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Auction: 6021 - Great Britain Stamps & Covers
Lot: 220

x Great Britain Postal History Ireland 1854 (11 Mar.) soldier´s letter envelope from "Serjeant A.S. Reddington… 14th Regiment of Infantry" and countersigned by his commanding officer at lower-left, bearing 1841 1d. red-brown, MK, margins at places, tied by light black Irish numeral cancellation and large black circular "boston/br. pkt." 5c. due marking, the addressee "The Secretary of War of the United States, Washington" at this time was Jefferson Davis, although why an ordinary British soldier should be writing to him remains a mystery. Fine, clean and extremely attractive. Very rare. Photo Estimate £ 1,400-1,600Note: The 14th. Regiment moved from Wales to Ireland in June 1850. In 1852 it was stationed at various towns in Ireland with Headquarters at Limerick. On news of impending war with Russia in the Crimea, the regiment was divided into service and depot companies. The Depot was based at Limerick An American 5c. Inland Postage rate came into being following a United States and British Postal Treaty which was signed in 1848 and proclaimed on 15 February 1849 A British General Post Office Instruction of March 1849 stated "The letters of Soldiers and Seamen in the service of Her Majesty or the East India Company, when addressed to a Foreign Country, being subject to the payment of any foreign rates of postage, in addition to the reduced rate of British postage, all such Letters addressed to the United States will in future be chargeable with the United States´ inland rate of 5 cents, or 21/2d. sterling each, in addition to the British rate of postage of one penny" The Secretary of War of the United Statas at that time was Jefferson Davis, in the cabinet of President Franklin Pierce Provenance: Gerald Sattin, 2004

Sold for
£1,600