Power Search™ Results

Wells Fargo & Company Pony Express, $4.00 Black (143L5). Position 15, full margins to touching or just into frameline, sharp impression, gum spots around edges, tied by full clear strike of blue "Pony Express, San Francisco, Aug. 10" (1861) Running Pony oval datestamp, large blue "Wells, Fargo & Cos. Express, S.Frco. 10 Aug." double-circle datestamp on 8.25 by 3.5 inch legal-size cover addressed "To The Hon. Fifth Auditor of The Treasury, Washington, D.C." with sender's directive "'By Pony'--Voucher by regular mail" in the same hand, return address at upper right in a different hand "U.S. Consulate, Honolulu H.Islands", green seal on back with embossed "CONSULATE U.S.A. HONOLULU, OAHU H.I." and American eagle, two strikes of "Forwarded by McRuer & Merrill, San Francisco" double-line oval handstamp on back--carried from Honolulu to San Francisco on the American bark Yankee, which sailed on July 18 and arrived on August 7; then carried on the Pony Express trip that departed from San Francisco on Saturday, August 10, and arrived in St. Joseph on August 22, entered mails with green "St. Joseph Mo. Aug. 22" circular datestamp, carried to Washington D.C. free of postage (official mail), opened on three sides, minor nicks and tears around edges

VERY FINE. THE FINER OF TWO RECORDED $4.00 BLACK PONY EXPRESS COVERS, BOTH ORIGINATING IN HAWAII. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT COVERS IN UNITED STATES POSTAL HISTORY.

The first Pony Express stamps--the $2.00 Red and $4.00 Green--were issued in April 1861 after Wells Fargo & Co. became involved in operating the express. When the $1.00 per half-ounce contract rate took effect on July 1, 1861, a new set of stamps was ready, comprising the $1.00 Red, $2.00 Green and $4.00 Black.

This cover was used in 1861 to send documents from the U.S. consul in Honolulu, Hawaii, to John C. Underwood, the fifth auditor of the United States Treasury in Washington D.C. It has a nearly identical mate, with the same postal markings applied on the same days, and also bearing a $4.00 Black Pony stamp (they form a pair, Positions 14-15, with this stamp on the right). The only differences between the two covers are the color of the consulate label--green on this cover and red on the other--and the notation "By Pony--Vouchers by regular mail" on this cover. The other cover shows effects of a chemical agent on the address.

Each of the $4.00 Black Pony covers has the oval backstamp applied by McRuer & Merrill, the Honolulu resident agent in San Francisco and owner of the Regular Despatch Line, whose ships transported mail between Hawaii and San Francisco. McRuer & Merrill is listed in the 1861 Langley San Francisco city directory (Valentine & Co., publishers) as follows: "McRuer (D.) Co. & Merrill (John C.), auction, shipping, and commission merchants, agents Honolulu packets, 117 and 119 California, dwl 18 Laurel Place." It seems likely that McRuer & Merrill paid for the stamps in San Francisco. The presence of the large Wells Fargo & Co. double-circle datestamp on each cover is unusual for Pony Express mail, and it was probably applied by the Wells Fargo clerk before the Pony stamps were affixed.

This $4.00 Black Pony cover (green seal) was in the Henry Needham collection, sold by Eugene Costales in the late 1940s and early 1950s. John R. Boker Jr. reported that he acquired all of the Needham material with the exception of the $4.00 Black Pony cover that Costales promised to Alfred F. Lichtenstein. A pencil source notation on back "Costales 1/5/53 ULSS" is dated after Lichtenstein's death in 1947, so this was acquired by his daughter, Louise Boyd Dale. The cover sold to George Kramer in the May 2004 H. R. Harmer sale of the Dale-Lichtenstein Pony Express collection for $525,000 hammer.

The other cover (red seal) reached the market through H. P. Atherton. In a 1932 advertisement, he stated "For Sale--A perfect $4.00 Black W-F Pony Stamp used on a large Envelope bearing a red seal of The U.S. Consulate at Hawaii, on the reverse. Price on application. H. P. Atherton, 1562 Main St., Springfield, Mass." The "red seal" identifies that cover as the one sold by Atherton, and the Halls' notation on back identifies him as the source in 1932. When the Hall collection was sold by the Siegel firm in 2000 (Sale 830, lot 822), the red seal cover sold for $325,000 hammer to Thurston Twigg-Smith, and when his collection was sold by Siegel (Sale 979, lot 36), it sold for $550,000 hammer.

