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Leith to Denmark 1860 - help with St. P.A. marking, rates

Posted: Wed Sep 01, 2021 1:10 pm
by Iangibsonsmith
A cover from Leith, Scotland to Denmark dated Feb 16, 1860. Can anyone help with some of the markings, rates and route?

It is marked Leith and then Edinburgh on 16 Feb, arrived and was marked in London along with an oval P (presumably meaning Paid). The next marking I do not know and is dated 19 Feb with a St. P.A. in oval. The same day, there is a Hamburg Germany marking. There is also a handstamped Franco in the lower left—was this a ship?

How was this routed? It is marked with a manuscript Via Ostende (Belgium) but obviously went to Hamburg.

Finally, what on earth was the rate and is there a source for this information I can use in future? There are what appear to be a 2 and 9 in one color and 2 in another and what could be 10 or 1 /0.

As for the recipient, city or content, I have no clue.

Thanks!

Re: Leith to Denmark 1860 - help with St. P.A. marking, rates

Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2021 2:21 am
by Winston W
The oval P means paid. My understanding is that St. P.A. in oval stands for Stadt Post Amt, the Prussian state post transit mark. You mention there is a Hamburg Germany marking, but I would take that to read "K.D.O.P.A. HAMBURG" applied by the Royal Danish Postal Agency in Hamburg, rather than being a German/Prussian marking.

Franco is not the ship taking your cover to Ostend, but the foreign marking meaning it was franked, or paid. It went overland (I guess by rail) from Ostend to Hamburg - I understand the packet to Hamburg ceased in December 1853.

For British letter mail rates to overseas destinations like this one in the 1840-1875 (pre-GPU/UPU era), I suggest you consult the Moubray book that is in the GBPS library (I expect what looks to be a 10½ rate is the 10½d amount paid to the British Post Office to get to its destination).
Jane MOUBRAY and Michael MOUBRAY, British Letter Mail to Overseas Destinations 1840-1875. London: The Royal Philatelic Society London, 1992. 512pp. or British Letter Mail to Overseas Destinations 1840 to UPU, 2nd edition. Royal Philatelic Society, 2017. 511pp.

The other manuscript figures are typically the accountancy markings related to the non-UK portion of its journey through various postal administrations. Too complex for me!

Re: Leith to Denmark 1860 - help with St. P.A. marking, rates

Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2021 2:12 pm
by Iangibsonsmith
Thank you! I just ordered a copy from Bill Barrell.