HAWAII, 1853, 13c Dark Red, Thick White Wove (6). Large margins all around including sheet margin at bottom, "tied" by vertical file fold, red "Honolulu*U.S. Postage Paid*May 13" (1854) circular datestamp on blue folded letter datelined "Hilo Oayhu April 23" and addressed to Wm. L. M. Phelps in Albany N.Y. (a prominent railroad executive), horizontal pair of United States 1851 3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A), large margins to slightly in, affixed over 13c and all stamps tied by "San Francisco Cal. 16 Jun." circular datestamp, San Francisco "Paid" handstamp at left, 3c pair with tear at top, right stamp has vertical crease where folded back to display Hawaiian stamp

FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE PASTE-OVER COMBINATION OF 1853 13-CENT KAMEHAMEHA III ISSUE AND UNITED STATES 3-CENT 1851 ISSUE. VERY DESIRABLE WITH THE HONOLULU POSTMARK AND SAN FRANCISCO "PAID".

This cover was carried on the bark Wavelet, which departed Honolulu on May 16, 1854, and arrived in San Francisco on June 8. From there it was sent to Panama on the Sonora, which departed on June 16 and arrived on June 29.

The 13c stamp prepaid the 5c Hawaiian postage, 2c ship captain's fee and 6c transcontinental rate. The short-lived practice of applying United States stamps (6c postage) over the 13c Hawaiian stamp was likely intended to avoid confusion over whether or not U.S. postage had been prepaid. The postmaster in Honolulu affixed the U.S. stamps to cover up the Hawaiian postage, and the letter was postmarked in San Francisco without applying a "Ship" or rate mark (although in this case it was marked "Paid"). The 2c ship fee was credited to San Francisco in the regular accounting.

Fred Gregory records eight such paste-over frankings (plus one earlier Missionary cover). Gregory Census No. 13-2. With 1978 P.F. certificate.

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