Straight line New York ship mark

N. York * [date] straight line ship mark 1784

Entire dated 19th May 1784 sent from Liverpool to Baltimore via New York.
Postage due in USA:
  Ship Letter Fee: 16 gr.
  Inland rate from New York to Baltimore (< 200 miles) 2 dwt 16 gr
  Total due 3 dwt 8 gr, manuscript '3.8'
The US ship letter fee of 16 gr per letter applied from 1711 to 1792. The inland rate applied from 1st January 1782 to 5th April 1788.
'N. York * ' straight line ship mark.
The American Continental Congress adopted a letter rate (per sheet of paper) expressed in pennyweights (dwt) and grains (gr) of silver in September 1775. (24 gr = 1 dwt. Three pence sterling was equivalent to 1 pennyweight, based on the Spanish silver dollar having a value of 4 shillings 6 pence in 1781.)
Reference: Linn's World Stamp Almanac, 5th Edition.

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