GB 1898 Qv Embossed Cover To Germany, Hexagon Cancel, Perfin

Embossed Stationery (sometimes mis-spelled as stationary)

Great Britain Queen Victoria 2-1/2d light blue embossed indicia on a 140mm x 110mm cover to Hamburg, Germany, uprated with a one penny 1d perfined QV stamp.

Perfin is T H / & Co (I think), 5 holes vertical.

Origin postmarked with a hexagon-shaped date stamp and 10-barred-obilerator duplex cancellation 'L4 / 3 PM / MARK-LANE / 1 FE 98' in London,

Reception back-stamped 'HAMBURG / 14 / (FREIHAFEN) / 2 2 98 / (?)5-6 No(?)'

Opened on left side (away from the stamps area), back side flap on that side missing.














Question - what does Freihafen mean? Does that mean tax free for entry purposes perhaps?

edit: added back scan.

Tomkins Hildeshein were coffee importers,

conjures imaginations of business men in London
meeting at the coffee houses and sharing news.
Great cover.

The perfin example is a fine "proof"
tied to cover.

Under the microscope, I would venture to say
you will probably find "FS" in the barred obliterator.
(Foreign Section)

Perhaps the embossing has clouded the impression?

I was wondering if there should be something there but am not the computer wiz enough to discern what it might be.

Thanks for the perfin ID.

Am I correct on saying L4?
And does the hexagon shape indicate Late Fee and the 1d stamp pay the late fee? Still learning here.

Makes sense because coffee and tea would have been a big part of the warehousing in Hamburg's free port.

Thanks Cjd! And Google translates Freihafen as Freeport, so does this mean a tax-free haven of sorts?

Too bad the envelope didn't smell of tea or coffee! That would add to the flavour.

On a sadder note,
this business was "Aryanised" during 1938 / 1939 and liquidated.
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Am I correct on saying L4?
And does the hexagon shape indicate Late Fee and the 1d stamp pay the late fee? Still learning here.
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We are all learning here Puzz :)
I think you are correct on all counts
am too lazy to look up GB postage rates right now.