TWOBLUE:OVERSEASMAILSWITHTHE1841TWOPENNYBLUEPLATES3and4

TheGreatBritainTwoPenny(2d)Blueissueof1841wasissuedwithanupdateddesignfeaturingawhitelinebothbelow“Postage”andabove“TwoPence”andamorefugitiveinktopreventtheremovalofcancelsandfraudulentreuse.Between1841and1847itwasthehighestdenominationinuse,andsawuseuntilthemid-1850s.Astheuseofpostagestampsonoverseasmailsincreased,itwasacriticalcomponentofmanypostalratesandroutes.Inthisoverview,onlycoversutilizingstampsofTwoPenceandunderareshown.

DECEMBER7,1843:Dungarvon.IrelandtoHoppersMills,Illinois.8dShipLetterRateviaLiverpoolandNewYork,due27Cents.Frankedwith18412dBluePlate3‘RE-RH’stripoffourcanceledwithIrishMalteseCrossobliterators.

ThiscoveristheonlyrecordedShipLetterfromGreatBritainthatwassentintheMalteseCrosseraandfrankedwith2dBluestotheUnitedStates.Ex-Slemons.ThedestinationinHendersonCounty,ILisneartheIowaTerritoryborderanddoesnotappeartoexistanymore.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE3UNITEDSTATESOFAMERICA:1844ONESHILLINGRATE–ViaCunardPacket

NOVEMBER16,1844:Edinburgh,ScotlandtoLexington,VirginiaperCunard“Caledonia”viaLiverpool,HalifaxNovaScotia,andBoston.CoverprepaystheOneShillingpacketratewith18412dBluePlate3‘BG-BL’stripofsix.Due27CentsinLexingtonfor25CentsUSInlandplus2CentsShip.ThecoverwasbaggedandwasnothandledinBostonasitlacksBostonarrivalmarkings.TheBlue‘27’tendstopointtoithavingbeenincludedintheNewYorkbag.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE3GERMANY–KingdomofPrussia:1844OneShillingandEightPenceplus2dBlue“T-A”LateUsageof“MalteseCross”Obliteratoronastamp

DECEMBER9,1844:London,EnglandtotheCountessofWestmorelandinBerlin,KingdomofPrussiaperThamesPacketviaHamburg.TheratetoPrussiaviaHamburg,viaBelgium,orviaHollanddifferedby2ddependingupontheoriginoftheletter,being1s8dwithinLondonand1s10doutsideLondon.Coverfrankedwith18412dBluePlate3‘HG’plus1s8dincash.Theuseof1844-typenumeralobliteratorscommencedonMay1,1844howevertheuseofexisting“MalteseCross”typeobliteratorsisoccasionallyseen.Theplacementofthestamptothemiddle-leftoftheenvelopemayhaveledtoitbeingmissedandsubsequentlycanceledattheLondonChiefOfficebyaclerkorinspector.Coverbearsaroyalsealonthereverse.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE3UNITEDSTATESOFAMERICA:1844DOUBLEPRINTEDMATTER/NEWSPAPERRATE(2x2d)

MAY29,1844andJUNE17,1844:London,EnglandtoProvidence,RIperCunard“Acadia”and“Britannia”respectivelyviaLiverpool,HalifaxNovaScotia,andBostontwodouble-rateexamplesofTheTimeseachconsistingoftwonewspaperssentat2x2dratewith18412dBluePlate3‘DE-EE’and‘AE-BE’verticalpairsrespectively.TheLondonChiefOfficehadanumberofnumeralsassignedtoit,inthecaseofthesenewspapers,Number4andNumber21wereused.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE3DUCHYOFOLDENBURG:1848SIXPENNYRATE–BRITISHPORTIONONLY

JANUARY25,1848:CharingCross,LondontoDuchyofOldenburgpaying6dBritishRateonlywith18412dBluePlate3‘TA’,‘TC’and‘TE’singles.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE3FREECITYOFHAMBURG(H):1848EIGHTPENCERATE(8d)

MARCH12,1848:London,EnglandtoHamburghviaHamburghSteamerpaying8dratewith18412dBluePlate3“SA-SC”stripofthreeand“ND”single.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE4CAPEOFGOODHOPE:1850EIGHTPENCESHIPLETTERRATE(8d)

JULY9,1850:Kelso,ScotlandtoCapeTown,CapeofGoodHopepaying8drateviaPrivateShip“Agincourt”with18412dBluePlate4‘QG-QJ’stripoffour.Letteriscontainedinanunusual“scalloped”envelope.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE4NOVASCOTIA:1851ONESHILLINGRATEVIADIRECTPACKETplusLATEFEE

JULY16,1851:Manchester,EnglandtoHalifax,NovaScotiaperCunard“Europa”payingOneShillingDirectPacketRateplusOnePennyLateFeewith18412dBluePlate4“DD-DI”and18411dRed“AE”.ArrivedinHalifaxonAugust4,1851.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE4VALPARAISO,CHILE:1851TWOSHILLINGRATEVIACHAGRES

JULY14,1851:Liverpool,EnglandtoValparaiso,ChileperWestIndiesPacketviaSouthamptonandChagrespayingTwoShillingratewith18412dBlue‘PA-PB’pair,‘PC-PH’stripofsix,and‘PI-PJ’pairand18411dRed‘RE-RH’stripoffour.Anunusualfrankingsolargethatitusesbothsidesoftheletter.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE4FRANCE:1851TENPENNYRATE–LETTERSUNDER15gor¼OUNCE

DECEMBER16,1851:Innerleithen,ScotlandtoBordeaux,Franceprepaying10drateviadirectpacket(under15g,under¼ounce)with18412dBluePlate4‘TA-TE’stripoffive.

