20c single letter rate for 250-350 miles plus 4c ship fee stampless cover

May 27, 1797

Folded letter dated May 27, 1797, from Rotterdam, Netherlands, to Philadelphia, carried by sailing ship “Harmony,” Captain Dingly, from Rotterdam to Boston. Letter entered US mail system at Boston on August 5, 1797. Here it was marked with a straightline handstamp "BOSTON" in the lower left corner and a small circular datestamp in the upper left corner with the numeral and letters “5 AV” for August 5. This style datestamp was fashioned after a similar one used in England known as “Bishop Mark,” which had a horizontal line dividing the day and month. The American version, sometimes called a “Franklin Mark,” had no dividing line. At Boston the letter was marked in the upper right corner for 24 cents postage due in Philadelphia, 4 cents incoming ship fee, plus 20 cents inland fee from Boston to Philadelphia (250-350 miles).