10c Yellow (116). Tied by circular cork cancel, "San Buenaventura Cal. Jul. 5" (1870) circular datestamp on Phantom Rate cover to Aurillac, France, red "New York Paid All Br. Transit" backstamp, "6" cents credit handstamp, red London transit (Jul. 30) and "PD" in circle, Calais entry datestamp, docketing at left, stamp with a couple minor perf tip creases at right, Very Fine example of the elusive Phantom Rate, effective July 1, 1870, the new Anglo-French postal convention reduced the rate between Great Britain and France to 3p per 10 grams, which in turn reduced the Phantom Rate from 12c to 10c (with a corresponding reduction in credit to GB from 8c to 6c)

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10c Yellow (116). Intense shade and perfectly centered, barely noticeable sealed tear at right, tied by bold circle of V's cancel and red "New York Apr. 5" (1870) circular datestamp with matching "Too Late" straightline handstamp on small cover to Paris, France, sender's directive "Per Stm. Lafayette via Brest", blue Cherbourg transit (Apr. 17) and "8" decimes due handstamp, receiving backstamp, Extremely Fine appearance, a two-part article in Chronicle 88 and 91 discusses the "Too Late" handstamp and records only three examples on 1869 issue covers, it was used to indicate that the letter missed the designated sailing, the Lafayette sailed Apr. 2 and this cover was carried on the HAPAG's Hammonia II, illustrated in North Atlantic Mail Sailings 1840-75 (p. 186), ex Haas and Coulter, with 2006 P.F. certificate

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10c Yellow (116). Bright color, tied by fancy rosette cancel, red "New York Paid Direct Jan. 22" (1870) circular datestamp on orange-buff cover to Berlin, Germany, red boxed "Bremen Franco" handstamp, transit backstamp, Very Fine, with 1986 P.F. certificate

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10c Yellow (116). Vivid color, tied by remarkably bold Leaf fancy cancel, red "New York Paid All Direct Sep. 23" (1869) circular datestamp on orange-buff cover to Speyer, Germany, red Bremen boxed transit also ties stamp, Speyer arrival backstamp, Extremely Fine strike of this fancy cancel and very desirable on an overseas cover, with 2009 P.F. certificate

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10c Yellow (116). Horizontal pair, vivid color, trivial short perf at right, tied by segmented cork cancels on bright white cover with part-printed address to Berlin, Germany, stamps deliberately affixed over the word "Liverpool" in route directive and sender has written "Hamburg" instead, prepaid for double 10c Direct rate, red "New York Paid All Direct Dec. 7" (1869) circular datestamp, red "HAMBURG/ 19/12 69 /FRANCO" framed datestamp, receiving backstamp (Dec. 20), "Solomon Beuthner New York" brown oval return address label on back -- Beuthner was a German Jewish merchant who established a business in Taos, New Mexico, in the 1850s -- Very Fine, a beautiful cover from the Friedmann correspondence

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10c Yellow (116). Rich color, tied by negative "P" fancy cancel and "Pittsburgh Pa. Dec. 18" circular datestamp on buff cover to Germany, red New York credit datestamp, receiving backstamps, some slight soiling, Very Fine

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10c Yellow (116). Centered to bottom left, tied by blue rosette cancel, matching :"Savannah Ga. Dec. 23" circular datestamp on cover to Bremen, Germany, some age spots, Fine

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10c Yellow (116). Superbly centered, intense shade, tied by perfect strike of segmented circular cork cancel on blue folded letter to Bordeaux, France, sender's blue double-circle datestamp, red "New York Mar. 12" (1870) circular datestamp, Calais arrival datestamp and "GB/40c" Anglo-French accountancy handstamp, French "5" decimes due handstamp

EXTREMELY FINE USE OF THE 10-CENT 1869 PICTORIAL ON A LETTER TO FRANCE, PREPAID FOR THE 10-CENT DIRECT RATE BUT SENT BY BRITISH OPEN MAIL.

The 1857 U.S.-French postal treaty expired on Dec. 31, 1869, making it difficult to fully prepay postage between the two countries, and impossible to fully prepay postage to France with U.S. stamps alone (with the exception of the unannounced Phantom Rate from New York via British mails). This cover was prepaid for the 10c direct rate to France (with French postage due), but was sent by British Open Mail, which required only 4c.

Ex Caspary -- the $210 realization in the 1956 Caspary sale caused Ashbrook to muse about what factors could have driven up the price to such an extraordinary level (Special Service, page 561, photo 277) and "European Connoisseur"

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10c Yellow (116). Vibrant color, tied by "N. York Steamship Jun. 20" (1870) circular datestamp on blue folded letter from Mayaguez, Puerto Rico to Philadelphia, clear strike of blue "Latimer & Co., Mayaguez, P.R. Jun. 8, 1870" double-oval company datestamp, blue St. Thomas forwarder's backstamp, sender's directive "pr. Brazil Steamer", Very Fine and rare use from Puerto Rico to Philadelphia via St. Thomas, ex Knapp

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10c Yellow (116). Wide interpane margin at right, tied by circle of wedges cancel, "Manistee Mich. Dec. 20" circular datestamp on pink cover to Szalka, Hungary, red "New York Paid All Direct" and Hamburg transits, repaired opening fault at upper left, otherwise Fine, scarce destination, ex Mack

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