5c Franklin on Hyde Park, NY cover
This is the only known cover from Hyde Park bearing an 1847 stamp. It was a single rate for a cover traveling less than 300 miles, from Hyde Park to New York City, the 5¢ postage being prepaid with the stamp. The Hyde Park townmark was applied on June 18, 1848. The stamp was canceled with a circular "5" rate mark, in this case used as a restatement of the rate, as well as a red grid.
At the upper left hand corner the sender directed the letter "Per Steamer via New York." There it was placed aboard the British Cunard steamer Acadia on June 21, arriving at Liverpool on July 5, 1848. It was rated 1 shilling for the British sea and inland postage. These events preceded the U.S.-British Treaty rates, which began in early 1849.
