HAWAII, 1853, 13c Dark Red, Thick White Wove (6). Large margins, bright color, used with pair of United States 1851 3c Dull Red, Ty. I (11), large margins to just in, affixed over Hawaiian stamp, tied by "San Francisco Cal. 16 Nov." (1854) circular datestamp on cover to Otis B. Oakman in North Marshfield Mass., without Honolulu postmark but a well-known correspondence of Hawaiian origin, some edge tears and soiling, 3c stamps with faults including crease from displaying underlying stamp

FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE PASTE-OVER COMBINATION OF THE 1853 13-CENT KAMEHAMEHA III ISSUE AND UNITED STATES 3-CENT 1851 ISSUE.

The San Francisco Nov. 16 (1854) postmark date coincides with the preparation of the mail carried to Panama on the Golden Age, which departed on Nov. 16 and arrived on Nov. 28. Without any indication of the origin date in Honolulu, we cannot pinpoint one of the various ship sailings that arrived in San Francisco before Nov. 16 and after the prior sailing for Panama in November.

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. The 2c ship fee was credited to San Francisco in the regular accounting.

Fred Gregory records eight such paste-overs (plus one earlier Missionary cover). Gregory Census No. 13-10. Ex Krug.

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