Forwarded by U.S. Consul, Kanagawa, Japan. Double-oval and stars handstamp perfectly and boldly struck on buff cover to Hon. James Pollock, director of the U.S. Mint, Philadelphia, sender's notation "Yokohama Japan" and "Per" at lower left (the ship name was left blank for the consulate office to fill in), with original enclosures, one 4-page letter datelined "Yokohama, Japan, Jan. 29, 1866" and signed by Dr. J. Curtis Hepburn, and another 2-page letter from his wife Clara--carried on the French brig St. Louis, departing Yokohama February 2, 1866, arriving San Francisco March 3--perfectly struck "San Francisco Cal. Mar. 3" double-circle datestamp and "SHIP 6" handstamp, small triangle-shaped expert repair at top center of cover does not affect markings

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE USE OF THE UNITED STATES CONSULATE KANAGAWA OVAL HANDSTAMP ON MAIL FORWARDED BY THE U.S. CONSUL BEFORE THE POST OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED IN JULY 1867.

The oval handstamp's first period of use started January 1, 1866. It was applied by Col. George S. Fisher as a forwarding mark on mail sent through the U.S. Consulate. The device survived the great fire in Kanagawa on November 26, 1866, which destroyed the U.S. Consulate building, furnishings and all of Fisher's personal effects. The second period was from August to December 1867, when it was applied by Gen. Julius Stahel (Consul) as a cancelling device or postmark on mail sent through the U.S. post office. Unlike the 1866 covers, the Kanagawa oval's function on the August 1867 and later covers was to cancel the stamps or indicate the post office origin, not to identify the forwarding agent. There are very few covers known with the oval handstamp used during Col. Fisher's term.

James Curtis Hepburn was American physician, translator, educator, and lay Christian missionary. He is known for the Hepburn romanization system for transliteration of the Japanese language into the Latin alphabet, which he popularized in his Japanese–English dictionary (source: Wikipedia).

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Forwarded by U.S. Consul, Kanagawa, Japan. Double-oval and stars handstamp boldly struck on front and back of legal-size black-bordered mourning cover with "United States Consulate at" imprint and manuscript "Kanagawa, Japan", addressed in the same hand to Mrs. Franklin D. Williams, Greenfield, Massachusetts, sender's directive "Per 'Oriflame' via San F"--carried on the California, Oregon and Mexican Steamship Co. Oriflamme, departing Shanghai January 1, 1866, arriving Yokohama January 6, departing Yokohama January 10, arriving San Francisco February 4; the Oriflamme carried the first news of the new treaty between the U.S. and Japan--bold "San Francisco Cal. Feb. 5" (1866) double-circle datestamp and part of duplex target cancel, blue crayon "Ship 54" due marking (9-times 6c ship rate), U.S. Consulate Kanagawa black wax seal intact, minor edge tears and slight creasing, but the condition of this large envelope is remarkably sound

VERY FINE. THE EARLIEST RECORDED USE OF THE UNITED STATES CONSULATE KANAGAWA OVAL HANDSTAMP ON MAIL FORWARDED BY THE U.S. CONSUL BEFORE THE POST OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED IN JULY 1867. ONLY THREE KANAGAWA HANDSTAMPED COVERS ARE RECORDED WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO FEBRUARY 5, 1866, ARRIVAL DATESTAMP.

There are three recorded covers with the oval handstamp used as a forwarding marking, originating in Yokohama in January 1866 during Col. George S. Fisher's term as U.S. Consul. Two of the January 1866 covers are illustrated in the Frajola-Perlman-Scamp book (p. 40). The cover offered here is shown in the Riddell pamphlet (p. 3). Very few covers with the Kanagawa oval are recorded during the rest of Fisher's term, which ended December 31, 1866 (see lot 739). In August 1867, during General Julius Stahel's term as Consul and the first U.S. postmaster in Yokohama, the first use of the Kanagawa oval as an official U.S. Post Office marking is found on five recorded covers carried on the August 24, 1867, trip of the PMSS Colorado.

Colonel Fisher was appointed U.S. Consul to Japan by President Abraham Lincoln. The use of the black-bordered envelope with U.S. Consulate imprint in 1865 (and early 1866) was a formal mourning tribute to the slain president.

Ex Ichida.

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5c Brown (76). Horizontal pair, faint gum stains, tied by full strike of "Forwarded by U.S. Consul, Kanagawa, Japan" double-oval and stars handstamp (struck from a dirty ink pad) used as a cancelling device on cover with part-printed address to Augustus I. Lyon, Baltimore--carried on the PMSS China, departing Yokohama December 6, 1867, arriving San Francisco December 31--red "China and Japan Steam Service" oval handstamp applied in San Francisco, overstruck by "San Francisco Cal. Jan. 1" (1868) datestamp and quartered cork cancel, cover reduced half-inch at left, faint edge stains

FINE. ONE OF SIX AVAILABLE COVERS WITH THE U.S. CONSULATE KANAGAWA OVAL AND STAMPS--THIS IS THE FINEST STRIKE ON THE AVAILABLE COVERS WITH 5-CENT 1861-63 ISSUE OR THE "CHINA AND JAPAN STEAM SERVICE" OVAL.

