Sale 1026 — United States Stamps and Postal History, CSA, General Foreign
Sale Date — Wednesday-Thursday, 27-28 June, 2012
Category — Railroad, Express and Ocean Mail Covers
Lot
Symbol
Photo/Description
Cat./Est. Value
Realized
1764
Rail Road 12-1/2. Manuscript postmark at top of folded letter datelined "Cherry Valley Sep. 4, 1837" to Utica N.Y., receipt docketing Sep. 4, 1837, file fold, Very Fine, a choice and very early railroad marking which is the earliest we have encountered, possibly applied by a route agent but more likely by the postmaster at Utica upon receipt, the earliest listed railroad route agent marking in A.S.C.C. is 1838, this cover was most likely carried on the post roads and then carried on the Mohawk & Hudson, which ran 96 miles daily from Albany to Utica from July 1837, the first route agent, John H. Dennison, is known to have joined the line in July 1838, ten months after this cover was mailed
E. 400-500
600
1765
Office Chief Engineer, S.P.R.R. Co., Jul. 26, 1875. Blue carbon ribbon dated oval with second marking on back, on yellow "Wells, Fargo & Co's Express From Southern Pacific R.R. Co." cover to Los Angeles, slightly reduced at right, otherwise Fine
E. 150-200
80
Back to Top1766
[Train Wreck]. Cover addressed to New York with label reading "Post Office, New York N.Y., the enclosure was damaged in the wreck of the '20th Century Limited' train on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern R.R., that occurred at Mentor, Ohio, Wednesday, June 21, 1905", neat "Toledo Ohio Jun. 21, 1905" duplex, stamp missing, receiving backstamp, some damage from wreck incl. edge burns, Very Fine
E. 200-300
0
Back to Top1767
Pr. Adams & Co. Express. Docketing at top of folded letter datelined "Mannheim 6 April 1854" and addressed to San Francisco, red boxed "Returned for Postage" struck twice at left and crossed out, "LS 12 AP 12 1854" in Maltese Cross handstamp, some slight wear, still Very Fine and unusual use, this was twice refused transit by British Open Mail and returned for postage, it finally made it into the Prussian Closed Mail system at the Aachen exchange office in October, a full five months after it was sent, it was charged 30c for Prussian Closed Mail (versus 21c for U.S. Open Mail), the sender's attempt to save 9c in postage resulted in a delay of seven months
E. 200-300
200
Back to Top1768
American Merchants Union Express Co. Corner card cover with belted illustration of shaking hands, to Cedar Hill N.Y., manuscript "EXB." (express business) at top, cover did not pass through the mails, lengthy enclosure advertises forgeries of United States Stamps and Currency which are claimed to be impossible to detect, advises numerous times to avoid using the Post Office for transacting with them and to use express services only, no doubt to avoid charges of mail fraud in addition to their considerable list of other crimes, enclosure with some splitting mended by old scotch tape, cover with edge tears, still Fine and fascinating
E. 300-400
150
Back to Top1769
Forwarded by Grammer & Cos. Express. Bold oval handstamp on brown cover to Ashburnham Mass., mostly clear "Sacramento Cal. Oct. 10 40" integral-rate circular datestamp, refolded and reinforced due to aging, still a Very Fine strike and exhibit-worthy example of this extremely rare early "one-man" pioneer express, started in 1849 by Joseph Grammer, illustrated in Letters of Gold, ex Jessup, Pearce, Haas and Edwards
E. 750-1,000
3,250
Back to Top1770
Paid W.F. Co. Isthmus Agency. Neat strike of oval handstamp on orange cover to Washington Territory, endorsed "Via San Francisco" at left, blue "Wells, Fargo & Co., Isthmus Agency, July 6, 1867" double-circle datestamp, adherence on back indicates probably used as a paste-up as does piece missing and tear at upper right, still Fine and very scarce
E. 200-300
100
Back to Top1771
House's Printing Telegraph, New York & Washington Line. Illustrated cover with enclosure titled "Morse's Magnetic Telegraph" and dated Oct. 1850, fresh and Very Fine
E. 200-300
100
Back to Top1772
Canada to New Hampshire. Cover with red embossed B.P. Paige & Co., Patent Thrashing Machines corner card to Warner N.H., red "Montreal, Canada, Paid SP 12, 1853" handstamp, also with "Paid", "10" and "Canada" in arc handstamps, manuscript "6", with original enclosure, minor edgewear, Very Fine, attractive use
E. 300-400
350
Back to Top1773
Canton to Boston. Folded letter datelined "Canton 29th October 1836" and addressed to Boston, red oval "Forwd. by Peele, Hubbell & Co., Manila" backstamp, endorsed "Alexr. via Manila Jas. Perkins" at lower left, red "Ship 6" arrival marking, light vertical file folds, small piece out of address, Very Fine, scarce use
E. 200-300
800
Back to Top1774
Hong Kong, February 28, 1865. Dateline on folded letter to Boston Mass., neat strikes of red "Via Marseilles" straightline handstamp and "Augustine Heard & Co. Hong Kong" oval on back, both applied by the company in Hong Kong, blue "Hong Kong Feb. 28, '65" circular datestamp on back, "1" colonial credit and "2/ -1/2" shilling paid marking, "21 Cents" credit marking to U.S., London transit and Boston Paid receiving datestamps, fresh and Very Fine cover with attractive Augustine Heard & Co. markings
E. 300-400
850
Back to Top1775
Newchwang, China to Lancaster Mass. Two covers with original contents, datelined at Newchwang in 1865 and 1869, manuscript "Via Marseilles", first with Shanghai 8 Dec. datestamp and Shanghai forwarder, Suez transit datestamp, defective with cut and rough right edge, second forwarded to Edisto Island S.C., without postal markings, Fine appearing pair
E. 200-300
2,700
Back to Top1776
U.S. Ship Hartford. Large strike of blue illustrated handstamp at left on cover to Washington D.C., red "London JUN. 14, 1878", transit and receiving backstamps, also with "U.S. Charge to Collect", "T" and "64 Cents" handstamps, blue crayon rating, docketing at left, Very Fine, the Hartford was flagship of the U.S. fleet during the Civil War and was commanded by Admiral Farragut, with 2010 P.F. certificate
E. 300-400
350
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