Sale 1063 — United States Postal History
Sale Date — Thursday-Friday, 19-20 December, 2013
Category — Western Mails: Letter Bag Operators thru Western Expresses
12c Black (17). Huge margins to just in at bottom incl. top sheet margin, tied by well-struck "STEAM/SHIP" two-line handstamp on folded letter datelined "San Francisco Septr. 1st 1853" to Boston, perfect strike of red "VIA NICARAGUA/AHEAD OF THE MAILS" octagonal handstamp, contents states sender made shipments via clipper ships Staffordshire and Golden Fleece and also notes "“I have only time to write you this briefly, which I forward by the 'Nicaragua steamer' the mail having closed", light vertical file fold well clear of stampVERY FINE. A RARE AND DESIRABLE EXAMPLE OF A SHEET-MARGIN 12-CENT 1851 ISSUE USED ON A "VIA NICARAGUA" COVER.
This is a double-weight letter, as the normal rate at this time was 6c. Carried on the Brother Jonathan, which departed San Francisco Sep. 1 and arrived San Juan del Sur on Sep. 15. It was then likely carried on the Vanderbilt line's Star of the West, which departed San Juan del Norte on about Oct. 1 and arrived in New York on Oct. 9.
Ex Ackerman, Emerson, Knapp and Risvold.
12c Black, Diagonal Half Used as 6c (17a). Bottom right diagonal half, ample margin to just touching frameline, well-tied across the cut by "STEAM/SHIP" two-line handstamp, clear strike of red "VIA NICARAGUA/AHEAD OF THE MAILS." octagonal handstamp on blue linen-lined cover to D. & A. Kingsland & Sutton in New York City, sender's route directive "Via San wan de Niceragua" (sic), no dated markingsVERY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING BISECTED USE OF THE 12-CENT 1851 ISSUE WITH A REMARKABLY CLEAR STRIKE OF THE "VIA NICARAGUA/AHEAD OF THE MAILS" LETTER BAG OPERATOR HANDSTAMP.
According to research by James Allen, the 1st Assistant PMG's first official notice to postmasters that bisected stamps were invalid was published on September 12, 1853 (Chronicle 239). Therefore, this almost certainly originated in San Francisco prior to the official POD announcement. A similar letter from California, arriving in New York on September 25, was treated as unpaid and marked postage due (Siegel Sale 1041, lot 340).
3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A). Horizontal pair, huge margins to in incl. part of adjoining stamp at right, tied by "Via Nicaragua/In Advance of the Mails/Sullivan" oval handstamp on buff cover to Chicago Ill., pair tied by well-struck "New-York Ship Oct. 9" circular datestamp, minor edgewearVERY FINE. A RARE AND DESIRABLE EXAMPLE OF THE "VIA NICARAGUA" MARKING FROM THE SULLIVAN NEWS OFFICE IN SAN FRANCISCO.
Ex Risvold
10c Green, Ty. II (14). Large margins to full, tied by "San Francisco Cal. 21 Apr." circular datestamp on cover to Franklin Mass., rare green "From Noisy Carriers Mail. 77 Long Wharf S.F. CAL." framed handstamp, stamp with small toned spots, slightly reduced at right, Very Fine
10c Green on Buff, Nesbitt entire (U18). Cancelled by well-struck "San Francisco Cal. 20 Mar." circular datestamp and addressed to Philadelphia, clear strike of "From Noisy Carriers Mail. Long Wharf S.F. Cal." framed handstamp struck in black, 1856 docketing, trivial edgewear, Very Fine, ex Knapp
10c Green on Buff, Nesbitt entire (U16). Cancelled by "San Francisco Cal. 5 Feb." circular datestamp to Brunswick Me., clear central strike of "Noisy Carrier's Mail. San Francisco." oval handstamp, minor wear, Very Fine, ex Dale-Lichtenstein
10c Green, Ty. V (35). Faint toned spot, tied by "Benecia Cal. Jun. 7" circular datestamp on cover to Neponsett Mass. with "From Sacramento, Via Los Angeles" illustrated six-horse stagecoach design, Hutchings & Rosenfield of San Francisco imprint, 1860 docketing, slightly reduced at right, faint bleaching at lower cornersVERY FINE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE "FROM SACRAMENTO, VIA LOS ANGELES SIX-HORSE STAGECOACH DESIGN.
Our Levi records contain only three examples of this "From Sacramento" design, one of which has that portion crossed out.
Ex Jarrett.
