Rescue Revenue Cutter Covers Page 1
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Covers should be listed in chronological order. Use the postmark date or best guess.
Each entry provides a link to the image of the front of the cover. There is also
the option to have a link to the image of the back of the cover if there is anything
of significance there. Finally, there is the primary date for the cover and the
classification types for all postmarks based on the Locy System.
| Thumbnail Link To Cachet Close-Up Image | Thumbnail Link To Full Cover Front Image | Thumbnail Link To Postmark or Back Image | Primary Date Postmark Type Killer Bar Text --------- Cachet Category |
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No Image |
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circa 1870s |
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Category |
Note: The following analysis is provided by Ravi Vora, the contributor of this cover:
Background:
Pre-1880 Covers to and from the US Coast Guard are uncommon but those to or from foreign countries are quite rare. The reason for rarity is obvious in that the US Coast Guard's primary mission was to survey and to protect the US Coast and coastal waters and had rather limited involvement in international waters.
This is one of the earliest cover from a foreign country to the US Coast Guard and the only cover originating from Denmark to the best of knowledge of this author. This article provides a brief information I have been able to research and raise a number of questions and quarries for response from more knowledgeable collectors or students of US Coast Guard and/or Denmark-US Trans-atlantic Mail.
COVER DESCRIPTION: This stampless cover originated from Copenhagen, Denmark as signified by circular postal cancel of Copenhagen 15-7 (in Danish). It is addressed to a Charles Christians on Board the US Revenue Cutter Rescue Station[ed] at Fernandina, Florida. Further the front of cover bears a blue crayon manuscript 'Due" and black numeral "12" markings. Back of cover bears a black rectangular marking, "Via Tydesklaht" and "NEW YORK AUG 2" cancels.
Cover analysis: Apparently the cover was sent unpaid and apparently the recipient was charged 12c postage. According to a well known US Postal Historian this rate represented an inflationary trans-atlantic rate prevailing in 1870s but before the US and Denmark entered the UPU treaty. 12c rate is believed to include 3c domestic rate. Cover apparently traveled from Copenhagen to New York in 18 days! According to another Danish Postal Historian, the marking "Via Tydesklaht" is routing mark to signify the cover traveled through Germany (Possibly via Hamburg or Bremen which were major ports for trans-atlantic sailings to USA).
It seems that the recipient Charles Christians was a Danish sailor who apparently joined the US Coast Guard Ship US Revenue at some point in time. While he may simply be a Danish immigrant who joined the US Coast Guard, there is another possibility. Reportedly this US Coast Guard ship traveled to Greenland and Scandinavian ports sometime in early 1860s and during this voyage, Mr. Christians joined the crew of the ship.
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