Sale 1144 — Smithsonian National Postal Museum Benefit Auction
Sale Date — Tuesday, 13 December, 2016
Category — 1851-56 Postal History: Indian Territory & Western Covers
Lot
Symbol
Photo/Description
Cat./Est. Value
Realized
152
3c Orange Brown, Ty. II (10A). Margins to in, rich color, tied by manuscript "X", matching "Fort Washita C.N. (Choctaw Nation) June 28th 1852" postmark on blue folded cover to New York, vertical file fold affects stamp, still a scarce Indian Territory marking, only four are recorded
E. 500-750
325
153
3c Brownish Carmine, Ty. II (11A). Margins to in, cancelled by open grid, well-struck "Fort Washita Ark. (Choctaw Nation) Nov. 14" circular datestamp on blue 1853 folded cover to New York, unusual "1, way" manuscript next to stamp, file fold thru stamp results in broken crease, otherwise Very Fine, ex Kramer
E. 400-500
450
Back to Top154
3c Dull Red, Ty. I (11). Full margins to in, rich color, tied by "San Francisco Cal. Jul. 21" circular datestamp on "Love, Purity & Fidelity" all-over Western Temperance illustrated cover to Sacramento Cal., "Published by Barber & Baker Sacramento" imprint at left, 1857 docketing at center, slight edgewear, Very Fine, a scarce Western temperance design whose message was surely lost on the hard-charging local populace, ex Wiltsee
E. 750-1,000
1,200
Back to Top155
3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A). Ample margins to just touched, knife cut in bottom of stamp, tied by "Georgetown Cal. Jan. 16" circular datestamp on brown cover to San Francisco with illustrated Long Tom miner's design and "Wm. T. Gibbs' Miners Envelope--Georgetown, Cal." imprint, depicts three miners loading gravel into a sluice box, "Anthony & Baker SC" imprint at bottom of design, minor edgewearVERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY EXAMPLE OF THIS MINER'S ENVELOPE DESIGN RECORDED BY KUTZ.
William T. Gibbs was an expressman operating in the California mining region during this period. This cover is not only an extremely rare (possibly unique) design, the use of a miner's envelope between post offices in California is most unusual.
Ex Polland, Kutz and Jarrett. Illustrated in Gold Fever (p. 63) and Letters of Gold (p. 271)
E. 4,000-5,000
0
Back to Top156
3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A). Horizontal pair, large margins to just in at bottom left, affixed upside down and tied by "San Francisco Cal. Nov. 1" circular datestamp on buff cover with "In A Tight Place" illustrated miner's design depicting miner shooting grizzlies, "Anthony & Baker SC" imprint at bottom and "Published at the Wide West Offices San Francisco" at left, to Hartland Vt., minor edgewear, right stamp small tear at top, Very Fine and scarce design, offered in Siegel Sale 288 (June 23, 1961, lot 51) and ex Kutz, illustrated in Letters of Gold on p. 273, our Levi records contain only two examples of this design used with 3c stamps (the other is pen-cancelled)
E. 1,500-2,000
1,300
Back to Top157
3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A). Margins to in, tied by "New-York Jun 26" circular datestamp on "Eureka, The California Escutcheon" illustrated allegorical corner card with seated Trojan goddess presiding over horn of plenty, ships in harbor, miners, etc., imprint of "Wild West Office, San Francisco", fresh and Very Fine, a very rare example of Western propaganda, apparently created for East Coast eyes since the design overlooks such realities as widespread high prices and the unlikelihood of finding gold, ex Piller and Seacrest
E. 500-750
475
Back to Top158
1c Blue, Ty. IV (9). Horizontal strip of three, large margins to in, cancelled by "IOWA HILL" straightline handstamp, second strike at bottom left, on buff cover with "Alta California Telegraph Company, California" red cameo corner card to a member of the Senate at Sacramento Cal., "FREE" in oval handstamp, stamps with few toned spots, some slight edgewear, otherwise Fine a rare use of the "IOWA HILL" marking on a telegraph cover, illustrated in Letters of Gold on p. 310
E. 300-400
800
Back to Top159
3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A). Large margins to just in, bright color, tied by "Newark N.J. Jul. 5" circular datestamp on cover with printed address to Sacramento City Cal. and forwarded to San Francisco, treated as unpaid for the transcontinental portion of the journey with "10" in double-circle handstamp and manuscript "Due", neat "Sacramento Cal. 27 Aug." circular datestamp with manuscript "For'd 10/20" indicating 20c due from recipient, minor edgewear, Very Fine and unusual use, franked to pay the old 6c transcontinental rate this was treated as completely unpaid, with 2011 P.F. certificate
E. 300-400
600
Back to Top160
3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A). Horizontal pair, large margins to clear, tied by blue segmented grid cancels, "Marysville Cal. Paid by Stamps May 21" (1855) circular datestamp on 3c Red entire (U1) to East Longmeadow Mass., top flap with red "G.F. Nesbitt N.Y." circular embossing, docketing on back "Dated at Rush Creek May 9, 1855, May 12, three days later brother Homer arrived on Rush Creek", right stamp in pair light crease at top right, Very Fine, apparently a 2c overpayment of the 10c rate effective April 1, 1855
E. 1,000-1,500
0
Back to Top161
3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A). Large margins, bright color, tied by bold "San Francisco Cal. 17 Jan." circular datestamp on buff cover to Sacramento City Cal., clear strike of "NC-RR/POST" (Noisy Carrier River Route) two-line handstamp at left, struck again on back, Jan. 1857 docketing, stamp with tiny corner repair at bottom leftEXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF THE RARE "NC-RR/POST" MARKING.
