International Mail (9)

A folded letter written at Puerto Príncipe and posted on April 29, 1854. It is addressed to Barcelona, Spain. Puerto Principe applied its “Baeza” postmark to the letter, and it appears they also applied a number “5” in the same shade of blue at the center of the cover. The short red unframed marking at the right of this “5” is “6.ms.,” or 6 maravedíes, a local surcharge applied in Cataluña at the time.

*Go to Domestic Mail (6) to read bout the Baeza postmark

Tomo I, p.17a: Puerto Principe to Barcelona, 29 April 1854.

The letter was carried to Spain by a Spanish or Cuban vessel. Upon arrival at Barcelona on June 12, it was rated as “5 R” (5 reales de vellón) postage due. This was the postage rate for a letter weighing up to 5 adarmes, per the Spanish Postal Tariff Law of 1807, still in force.