Salvaged and wreck mail collections From the Wreck Mail

'The Schiller’ - 1875

'The Schiller’ - 1875

Description

The 'Schiller' 1875

The Schiller was a steamship of 3421 tons gross belonging to the German Transatlantic Steam Packet Company. On 7th May 1875, when running from New York to Hamburg, she struck on the Retarrier Ledge, Isles of Scilly, in a dense fog, and was totally lost, together with most of the ship's company of 280, only 44 being saved.

Divers later recovered specie to the value of some £45,000, together with 53 bags of mail.

This letter, addressed to Albion, Illinois, and readdressed to New York, was unclaimed, and was being returned to sender. The wreck cachet, struck in red, was almost certainly that used for the 'Colombo' in 1862, with the original name filled out.