DECEMBER22,1851:London,EnglandtoParis,Franceprepaying10drateviadirectpacket(under15g,under¼ounce)with18412dBluePlate4fivesingles‘DG’,‘GA’,‘IA’,‘HA’,and‘AG’and18411dRedLateFee‘MF’.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE4BELGIUM:1852and1853SIXPENNYRATEVIAOSTENDE

JUNE3,1853:Wimbourne,EnglandtoBrussels,Belgiumpaying6drateviaOstendewith18412dBluePlate4‘BK-BL’pairand‘CL’single.

OCTOBER21,1852:London,EnglandtoBrussels,Belgiumpaying6drateviaOstendewith18412dBluePlate4‘GF-GH’stripofthree.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE4CANADA:1852UNDERPAIDQUADRUPLERATE(under2ounces)

OCTOBER14,1852:IndiaStreet,Edinburgh,ScotlandtoBrockville,UpperCanadaperCunard“Niagara”viaLiverpoolandHalifax,NovaScotiaasunpaidquadruplerateviaDirectBritishPacket(under2ounces)withonly18412dBluePlate4‘HB’.CoverratedFourShillingsSterlingduewhichconvertstoFiveShillingsandFourPenceinCanadianCurrency.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE4AUSTRIANEMPIRE–TRIESTE1852&1853EIGHTPENCERATEVIAPRUSSIA

OCTOBER20,1853:London,EnglandtoTrieste,AustrianEmpirepaying8drateviaOstendeandPrussiawith18412dBluePlate4‘NA-ND’stripoffour.

NOVEMBER5,1852:Folkestone,EnglandtoTrieste,AustrianEmpirepaying8drateviaOstendeandPrussiawith18412dBluePlate4‘II-IL’stripoffour.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE4KINGDOMOFHANNOVER:1853UNDERPAIDONESHILLINGANDFIVEPENCERATEHOLLAND:1853UNDERPAIDONESHILLINGRATE

AUGUST17,1853:Redditch,EnglandtoRotterdam,HollandunderpayingOneShillingrateby4dwith18412dBluePlate4stripoffour‘JA-JD’.Covertreatedasunpaidwith“InsufficientlyStamped”handstampandrated‘60’DutchCentsdue,equivalenttotheOneShillingrate.

APRIL21,1853:London,EnglandtoHannoverunderpayingthe1s5drateviaHollandasitisprepaidonlyforthecheaperroutingviaOstendeandPrussia,thusmarked“PART-PAID//MORETOPAY”atlowerright.Frankedwith18412dBluePlate4‘RG-RH’stripoffour.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE4NEWZEALAND:1853EIGHTPENNYSHIPLETTERRATEAUSTRALIA–NEWSOUTHWALES:1854SIXPENCE“EMPIRE”RATES

JULY14,1853:Halifax,EnglandtoWellington,NewZealandperPrivateShipviaSydney,NewSouthWales.Pays8dShipLetterratewith18412dBluePlate4‘CA-CD’stripoffour.Frompostingtodelivery,154daysintransit.5ddueinWellington.

OCTOBER6,1854:London,EnglandtoMelbourneat6dratewith18412dBluePlate4‘DA-DC’stripofthree.Mailed3daysafterthecoverbelow,itarrivedoveramonthlater.

OCTOBER3,1854:London,EnglandtoMelbourneperSteamer‘Argo’atnew6d‘EmpireRate’with18412dBluePlate4‘CD-CF’stripofthree.1dcredittoColonialPostalSystem.

1841TWOPENNYBLUE:PLATE4KINGDOMOFWURTTEMBERG:1854UNDERPAYMENTOFELEVENPENCERATEVIAFRANCEINDIA:1854ONESHILLINGANDTENPENCERATEVIAMARSEILLES

APRIL10,1854:London,EnglandtoKirchberg,KingdomofWurttembergviaFrance.Thecoverisfrankedwith18412dBluePlate4‘GH-GK’stripoffourwhichunderpaysthe11drateviaFranceby3d.Senderlikelywasconfusedwiththenumerous8dratesviaOstendeandPrussiatootherGermanStates,includingWurttemberg,butthatrequiredendorsement.

MARCH6,1854:Gravesend,EnglandtoBombay,IndiaviaMarseillespayingthepremiumOneShillingandTenPenceratewith18412dBluePlate4‘NA-NF’stripofsix,‘DC-DE’stripofthree,and‘CC-CD’pair.Ex-Wheat.