10c Green, Ty. V (35). Rich color, tied by "San Francisco Cal. Apr. 6, 1860" circular datestamp on cover to Bow N.H. with "Overland Via Los Angeles, U.S. Mail" illustrated four-horse stagecoach design, stamp with single pulled perf at lower right, Very Fine appearance, a beautiful and scarce cover
10c Green, Ty. V (35). Rich color, tied by perfect strike of "Georgetown Cal. Feb. 25, 1862" circular datestamp on "By the Overland Mail Stage Via Los Angeles! Hurrah! But we Must Have the" with hand pointing towards train illustrated cover to Fort Dodge Iowa, back with pencil "Volcanoville Feb. 19-62" docketing, trivial edgewear, few shortish perfs at left of no consequenceVERY FINE. A REMARKABLY RARE ILLUSTRATED OVERLAND MAIL TRAIN PROPAGANDA COVER, USED AFTER THE STAMP WAS DEMONETIZED.
Ex Risvold.
10c Green, Ty. V (35). Tied by neat strike of "San Francisco Cal. Mar. 20, 1860" circular datestamp on yellow cover to Norwich City Conn., with "Via Panama" with illustrated sidewheel steamship design, slightly reduced at right, lightly cleaned, stamp with small irregularity at top left from foreign matter on envelope prior to stamp being affixedVERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL COVER WITH THE "VIA PANAMA" ILLUSTRATED SIDEWHEEL STEAMSHIP DESIGN.
Ex Knapp, Haas and Jarrett. Illustrated in Letters of Gold (p. 83)
10c Green on Buff, Nesbitt entire (U16). Cancelled by "Sacramento Cal. Mar. 30, 1861" circular datestamp and used to New York, printed "From Thos. S. Fiske & Co. Sacramento" corner card, slightly reduced at right and some slight soiling, Very Fine, nice example of sender's "Via Panama" route directive
10c Green, Ty. V (35). Horizontal pair, right stamp small piece out at bottom (pre-use), tied by "San Francisco Cal. Dec. 20, 1859" circular datestamp on cover to Boston and forwarded to Staten Island N.Y., bold "OVERLAND" straightline handstamp at upper left and carried on the Butterfield route, forwarding postage paid by horizontal pair of 3c Dull Red, Ty. III (26) cancelled by large Boston "Paid" grid, also struck on 10c pair, red "Boston Mass. Jan. 27, 1860" circular datestamp ties 10c pair, expertly repaired, 3c pair moved from original location to show the "Overland" handstamp, top flap added, still Very Fine and unusual use, with 2005 P.F. certificate
Berford & Co.'s Express, New York N.Y., 6c Green (11L2). Large margins to ample at top, tied by ink smear on blue folded letter datelined "Kingston, Jamaica, Monday morning 29 Sepr. 1851" from Richard Hitchins to Henry Hitchins in New York City, address panel headed "Jamaica" and ship designation "p Ohio" at lower left, pencil "66 South St." street address in another hand, probably applied by Berford's New York office, some aging and splits along folds, stamp has sealed tear at left caused by ink erosionFINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF THREE CONFIRMED COVERS BEARING THE EXTREMELY RARE BERFORD & COMPANY 6-CENT GREEN.
Richard G. Berford and Loring L. Lombard operated the Berford & Co. letter-carrying business beginning in 1851. Berford & Co.'s Express primarily served the West Coast of North, Central and South America, but also advertised rates to Hawaii, Hong Kong, China and other places. Although their letter and package express business was fairly large, the adhesive stamps for letter mail are rare. During the course of their operation, there were several bitter clashes with the government over their mail route. The company is reported to have been sold in June 1854.
We record the following seven 6c (11L2) stamps, on or off cover: 1) cancelled by colorless impression of handstamp on cover marked "Jamaica", same correspondence as the cover offered here, ex Caspary, Boker; 2) uncancelled off cover, ex Souren; 3) tied by smudge on Sep. 29, 1851 folded letter from Jamaica to N.Y., the cover offered here, ex Worthington, Hyzen, Kuphal and Geisler; 4) uncancelled on cover to the Mayor of Albany, Siegel Jun. 20, 1944 sale (the status of this cover is uncertain); 5) cut to shape on Aug. 1852 cover to Paita, ex Chapman, Mason, Horner, Golden, D.K. Collection; 6) cut to shape on same Aug. 1852 cover to Paita as No. 5; and 7) creased, uncancelled, on piece (or possibly on cover), Sloane records.
A 10c rate to the British West Indies was listed in the "Table of Postage" in Berford's June 17, 1851, New York Herald advertisement announcing the "New Postage Law". The same ad listed 6c prepaid rates to certain California towns and a 3c prepaid rate to Chagres or Panama. Evidently the cover offered here and a similar cover from the same correspondence (ex Caspary) were prepaid 6c from Kingston, Jamaica. In the advertisement, the stamps (3c, 10c and 25c) are described and various rates are given, effective July 1, 1851. Obviously, Berford's was acting in response to the U.S. government postage reforms of the same date.
