Transatlantic Cover to Milford, Pennsylvania

1872

February 24, 1872, Florence, Italy, to Milford, Pennsylvania (Pike County), envelope sent under the US-Italy postal convention of 1870, and paid 55 centesimi for a single-rate letter up to 15 grams weight. Letter payment made with a single 5 centesimi slate green and 30 centesimi brown 1863 adhesive and a 20 centesimi blue 1867 adhesive. Letter marked P.D. at Florence to show it was fully paid. Black oval business marking of sending company, Mackay Hooker & Company of Florence, was struck on the reverse as well as a Verona datestamp of February 25, 1872. Letter placed in a closed mailbag in Italy and not opened until arrival at New York, where datestamp showed that letter was fully paid. The New York arrival date of March 14 indicates letter could have been carried on either the Inman Line steamship “City of New York II” from Queenstown on March 1 or the Cunard steamship “Abyssinia” from Queenstown on March 3, 1872.