The Van Koppersmith Collection of Ship Mail

datestamp with manuscript "Ship 14½" rate on folded letter to Newburyport, Massachusetts, datelined "London, 26th June 1811", very fine, ex-Hazelton

datestamp on folded letter from Portugal to Dartmouth, Massachusetts, manuscript "Ship 27½" war rate, overall wear and internal splitting, fine

datestamp on folded letter from St. Bartholomew to Wiscapett, Maine, manuscript "Ship 8" manuscript rate on either side of datestamp, endorsed "P Cap. Smith, Brig Spartan", very fine, an unusual configuration of markings

perfect strike of red circular datestamp with matching "Ship" and manuscript "27" rate on folded lettersheet to Philadelphia, black straightline "P. Au Prince." origination handstamp, endorsed "p. Bethsy", very fine, unlisted ship town

datestamp with manuscript date on cover from Liverpool to Boston, manuscript "Sh 19" rate, endorsed "p Alexina", very fine, the only recorded Buckstown ship letter, a rare District of Maine use

double circle datestamp with straightline "Ship" and circled "Due 2" handstamps on cover from the U.S.S. Kearsarge at Faial in the Azores to Beverly, Massachusetts, 3c Rose (65) with black grid, slightly reduced at right, otherwise very fine

datestamp with manuscript date and "Ship 39" rate on cover from Liverpool to Boston, endorsed "Canova", very fine and rare, unlisted ship town

red datestamp with matching straightline "Ship" handstamp and manuscript "39½" rate on folded letter from St. John, New Brunswick to Boston, very fine 

red datestamp with matching straight line "Ship" and "7" handstamps on folded letter to Castine, Maine, datelined "S. John NB 16th June 1851", very fine

three covers (1849/1853) from New Brunswick to New York via Eastport, generally fine to very fine, attractive group

manuscript postmark with "Ship 14½" rate on folded letter from Haiti to Waldoborough, Maine, endorsed "Pr Brig Favorite", very fine, ex-Hazelton

manuscript postmark with "Sh 16½" rate on folded letter from Cape Francis, Haiti to Boston, endorsed "p Cap Tesley via Portland", very fine, the earliest recorded Portland ship marking, letter from Walter Burling to Samuel Perkins, according to Harvard University the Perkins brothers "entered into a partnership with Walter Burling to form Perkins, Burling & Company; the firm traded in the products of slave labor including sugar, molasses...