Rhode Island Paquebot, Packet Boat and Sea Post Mail
Paquebot, Sea Post Cancels and Ship Mail on Covers & Cards
(Scroll Down for Information & Background of Paquebot Cancels)



1904 RMS Campania
Queenstown April 6 CDS
New York CDS April 15
To Westerly, RI


1904 RMS Lucania
Queenstown Aug 13 CDS
New York Paquebot
To Westerly, RI


1911 Bahamas Postcard
Courthouse & Post Office
New York Paquebot
To Westerly, RI


RMS Mauretania
1920 Postcard with
Southampton Paquebot


Norddeutscher Lloyd Line
To Pawtucket, RI 
 Deutsche SEEPOST
(German Sea Post)


1926 Packet Boat Mail
Australia to Oaklawn, RI
Via Honolulu, Hawaii
King George V - Scott #72a


Norddeutscher Lloyd Line 
SS Columbus
From Dutch Antilles


1930 RMS Scythia
Paquebot Cobh, Ireland
To Saunderstown, RI


1934 RMS Franconia
Boston Paquebot

Paquebot Markings

Paquebot Cancels were applied by Shore Post Offices for mail received from ships that had no post office onboard.

NOTE:  Mail posted at sea on ships that had an onboard post office was marked "Seapost."

Paquebot markings (French for Packet Boat - French being the language used by the Universal Postal Union - UPU) were first used in 1894 by Great Britain to cover loose mail received from ships without onboard post offices; many of these with uncanceled foreign stamps on the cover. Paquebot cancels were applied to the mail by the post office at the port of arrival. The UPU had been considering ways to handle this type of mail since 1891 and in 1897 "Paquebot" was officially adopted by the UPU for use on international mail received at ports from ships at sea.

Paquebot markings had their heyday from the late nineteenth century to the mid twentieth century. Almost all of the modern Paquebot markings, (1970's and newer) were created for philatelic usage and as far as I'm concerned; they are not a desirable collectable.

RMS stood for Royal Mail Ship, for instance: Titanic is listed as RMS Titanic, which meant that she had a contract with the British Postal Service and a mail facility on board. 

SEE: July 22, 1852 Stampless Letter via RMS Niagara to Providence for additional information concerning Royal Mail Ships.


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