Mexico City to New York 1876

[Bob Watson]

Marc
I did wonder why it was received the day before the postmark date. The more I think about it, it must have been carried privately until New York. That's the only way I can think that the forwarder's handstamp could have been applied en route in Havana.
Many thanks,
Bob

[Marc Gonzales]

Bob,
The blue oval on the reverse is a Forwarder's marking, in this case Beck, Fuentes - Havana.  I don't see a listing for Beck, Fuentes in New York, Havana or Mexico in Rowe so they are unlisted.  The oval stamp on the front is the merchant mark for the sender. The reason there are no Mexico or Havana postal markings is the Forwarding agent must have carried it, probably from Mexico to Vera Cruz,  or possibly Havana and placed on the ship in a packet to New York.  It didn't enter the mail system until it reached NY where it received the NY due stamp.  The NY due stamp is dated Dec. 30, so your ship route sounds like it could be correct.  If that is the case  then the docketing of Dec. 29 is in error, and the clerk who docketed it didn't know what day it was. 
Marc Gonzales

[Bob Watson]

The attached cover is from the well-known Lanman and Kemp archive.The only postal marking is from New York indicating 5 cents due. Perhaps it was carried by various private hands until it reached there. There's a headline notation "via Habana" and a blue oval backstamp "Beck, Fuentes & Co. / Havana". It was sent by "Agn Gutheil y Ca" as indicated by the letterhead and the blue oval datestamp of Dec 15 1876. One possibility for the ship was the City of Havana from Vera Cruz [Dec 17?] via Havana [Dec 25] arriving at NY Dec 30.  However, docketing states it was received Dec 29. How as it carried? Why is there a Havana stamp? Any explanations gratefully received.

Bob