According to http://www.pt5dome.com/ships.htm, the S.S. Ohio was a "wooden side-wheeled steamer, built by Bishop and Simonson, New York, for the United States Mail Steamship Company. She was launched in 1848 and entered service from New York to Chagres via Charleston, Savannah, Havana, and New Orleans on September 20, 1849. She was withdrawn from service along with the S.S. Georgia in 1854, and laid up in New York until 1859. She was broken up in 1860." According to Wierenga's U.S. Incoming Steamship Mail 1847-1875, the Ohio departed Kingston, Jamaica, on September 29, 1851, and arrived at New York on October 6. The U.S. Mail Steamship Company steamers stopped at Kingston for coaling, and this letter describes problems in coaling the Ohio on this particular stop.
Ex Worthington, Hyzen, Kuphal and Geisler. With copy of 1983 and with 2009 P.F. certificates
The Central Overland, California & Pikes Peak Express Company, St. Joseph, Mo. Nov. 17. Mostly clear strike of oval datestamp on buff cover to Mountain City in "Jefferson Territory", 3c Dull Red, Ty. III (26) tied by blue grid cancel, perfect bold strike of matching blue "Brownville N.T. Nov. 13" Nebraska Territory circular datestamp (circa 1859), sender's manuscript routing "Via St. Joseph COC and P.P. Express", half of backflap removed, Very Fine, a scarce use from Nebraska Territory to the extralegal and unrecognized Jefferson Territory (the gold-mining town of Mountain City was located in Colorado), the COC&PP Express carried this by stage from St. Joseph
Everts, Wilson & Co.'s Express. Printed frank (Haller FE9, Ty. 2b) on 10c Green on Buff, Nesbitt entire (U16), cancelled by penstroke, perfect strike of "Strawberry Valley Cala. Feb. 16" circular datestamp with date in manuscript and used to Berlin Mass., minor edgewear, Very Fine, a beautiful cover carried by Everts Wilson & Co. from the mining camps in Strawberry Valley Cal. where it entered the mails
Freeman & Co.'s Express. Green printed frank in banner (Haller FF7, Ty. 5) on 10c Green on Buff, Nesbitt entire (U16) to New Lisbon N.Y., cancelled by "New-York May 14" circular datestamp, carried privately from San Francisco by steamer and placed into the mails in New York, some wear, Very Fine, rare, note on back indicates sold by Burger Bros. in 1931
Freeman & Co.'s Express, (unstated value) Blue, "To be dropped in New-York Post-Office" (164L1). Margins clear to slightly in, faint toning, minor faultsONE OF THREE OR FOUR KNOWN EXAMPLES OF THE FREEMAN & CO. EXPRESS STAMP. A MAJOR RARITY OF THE TRANSCONTINENTAL EXPRESSES.
John H. Freeman was a prominent California expressman. In 1851 he sold his business to Adams & Co. and became their agent in Sacramento and Panama. Soon after the collapse of Adams in 1855, Freeman established Freeman & Co.'s Express, and his business grew until November 1859, when he stopped service after selling out to Wells, Fargo & Co.
The Freeman & Co. "To be dropped in New-York Post-Office" Blue stamp is identical -- except for the company name -- to Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Black stamp, listed as Scott 143LP1. It is likely that Freeman & Co. started the service not long before selling out in 1859. Freeman would carry letters outside the mails from California to New York and deposit them (with or without U.S. postage) into the post office. Wells, Fargo & Co. adapted the same stamp design in 1860. The "Dropped" stamps of Freeman or Wells Fargo are extremely rare, and it seems that they were not used extensively. Of the Freeman & Co. stamp, there are two confirmed off-cover examples (and a possible third) and one genuine cover.
