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Auction: 17025 - Bermuda, Crossroads of the Atlantic: A Postal History from 1617 to 1877 - The David Pitts Collection
Lot: 88

(x) Packet Letters
G.P.O./Admiralty Period, 1806-1840
The G.P.O. continued its Falmouth Packet service to North America, extending it to Bermuda in 1806 in response to military needs. At first the G.P.O. had a virtual monopoly on the North America route though by 1823 competition from American companies rendered the service unprofitable and the Admiralty assumed responsibility for it since military needs remained unchanged
The service went underwent a number of route changes before it was finally abandoned in 1840 and contracted to Cunard. There are seven different routes
Route 6, October 1827-June 1833.
With the failure of the organisation of 1827, the route was changed back to the year-round one of 1823-26, i.e. Route 4
1828 (May) entire from Mexico City via Vera Cruz to London per Sheldrake, bypassing Jamaica and via Bermuda to Falmouth, marked "p the We packet and dated "12/-", showing light "franco en/vera cruz" handstamp crossed by filing crease and with "Oz. at 12/- per Oz" handstamp at top, arrival datestamp (19.7) on reverse

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