1865 Panama Transit Steamship Cover

1865 Panama Transit Steamship cover with a Type II 68 and 65. Front and back.


It was suggested that this cover is/was a forgery. My guess is because of the attempt to erase part of the cancel. Can't determine if the stamped signature was placed before the erasure or after. Nor can I determine what the signature says. And the cancel for that matter.

Cancel appears to be New Haven / Sep 4?

Red letters appear (to me) to be "Dead or Late" and are probably printed first, then tried to be erased. Again, just my opinion.

I can't figure out the cover. Have you looked under strong UV light to see if there is evidence of a replaced or missing stamp?
The Panama marking is British meaning that the cover arrived in Panama on a British mail steamer, probably originating somewhere on the west coast of South or Central America. The black manuscript 24 and it looks like an erased blue crayon 24 would be the 1 shilling British packet postage, but I don't see an origin marking.
If it originated in central / south America, who put on the 10 cent US stamp (perhaps a forwarding agent in Panama, but there is no forwarding agent marking)? I would like to see a higher resolution image of the tie between the steamship marking and the stamp. The cover was delivered to CT and then forwarded to NY. The "decede" marking is struck over the #65 - I guess it could have been applied by the final recipient in NYC, but why? It does not look like a postal marking and the ink color looks wrong for the period. Finally, I have no idea what is happening with the partially erased New Haven cancel and red writing.

Here is a Panama Transit cover originating in Peru

Here's a higher resolution scan on the tie between the STEAM SHIP and the stamp. No evidence of a removed stamp under UV light.

Is there a reference book or web site for the Panama three-line date stamp for the transit? Seems rather elusive. Thanks.

I'm not aware of a reference for the Panama marking. There is some information on the marking and other Panama transit markings in Theron Wierenga's United States Incoming Steamship Mail 1847-1875

If its the same Edward G Allen I just looked up, he died in 1871, not 1865, as the "questionable" marking would lead one to believe.

Let's begin again on figuring out at least some of the basic info on the OP's nice cover. Much of the mystery of the cover can be solved by translating the Spanish description on the reverse side, bottom. It reads:

"envelope from California to Connecticut and forwarded to New York, 3¢ mat. cork
The 10¢ mat steam ship, also passed through Panama Aug 20, 1865 (transit)"

Originating in California someone on SCF might be able to determine the ship it was carried on based on departure dates, etc. with the right reference material(s) which I do not have.

After transiting Panama my guess is that the cover made it to Woodbridge, CT then on to New Haven, CT (right next door to Woodbridge), where the 3¢ stamp was applied, canceled and forwarded to the New York address.

Arriving in New York it appears the addressee was found to be deceased (DECEDE).

Not sure what happened to the cover afterwards, but some how it survived to give us some pleasure today.

Mat, likely, was used as an abbreviation for 'matasellos:' i.e., cancellation.

Was the 'STEAM SHIP' cancellation similar to 'PAQUEBOT?'
Paquebot cancels would be applied when posted aboard the ship. The ship could have carried stamps from its home country.

If so, what evidence is there the item emanated from California? Would the use of a US stamp not narrow it down to a US ship sailing the Pacific or, maybe, a ship that had departed from a US port on the Pacific coast rather than that the item had been posted in California?

the notes are not contemporaneous and were added by a collector. I don't think they are correct for the reasons stated in my post back on October 14.

@SPQR:

Could you explain what you mean by




Why write '24' the cents equivalent of a British shilling if you suspect the ship was British?

Also, the 'STEAM SHIP' cancel appears to tie the 10 c stamp to the cover. This can be forged, but what would indicate it was?

Would 'STEAM SHIP' not have been applied at sea? This coincides with the lack of a trace of a cancellation mark that would identify the town where it was posted.

The amount is sometimes expressed in cents on covers to the US - see the cover from Peru that I posted back on October 14 with a handstamped "24"



Nothing indicates that it was forged. I asked the question before Moyock13 posted the close-up scan. I'm was just trying to think of possible explanations.




The STEAM SHIP marking was applied in New York.

Could it be the Panama transit mark is the forged part?

I think the cover is likely genuine, probably originating on the west coast of South Am. The marking on reverse is some dealer or collector marking and is probably wrong about the CA origin. If that is correct, however, then it was carried out of the mails to NY where it entered the US mails with steam ship. The decede is not a postal marking and was applied later.

What makes full id of the cover confusing is stuff has been erased. I see the crayon 24 which was erased, etc. So we may not know the full story here, but it doesn't necessarily appear forged. I agree blacklight in person study would be appropriate here to be sure.

I was asked by "Chevelle" to comment on this cover. I have not read the thread above at all.

My response was: David,

The "DECEDE" marks are certainly fake and the red ms in rubbed area is added, otherwise Genuine use by British mail via Panama to NYC with correct 10c Steam Ship cancel for inbound steamer from Panama. To Woodbridge CT - Taken out of the mails there and re-posted from New Haven to New York City.