U. S. postage on a letter received at a port was 6¢ if brought by a non-contract vessel. This "ship rate" included a charge of 2¢ paid to the ship's captain as a "ship fee." The ship fee was charged once per letter, regardless of weight. Normally, the full 6¢ ship rate was charged because most letters were sent collect. The sender of the letter bearing this mark might have attempted to prepay it but, being unfamiliar with the ship fee, mistakenly thought the rate was 4¢ and the cover was rated to collect the underpayment when the letter was picked up at the post office.

For the rate on collect mail to inland California and Oregon, to 1863. Note the large ball at the end of the tail on the "5."

For underpaid postage at the error rate in August-September, 1864. Note the hook at the end of the tail on the "5."

Used with the large SHIP mark (Mahoney type 305) to show the inland California rate

For the 6¢ United States postage rate. Noted on prepaid mail while the San Francisco post office rated Hawaiian prepaid letters at 6¢ rather than 8¢.

For the 8¢ United States rate including the 2¢ ship fee. Seen in orange-red, magenta, blue or black. Usage: May 1, 1852 to September 10, 1853 and again on collect mail in 1865.

For the 10¢ rate to collect on letters with United States postage unpaid at the steamer rate in 1867-1870.

For the 12¢ rate to collect on letters with United States postage unpaid in the Early or Middle Treaty Periods.

For double weight prepaid letters in the Early Treaty Period

For double weight prepaid letters in the Middle Treaty Period; seen in combination with the "SHIP" mark, Mahoney type 305.

For triple weight prepaid letters in the Middle Treaty Period

Manuscript "40"

June 20, 1849

Boxed "40"

November 20, 1849

Stamped "40"

June 14, 1851

"40" for rate, without the incoming ship fee, from San Francisco to the Eastern United States in the Pre-Treaty and Inaugural Treaty Periods. This rate did not include the 2¢ ship fee paid for bringing the letter to the San Francisco post office. Omission of the ship fee probably was due to one of three reasons: 1) in the early days, the San Francisco post office perhaps was unaware of the ship fee; 2) the ship captain or a passenger carried the letter as a favor to the sender and entered it into the mail at San Francisco without that office becoming aware of its origin; 3) after the Treaty Period commenced and until September, 1851, Hawaii paid the 2¢ ship fee from the 10¢ it collected on foreign mail being paid by Hawaii.

For the 42¢ rate on letters with United States postage unpaid in the Inaugural Treaty Period and Pre-Treaty Period.

For a double weight letter in the Inaugural Treaty Period.

SHIP, Mahoney type 305; red, black; Used extensively throughout the Early and Middle Treaty Periods to designate an incoming collect letter subject to the ship fee. Always used in combination with a stamped or manuscript numeral mark to show the amount to be collected.

SHIP 4 used to designate the incoming ship letter rate to San Francisco in the late Treaty Period.

SHIP 5, Mahoney type 311; used for the 5¢ rate to inland California and from 1861 for San Francisco.

Ship 6
Manuscript Ship 6. Typically, letters from Hawaii addressed to residents in San Francisco were sent with the United States postage unpaid and were marked to collect the 6¢ incoming ship fee from the addressee when the letter was picked up at the post office. The 6¢ rate was charged once per letter regardless of weight.

January 25, 1850

November 14, 1850

December 19, 1860

"Clamshell" Ship 6; Mahoney types 307 and 316; Usage: January 25, 1850 to December 19, 1860. The mark first was made with black ink; the ink was changed to red by June 1, 1850. In 1851, the ink was changed back to black. In late 1860, the mark was greatly deteriorated, leading Mahoney to give the late appearance a new type, number 316.

May 24, 1864

July 29, 1864

SHIP 6, Mahoney type 308 (top image on left); black These Ship 6 marks were unrelated to the ship fee on mail to San Francisco. Rather, they were used for collect mail in the Late Treaty Period. The top image is an integrated SHIP 6 and the bottom image is a combination of Mahoney type 305 and an unattached numeral "6."

SHIP.12, Mahoney, type 210 Used for collect mail in the Middle Treaty Period

Manuscript Ship 42, used for collect mail instead of the clamshell SHIP 6.

PAID, Mahoney type 337 18mm x 5mm, red

March 20, 1852

December 1, 1852

June 16, 1855

PAID, Mahoney types 336 and 339; 20mm x 6mm; red, blue or black; more than one device was used as the black image seems different than the red and blue and measures closer to 19mm long with its flat "D" - note also the thicker left leg on the "A."

PAID/8/SHIP, Mahoney type 309; black. Usage: September 20, 1853 to March 31, 1855. Used to indicate the 8¢ rate on incoming prepaid mail from Hawaii.

November 20, 1855

January 5, 1857

PAID 12, Mahoney type 335 red or black

22 paid manuscript

Due 4; Mahoney type 436-2

Due 12¢ manuscript