FKW Census E140. Illustrated in Needham-Berthold, Handstamped Franks: Used as Cancellations on Pony Express Letters 1860 and 1861 and the Pony Express Stamps and Their Use (reprint of Collectors Club Philatelist articles, July and October 1927), Knapp, Pony Express (page 20, figure 7), Frajola-Kramer-Walske, The Pony Express: A Postal History (page 62), Walske-Frajola, Mails of the Westward Expansion, 1803 to 1861 (page 230), and Gregory, Hawaii Foreign Mail to 1870, Vol. II (page 438, fig. 20-47).

Ex Needham and Dale-Lichtenstein. With 2000 P.F. certificate.

Image Magnifier / Download

VERY FINE. ONE OF TWO RECORDED $4.00 BLACK PONY EXPRESS COVERS, BOTH ORIGINATING IN HAWAII AND CARRIED ON THE SAME PONY TRIP. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT COVERS IN UNITED STATES POSTAL HISTORY.

The first Pony Express stamps were issued in April 1861 after Wells Fargo & Co. became involved in operating the express. The Horse & Rider stamps bear the Wells Fargo & Co. name, and they were first issued in $2.00 Red and $4.00 Green denominations to pay the single and double rate per half-ounce. When the $1.00 per half-ounce contract rate took effect on July 1, 1861, a new set of stamps was needed. The July 1861 Horse & Rider issue comprises the $1.00 Red, $2.00 Green and $4.00 Black. The $4.00 stamp paid the quadruple rate for a letter weighing between 1-1/2 and 2 ounces.

This envelope was used in 1861 to send documents from the U.S. consul in Honolulu, Hawaii, to John C. Underwood, the fifth auditor of the United States Treasury in Washington D.C. It has a nearly-identical mate, with the same postal markings applied on the same days, and also bearing a $4.00 Black Pony stamp. The only differences between the two covers are the color of the consulate label--red on this cover and green on the other--and the notation “By Pony--Vouchers by regular mail” on the other cover.

Each of the $4.00 Black Pony covers has the McRuer & Merrill backstamp, which indicates that this private firm was responsible for transmission of both letters from Hawaii to San Francisco. McRuer & Merrill is listed in the 1861 Langley San Francisco city directory (Valentine & Co., publishers) as follows: “McRuer (D.) Co. & Merrill (John C.), auction, shipping, and commission merchants, agents Honolulu packets, 117 and 119 California, dwl 18 Laurel Place.” It is possible that McRuer & Merrill wrote “$4 Pony” in pencil on each cover and paid for the stamps. The presence of the large Wells Fargo & Co. double-circle datestamp on each cover is unusual, suggesting that McRuer & Merrill may have brought them to a Wells Fargo & Co. agent, who then turned them over to someone else responsible for preparing Pony Express mail for the trip.

The $4.00 Black Pony cover offered here reached the market through H. P. Atherton. In a 1932 advertisement, he stated “For Sale--A perfect $4.00 Black W-F Pony Stamp used on a large Envelope bearing a red seal of The U.S. Consulate at Hawaii, on the reverse. Price on application. H. P. Atherton, 1562 Main St., Springfield, Mass.” The “red seal” identifies this cover as the one sold by Atherton, and the Halls’ notation on back identifies him as the source in 1932. When the Hall collection was sold by the Siegel firm in 2000, this cover realized $325,000 hammer (Sale 830, lot 822).

The other cover--with the green seal--was in the Henry Needham collection, which Eugene Costales handled in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. John R. Boker Jr. reported that he acquired all of the Needham material with the exception of the $4.00 Black Pony cover that Costales promised to Alfred F. Lichtenstein. That cover was sold in the May 2004 H. R. Harmer sale of the Dale-Lichtenstein Pony Express collection, realizing $525,000 hammer.

