項次 1852

1849 (March) A double forwarders’ opened out cover sent from Hong Kong to New York, addressed to “Mrs. Annie Ward, care of James Herring Esq., Howard house, Corner of Broadway & Howard St.,, New York”, an arrival c.d.s. “NEW-YORK MAY 14/ 2 (cts)”. On the reverse, cancelled by a red oval forwarder mark in HK “FORWARDED BY RAWLE DRINKER & CO. / HONG KONG”, and a blue oval forwarder mark from London “LEMUEL GODDARD / LONDON”, together with a small pencil mark of “1849. According to the US Philatelic Classics Society references and Simpson-Alexander’s listings, the device of circular NEW-YORK / 2 (cts) C.D.S. was introduced from 1851 and remained in use into early 1860s. The date of May 14 matched with the bi-monthly itinerary of Cunard Line in May 1851. Based on this, the use of the above New York 2 cts C.D.S. is in the first year’s usage.