According to the description of the "NC-RR/POST" cover in the 1982 Kelleher catalogue of the Dr. W. Scott Polland collection (lot 193): "one of only 4 known...this mail service by steamer between San Francisco and Sacramento was operated by Charles P. Kimball in 1857-58."
Ex Lehman, Baker, Haas and Goldberg. With 1969 and 2007 P.F. certificates.
E. 5,000-7,500
0
Back to Top162
1c Blue, Ty. IV (9). Recut once at top and bottom, large margins to just in at bottom, used with horizontal pair of 3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A), cancelled by grids on 3c Red on Buff Nesbitt entire (U10) with "Langton's Pioneer Express, Paid" printed frank to Sandy Spring Md., "Downieville Cal. Aug. 2" circular datestamp, red "Langton's Pioneer Express, Eureka City" oval backstamp, some slight edgewear, Very Fine, an attractive use, carried by Langton's from Eureka City to Downieville and then thru the mails to Maryland, with 1993 P.F. certificate
E. 750-1,000
600
Back to Top163
3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A). Full margins to barely in, bright color, tied by red "Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express Nevada" oval handstamp on cover to San Francisco, clear strike of TOO LATE/SACRAMENTO" two-line handstamp, some minor wear, missing part of top flap, Very Fine and attractive use, this was apparently received too late at Sacramento to make the normal connection to San Francisco, with 2007 P.F. certificate
E. 500-750
900
Back to Top164
3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A). Two, large margins to cut in, rich color, tied by large "Paid" grid cancel, red "Boston 6 Cts. 18 Sep." (1854) integral-rate circular datestamp on cover to Sacramento, clear strike of "Adams & Cos. Express, Mormon Island" double-oval handstamp and manuscript "Auburn $1.00" express charge and destination, carried from New York to Aspinwall on USMSC North Star (dep. Sep. 20, arr. Sep. 26), then by PMSS Panama from Panama to San Francisco (dep. Oct. 5, arr. Oct. 18), Adams & Co. carried it to mining camps near Auburn, edgewear and scattered toned spots, still Very Fine, an extremely rare cover with 1851 Issue paying 6c transcontinental postage and Adams & Co. express markings showing service to the mines, ex Dale-Lichtenstein, Walske and "New Helvetia", with 1997 P.F. certificate
E. 1,000-1,500
700
Back to Top165
3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A). Two singles, margins to in, color faded, cancelled by manuscript, light strike of red Maine circular datestamp on ladies cover to Marysville Cal., blue F. Rumrill & Co.'s Express, Connecting At Marysville With Wells, Fargo & Co., edge tear and toning at bottom, otherwise Fine and scarce, ex Dr. Chase, with 2010 P.F. certificate stating "stamps with some discoloration", illustrated in Nathan, this Rumrill marking is only known used from July-November 1854
E. 500-750
425
Back to Top166
3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A). Horizontal pair, large margins to in, bright shade, affixed over blue "Wells, Fargo & Co. Express Colomo" oval handstamp on buff cover to North Adams Mass., stamps tied by blue Wells, Fargo & Co. Express, San Francisco" octagonal handstamp, carried outside of the mails and with "New-York Mar. 5" circular datestamp also tying stamps, some slight wear, Very Fine and unusual use
E. 400-500
275
Back to Top167
California Penny Post Co., San Francisco, 7c Vermilion on 3c Red on Buff Entire (34LU7). Unused, with blue "Rates of Penny Postage" printed notice, Very Fine, donated by Mark Schwartz
225
275
Back to Top168
5c Red Brown (12). A Relief from the top row of the plate, three large margins, just touched at left, tied by Wells, Fargo & Co. Express Sac. City Dec. 12" double-oval datestamp on legal-size buff cover with Wells, Fargo & Co. black printed frank, additional strike of cancel on frank, to Marysville Cal., pencil "this too heavy, DeKay collect on this" and signed, 1859 date at bottom, intact Wells, Fargo was seal on back, light vertical file fold well away from stamp, some slight edgewear, expertly restored at left where irregularly openedVERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED WELLS, FARGO & COMPANY EXPRESS COVERS WITH THE 5-CENT 1856 ISSUE.
The other 5c 1856 Wells Fargo franked cover was offered in our Sale 920. Ex Dale-Lichtenstein. With 2006 P.F. certificate prior to restoration
E. 3,000-4,000
0
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