Great Britain Postal Agency at Vigo Spain 1850 Stampless Folded Cover to London

Stampless folded cover, rated 4/8 in black, postmarked with neatly-struck VIGO double split-ring (May 30), used at the British Postal Agency, to London, with c.d.s. arrival backstamp (June 4), filing folds, yet a nice example of this scarce strike; the consular office at Vigo, as well as those in Lisbon, Cadiz, and Corunna, handled British mails despatched by sea. In 1837, a contract was signed with the Peninsular Steam Navigation Co. to provide a weekly service between Falmouth (later Southampton) and Vigo,, Oporto, Lisbon, Cadiz, and Gibraltar.