Transatlantic Cover to Newport, Rhode Island
1820
April 18, 1820, folded letter with printed legal announcement inside from Marseille, France, to Providence, Rhode Island, carried by sailing ship to Newport, Rhode Island. Letter arrived at Newport on June 9 and entered US postal system as a ship letter. Newport clerk marked SHIP to show the source of the letter to the mail system and that 14-cents postage was due in Providence, 2-cents ship fee plus two x 6-cents = 12¢ inland fee for a letter going less than thirty miles. The double rate means the letter contained an enclosure, which is missing now. Notation under rate in upper right corner indicates that postage was charged to recipient's account on June 9.
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