's ship designation "Great Western", incl. Philadelphia to London rated 37-1/2c (12-1/2c plus 25c Freight Money) on 6/13/1839 trip, another from Philadelphia to London rated $1.50 (4x postage plus 4x 25c Freight Money) on 8/1/1839 trip, last from Charleston S.C. to Scotland rated in ms. 25c plus 25c (Freight Money) on 11/15/1839 trip, Very Fine, each cover is described in detail on an exhibit page, these are the "Classics" of transatlantic postal history (Image)

E. 1,000-1,500

1005

Pioneer Steamship and Sailing Packets. Approximately 300 covers on annotated exhibit pages in nine albums, each volume identified by line or vessel as follows: Falmouth Packets (1791-1836), Great Western Steamship Co. (1838-46), S.S. Liverpool (1838-40), Blue and Red Swallowtail Lines (1827-54), Pioneer Steamship Lines (two volumes, 1838-49), Sailing Packets (1798-1854), and Black Ball Line (1818-47), an extraordinary array of markings and usages incl. maiden and final voyages, Freight Money letters, Harnden markings, U.S. Express Mail, Canada "U.S. Post Paid" straightline, low-volume lines such as Cope's Philadelphia, Welsh, Red Star, Black X Line, Dramatic Line, New Line, H & H, New York-Grennock Immigrant Line, Red Cross, Boston Importing Co., N.O. & N.Y., several "Consignee Letter" endorsements, British "Ship Letter" handstamps, all described in meticulous detail with extensive background notes and letter transcripts, excellent condition, this period of transatlantic mails is filled with history and romance, and this collection represents a unique opportunity to acquire a lifetime's work assembling a representative collection of covers carried by pioneer steamships, sailing packets and obscure early mail lines

E. 5,000-7,500

1006

Cunard Line Maiden Voyages. Three covers on annotated exhibit pages, incl. May 16, 1840 Inaugural Cunard Line voyage of the Unicorn, July 4, 1840 maiden outbound voyage and Aug. 1 maiden return voyage of the Britannia, each cover has ship name clearly designated, Very Fine, these are significant artifacts from the inception of Cunard's transatlantic packet service (Image)

E. 750-1,000

1007

S.S. Unicorn. Mar. 18, 1846 folded prices current with "Per 'UNICORN' Steamer" printed in heading (very unusual) and endorsed in ms. "per Unicorn" at top left, from Liverpool to Silas Pierce & Co. in Boston, red "London Ship Letter Paid 18 MR 1846" crown datestamp, red "Ship 6" handstamp applied at Boston, Very Fine, this was carried on the second transatlantic voyage of the Unicorn after the end of her service as a contract Cunard steamer, at this point she was privately owned and not under Royal Mail contract, examples of mail carried by the Unicorn during this period are rare -- on annotated exhibit page and with related correspondence (Image)

E. 200-300

United States Postal History