Lot 30457 – 1854 Stampless envelope (without contents) sent from Mosul with manuscript endorsement “STEAMER/MOSUL”

1854 Stampless envelope (without contents) sent from Mosul with manuscript endorsement “STEAMER/MOSUL” at lower left and “BOSTON / 18 APR / 5 cts” arrival postmark. Reverse side manuscript date “April 22nd `54”. Written by the U.S missionary Dwight. W. Marsh (1823-1896) stationed in Mosul (1850 – 1860) to his sister Clarissa Dwight Marsh. The cover was carried by river steamer along the Tigris after which it was taken per dromedary service to Beirut via Damascus through the Syrian desert (postal route opened by the British in 1843 between Beirut and Bagdhad). This is the earliest recorded transatlantic mail cover from Iraq of which only two are known (the other one franked with a U.S stamp offered in the next lot).