Cal To NY Via Nicaragua 20 Cents Due

Mar 1851 route?

The cover was penciled as California to NY via Nicaragua. However, on the web I see similar cover via the Panama route. The straight-line "steam ship" was applied in the New York office.

Letters rated 20¢ from Chagres are much scarcer than those posted at Panama and rated 30¢.

The Vanderbilt route via Nicaragua eastbound opened July 14, 1851, from San Francisco (steamer Pacific) to San Juan del Sur.

After land, lake, and river transfer of cargo, passengers and private-route mail, steamer Prometheus continued on from San Juan del Norte August 4 to New York City August 13 (Walske-Frajola, 2014).

The Vanderbilt route via Nicaragua westbound opened July 14, 1851, from New York City (steamer Prometheus) to San Juan del Norte.

After river, lake, and land transit of cargo, passengers and private-route mail, steamer Pacific continued on from San Juan del Sur to San Francisco (dates not at hand).

"The Vanderbilt route via Nicaragua eastbound opened July 14, 1851, from San Francisco (steamer Pacific) to San Juan del Sur.

After land, lake, and river transfer of cargo, passengers and private-route mail, steamer Prometheus continued on from San Juan del Norte August 4 to New York City August 13 (Walske-Frajola, 2014)"

Thank you or your comment.

Based on your info, the penciled marking of Mar 15 1851 may be questionable sinc ethe route was not opened until July 14, 1851.

Or the penciled date could be correct and the cover went via Panama, not Nicaragua.