The Kanagawa U.S. Consulate oval was first used as a mail-forwarding mark on covers sent during Col. George S. Fisher's term as U.S. Consul. Beginning in August 1867, during General Julius Stahel's term as Consul and the first U.S. postmaster in Yokohama, the Kanagawa oval was used as an official U.S. Post Office marking and as a cancelling device on stamps. The eight covers with U.S. stamps cancelled by the Kanagawa oval are:

1 10c No. 68, to Macondray & Co., SF Sep. 14 (1867), "CHINA STEAM", ex Ishikawa, Magnolia Part 1 (Sale 1248, lot 2075)

2 10c No. 68, to Macondray & Co., SF Sep. 14 (1867), "CHINA STEAM", Mitsui (Postal Museum Japan)

3 10c No. 68 five, to Milan, Italy, SF Sep. 14 (1867), via NY and France, offered in this sale (lot 742)

4 5c No. 76 pair, to Boston, SF Sep. 15 (1867), Mitsui (Postal Museum Japan)

5 2c No. 73, Jun. 27, 1867, circular to Macondray & Co., no SF markings, ex Faust (Sale 1181, lot 1631)

6 10c No. 68, to Boston, SF Nov. 20 (1867), "China and Japan Steam Service", Frajola-Perlman-Scamp book (p. 131)

7 5c No. 76 pair, to Baltimore, SF Jan. 1 (1869), "China and Japan Steam Service", offered here

8 5c No. 76 pair, to Wilmington Del., SF Jan. 1 (1869), "China and Japan Steam Service", ex Ishikawa

Only three of the above have 5c 1861-63 stamps (one in a museum), and only three have the "China and Japan Steam Service" handstamp. The other covers with the "China and Japan Steam Service" oval, including the only other 5c 1861-63 cover in private hands, have barely recognizable strikes of the Kanagawa oval, which show just a portion of the rim.

Signed in pencil by Bloch. Illustrated in Frajola-Perlman-Scamp book (p. 132). Ex Ishikawa.

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10c Green (68). Horizontal strip of three and two singles, part of one stamp torn off when separated, tied by five "rim strikes" of "Forwarded by U.S. Consul, Kanagawa, Japan" double-oval and stars handstamp used as a cancelling device on folded cover to Vincenzo Daina in Milan, Italy--carried on the PMSS Colorado, departing Yokohama May 26, 1867, arriving San Francisco September 13--clearly struck "San Francisco Cal. Sep. 14" (1867) double-circle datestamp--unlike other covers recorded from this trip, San Francisco did not apply the "CHINA STEAM" marking to this cover--red "New York Paid 36 Oct. 5" 36c credit datestamp, red "Etats-Unis Paq. Fr. H No. 4 5 Oct. 67" Compagnie Generale Transatlantique octagonal datestamp and "PD" framed handstamp struck on board the St. Laurent, departing New York October 5, arriving Havre October 16, Milan receiving backstamp (October 18)

FINE. ONE OF SIX AVAILABLE COVERS WITH THE U.S. CONSULATE KANAGAWA OVAL AND STAMPS--THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED KANAGAWA OVAL COVER TO A DESTINATION OUTSIDE THE U.S.

The Kanagawa U.S. Consulate oval was first used as a mail-forwarding mark on covers sent during Col. George S. Fisher's term as U.S. Consul. Beginning in August 1867, during General Julius Stahel's term as Consul and the first U.S. postmaster in Yokohama, the Kanagawa oval was used as an official U.S. Post Office marking and as a cancelling device on stamps. The eight covers with U.S. stamps cancelled by the Kanagawa oval are:

1 10c No. 68, to Macondray & Co., SF Sep. 14 (1867), "CHINA STEAM", ex Ishikawa, Magnolia Part 1 (Sale 1248, lot 2075)

2 10c No. 68, to Macondray & Co., SF Sep. 14 (1867), "CHINA STEAM", Mitsui (Postal Museum Japan)

3 10c No. 68 five, to Milan, Italy, SF Sep. 14 (1867), via NY and France, offered here

4 5c No. 76 pair, to Boston, SF Sep. 15 (1867), Mitsui (Postal Museum Japan)

5 2c No. 73, Jun. 27, 1867, circular to Macondray & Co., no SF markings, ex Faust (Sale 1181, lot 1631)

6 10c No. 68, to Boston, SF Nov. 20 (1867), "China and Japan Steam Service", Frajola-Perlman-Scamp book (p. 131)

7 5c No. 76 pair, to Baltimore, SF Jan. 1 (1869), "China and Japan Steam Service", offered in this sale (lot 741)

8 5c No. 76 pair, to Wilmington Del., SF Jan. 1 (1869), "China and Japan Steam Service", ex Ishikawa

Only four of the above have 10c 1861 stamps (one in a museum), and only this cover is addressed beyond the United States

With 2002 Van der Linden and 2002 P.F. certificates. Illustrated in Frajola-Perlman-Scamp book (p. 130). Ex Perlman.

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