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CAPE OF GOOD HOPE
Ship letters - the Diamond Line
Mowbray to the United Kingdom
April1867
Main features
This letter was carried by the SS United Service of the Diamond Line
sailing on the 2nd April1867 from Cape Town and arriving at
Falmouth on the 8th May 1867. Diamond line sailings stopped at the
end of 1867.
The 2nd April 1867 was a Sunday and to make sure that this letter got
from Mowbray to Cape Town in time for sailing a Sunday posting fee of
1 d was paid. This fee is very seldom seen
The postage on ship letters was 4d for each Y2 oz. This rate was introduced on the 1st April 1863 and
lasted until the 30th June 1876 after which the rate went up to 6d for each Y2 oz. The 4d shi letter rate
was revived on the 1s t October 1888.
The 2d represented the amount of the payment to the Diamond line. The reason for the handstruck '1'
is not known. The cds in red is the Paid London Ship letter.
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