Outgoing letter in the use of Indian Ship Letter Rate (from March
to Sept 1845) 1845 (March 2), a good cover in 1/2 ounce sent from
Hong
Outgoing letter in the use of Indian Ship Letter Rate (from March
to Sept 1845) 1845 (March 2), a good cover in 1/2 ounce sent from
Hong Kong to England addressed to Foreign Office London, showing a
very scarce 4-pence quarter ounce Indian Ship Letter rate, which
charged for only 7 months from March to Sept 1845. This special
rate applied to letters carried by private ship between India and
China in 1845 as announced by British Post Office (please refer to
Mr. D.L. Davies in HK Study Circle Journal 269 for further details
related to the subject of Indian Ship Letter rate). On the reverse,
cancelled by HK despatch c.d.s. (2 Mar), and arrival c.d.s. in
London (5 June). The letter was carried by “Anonyma” to Bombay (20
Apr) and then the first voyage of the private ship “Queen” from
Bombay to Aden (11 May) across Indian sea. On the obverse, in the
upper right-hand corner, a set of manuscript rate marks “1(s)/5(d)
plus 10(d) = 2(s)/3(d)” was deleted. A new manuscript rate of
“2(s)/7(d)” written in the middle of the cover. Since the 4d Red
Seas Ship Letter Rate was newly implemented in March 1845, the
above first rate mark of “2/3” was then crossed out and amended to
pay “2/7” by adding the newly implemented 4d Red Seas Ship Letter
rate. Believed to be the earliest outgoing cover carrying the very
short usage of 4d Indian Ship rate to private ship letter. Ex-
Peter Shek.
