French Post Office in Beirut 1866 (March 6): Double rate Envelope
to Tolland, Connecticut, bearing Napoléon perforated 20 c. blue,
two
French Post Office in Beirut 1866 (March 6): Double rate Envelope
to Tolland, Connecticut, bearing Napoléon perforated 20 c. blue,
two single examples, a pair and a strip of three as well as a pair
of 40 c. orange, nearly all glued over the envelope's edge, tied by
indistinct Gros chiffres '5082' numeral, "BEYROUTH SYRIE" despatch
cds and framed "AFFRANCHISSEMENT / INSUFFISANT" in black alongside,
reverse with "NEW YORK / Am PKT APR 2" transit cds in black. The
rate to the USA was lowered on January 1, 1866 to 120 centimes, the
present cover therefore underpaid by 20 centimes, According to the
postal convention, the entire franking was voided and the letter
treated as unpaid upon arrival in New York. The manuscript '74/60'
denotes postage due as 60 c. in silver coin or 74 c. in paper
currency. The manuscript '42' shows a debit of 42 cents by France
to the USA. The additional USA adhesive 1861 3 c. dull red, affixed
in Beirut, served no purpose, nevertheless an attractive and scarce
oddity. Note: This cover is part of the correspondence to Azariah
Lathrop Benton, born 1816 in Tolland and died there in 1896,
presumably sent by his brother William A. Benton. Azariah Lathrop
Benton grew up with the intention of becoming a Congregational
missionary. His parents were in such circumstances, however, that
his more immediate duty seemed to be at home. William A. Benton,
his brother, took up the work, and was a missionary in Syria for
twenty-two years. The envelopes from this correspondence were
always made in a thin fragile paper, sent either paid or unpaid
with French postal services and were always bearing a useless US
adhesive