Ex Perry (illustrated in his Pat Paragraphs series), Schwartz and Kuphal. Scott Retail $3,500.00
Humboldt Express (Langton's), Nevada, 25c Brown (86L1). Large margins, rich color, cancelled by neat strike of blue Langton's oval datestamp, few pinholes at left, Extremely Fine appearance, with 2009 P.F. certificate, Scott Retail $1,250.00
Pacific Express Co. Horse and rider frank in blue on 3c Red on Buff, Nesbitt entire (U10), light strike of blue "Pacific Express Co., Sacramento(?) Oct. 4" oval datestamp, to Todd's Valley Cal., Very Fine, this frank is rare struck in blue, less than five are known
1c Blue, Ty. IV (9). Horizontal strip of three, large margins to in, stamps with flaws, tied by blue "Wells, Fargo & Co. Express, Sonora" oval handstamp, second strike at right, on buff cover to San Francisco, missing flaps, soiling, otherwise Fine, unusual use of 1c 1851, carried entirely outside of the mails by Wells Fargo, but postal regulations required postage regardless, 3c embossed envelopes were used far more often than stamps, and 1c stamps are much rarer than 3c stamps, ex Neinken and Wagshal
Wells, Fargo & Co. Three 10c Green on Buff, Nesbitt entires (U18), each cancelled in New York, to Ohio, Chicago and Norristown Penn., two with red Wells, Fargo & Co. printed franks (Ty. 4), one with blue "Wells, Fargo & Co. Express, San Francisco" oval handstamp, some wear, overall Fine-Very Fine and interesting group, the one to Ohio with interesting contents discussing how he is sending the letter by express rather than by steamer or normal mail
Wells, Fargo & Co. Red printed frank on 10c Green on Buff, Nesbitt entire (U16), cancelled by "N. York Steamship" handstamp to Waltham Mass., slight wear, still Fine, scarce with the New York Steamship marking
Wells, Fargo & Co. Red Type 3 printed frank on 10c Green on Buff, Nesbitt entire (U18), cancelled by light strike of circle of wedges and used to New York, trivial edgewear, Very Fine, carried privately by Wells Fargo to New York, this is the rarest of the four types of woodcut printed frank, ex Barkhausen
Wells, Fargo & Co. Red Type 2 printed frank on 10c Green on Buff, Nesbitt entire (U18), cancelled by "New-York Nov. 14" circular datestamp, used to Washington D.C., some edgewear, missing part of top flap, still Very Fine, scarce, ex Metkin and White
Wells, Fargo & Co. Red printed frank and blue "Wells, Fargo & Cos. Express, S. FRco., 19 Dec." backstamp on 10c Green on Buff, Nesbitt entire (U18), cancelled by large "Paid" grid, small red "Boston Mass. Jan. 10" circular datestamp, used to Brookline N.H., barely reduced at right, Very Fine
Wells, Fargo & Co. 3c Dull Red, Ty. III (26), s.e. at left, bright shade, tied by blue "Wells Fargo & Co./Stockton Sep 16" oval datestamp on 3c Star Die entire, similarly cancelled, with Wells, Fargo printed frank at right, to San Francisco and then forwarded, "Kierski and Brother Bookseller" Stockton overall advertisement, three strikes of blue "Collect" boxed handstamp, various manuscript notations, some slight wear, Very Fine, ex Hackett, illustrated in Letters of Gold on p. 290
Wells, Fargo & Co. Two entires, first is 3c Star Die with printed frank cancelled by blue "Wells, Fargo & Co., Carson City, Jun. ?" oval datestamp to Sacramento Cal., second is 3c Pink entire with printed frank and blue Virginia City oval datestamp to San Francisco, some wear, Very Fine
Wells, Fargo & Co. Red printed frank on 10c Yellow Green on Buff entire (U41) to San Francisco, cancelled by cork, blue "Wells, Fargo & Cos. Sacramento Oct. 7" double-circle datestamp, neat "Wells, Fargo & Co. Woodland Oct. 7" oval datestamp, "Woodland Cal. Oct. 7, 1863" circular datestamp, two strikes of small blue "W.F. & Co. Oct. 8, 1863" datestamps, slightly reduced at right and some slight edgewear, still Very Fine, scarce use
Wells, Fargo & Co. Red printed frank on 10c Yellow Green on Buff entire (U41) used as paste-up without address, blue "Wells, Fargo & Cos. Express, S.FRco. 3 Sep." double-circle datestamp, cancelled by "St. Louis Mo. Sep. 26" circular datestamp and target, some toned spots, otherwise Very Fine, unusual use, carried via overland route, most mail of this type was carried via Panama
Wells, Fargo & Co., Vancouver's Island. Red printed frank on 10c Green on Buff, Nesbitt entire (U16) to New London Conn., with "Customs * Vancouvers Island *" with Crown negative seal struck at upper left, entered the U.S. mails in New York City and cancelled by neat strike of "New-York Jun. 13, 1859" circular datestamp, few light file folds and slight overall wearVERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE PROVISIONAL USE OF THE VANCOUVER'S ISLAND CUSTOM HOUSE SEAL BY POSTMASTER TO INDICATE PREPAYMENT ON A WELLS, FARGO & COMPANY ENTIRE TO THE UNITED STATES.
The customs seal was used by Vancouver's Island postmaster A. C. Anderson to indicate payment of 2-1/2p local postage from July 1858 to June 1859. This is a last-month use of the provisional marking. A similar example from the same correspondence was offered in our Hall sale (Sale 830, lot 875).
Ex Haas
Wells, Fargo & Co., Vancouver's Island. 1c Blue, 10c Green (63, 68), 10c vertical pair, tied by rosette fancy cancel applied at New York City on 3c Pink entire (U59) with Wells, Fargo & Co. printed frank and "Post Office Victoria V.I." oval Coat of Arms handstamp, paste-up without address, 1c small tear, 10c slight crease, minor edgewear, Fine and scarce, the 24c U.S. postage probably paid the treaty rate to England