With Philatelic Foundation certificate number 350,000, issued to the Estate of John H. Hall, Jr., on August 15, 2000, stating “it is a genuine usage.” FKW Census E141. Trip ET-125. Ex Atherton and Hall.

Image Magnifier / Download

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF FIVE RECORDED USED EXAMPLES OF THE $4.00 BLACK PONY EXPRESS STAMP.

Only two covers with the $4.00 Black (Second Issue) are recorded, each worth in the mid six figures. Ex Caspary.

Image Magnifier / Download

VERY FINE. ONE OF TWO RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE $4.00 BLACK PONY EXPRESS STAMP -- BOTH ORIGINATING IN HAWAII AND CARRIED ON THE SAME PONY TRIP -- AND THE FIRST OF THESE TWO SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL ARTIFACTS TO BE OFFERED AT PUBLIC AUCTION. THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE HALL COLLECTION AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT COVERS IN UNITED STATES POSTAL HISTORY.

This envelope was used in 1861 to send documents from the United States consul in Honolulu, Hawaii, to John C. Underwood, the fifth auditor of the United States Treasury in Washington D.C. It has a nearly-identical mate, with the same postal markings applied on the same days, and also bearing the $4.00 Black Pony stamp. The only differences between the two covers are the color of the consulate label -- red on this cover and green on the other -- and the notation "By Pony -- Vouchers by regular mail" on the other cover. Based on the notation, it seems that a separate set of vouchers relating to the contents of the Pony Express covers was sent from the consul in Hawaii to Washington by regular government mails.

The first Pony Express stamps were issued in April 1861 after Wells, Fargo & Co. became involved in operating the express over the central route. The stamps bear the Wells, Fargo & Co. name, and they were issued in $2.00 Red and $4.00 Green denominations, to pay the single and double Pony Express rate per half-ounce. When the rates were lowered to $1.00 per half-ounce on July 1, 1861, a new set of stamps was required. The second issue comprises the $1.00 Red, $2.00 Green and $4.00 Black. The $2.00 and $4.00 Second Issue stamps are very rare in used condition -- unused stamps were probably among remainders on hand when the Pony Express was terminated in November 1861. Only three covers are recorded with the $2.00 Green. Of course, there are only two $4.00 Black Pony covers. The $4.00 stamp paid the quadruple Pony Express charge for a letter weighing between 1-1/2 and 2 ounces.

Each of the $4.00 Black Pony covers has the McRuer & Merrill backstamp, which indicates that this private firm was responsible for transmission of both letters from Hawaii to San Francisco. McRuer & Merrill is listed in the 1861 Langley San Francisco city directory (Valentine & Co., publishers) as follows: "McRuer (D.) Co. & Merrill (John C.), auction, shipping, and commission merchants, agents Honolulu packets, 117 and 119 California, dwl 18 Laurel Place." (appreciation to Stanley M. Piller for this citation). It is possible that McRuer & Merrill wrote "$4 Pony" in pencil on each cover and paid for the stamps. The presence of the large Wells, Fargo & Co. double-circle datestamp on each cover is unusual, suggesting that McRuer & Merrill may have brought them to a Wells, Fargo & Co. office or agent, who then turned them over to someone else responsible for preparing Pony Express mail for the trip.

The $4.00 Black Pony cover offered here reached the philatelic market through H. P. Atherton. In a 1932 advertisement, he stated "For Sale -- A perfect $4.00 Black W-F Pony Stamp used on a large Envelope bearing a red seal of The U.S. Consulate at Hawaii, on the reverse. Price on application. H. P. Atherton, 1562 Main St., Springfield, Mass." The "red seal" identifies this cover as the one sold by Atherton, and the Halls' notation on back identifies him as the source in 1932. The other cover -- with the green seal -- was in the Henry Needham collection, which Eugene Costales handled in the late 1940's and early 1950's. John R. Boker Jr. reports that he acquired all of the Needham material with the exception of one item that Costales promised to Alfred F. Lichtenstein -- the $4.00 Black Pony cover -- and that cover remains in the Dale-Lichtenstein family today.

With Philatelic Foundation certificate number 350,000, issued to the Estate of John H. Hall, Jr., on August 15, 2000, stating "It is a genuine usage."

Image Magnifier / Download