HAWAII, 1857, 5c Blue, Thin White Wove (8). Horizontal pair, large margins on two sides showing bits of adjoining stamps, just barely in at left and touched at bottom, beautiful rich color, red “Honolulu Hawaiian-Islands Mar. 15” (1858) circular datestamp on double-rate cover to John E. Parsons in Charlestown, Massachusetts, the pair is tied by “San Francisco Cal. Apr. 5, 1858 12” circular datestamp with 12c integral rate, realizing this was a double-rate letter, the San Francisco post office struck its “SHIP” handstamp over the “12” rate and applied the “22” handstamp for postage due (2 x 10c plus 2c ship fee), in original condition as found with a slight vertical fold at center and minor edgewear, pair has slight corner crease (not mentioned on older certificate)

FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE MULTIPLE OF THE 1857 5-CENT KAMEHAMEHA III SECOND PRINTING ON COVER. ONLY FIVE DOUBLE-RATE FRANKINGS WITH THIS ISSUE ARE KNOWN, INCLUDING FOUR WITH PAIRS.

This cover was carried on the American schooner Golden State, which cleared Honolulu on March 16, 1858, and arrived in San Francisco on April 4. From there it was carried on the Pacific Mail Steamship Company’s John L. Stephens, departing on April 5 and arriving in Panama City on April 18. After crossing the isthmus to Aspinwall, it was carried by the U.S. Mail Steamship Company’s Moses Taylor, departing on April 18 and arriving in New York on April 27.

We record just five double-rate frankings with the 5c 1857 Second Printing on cover: 1) pair on doublerate cover with U.S. postage unpaid, the cover offered here; 2) two 5c singles on double-rate cover to Robbinston Me. with U.S. 12c 1851 and 10c 1857 (ex Gross, Siegel sale 1126, lot 29); 3) pair on double-rate cover to Chicago and forwarded, with U.S. 12c 1851 and 10c 1857 (ex Golden, Siegel Sale 1009, lot 297); 4) pair on double-rate 1861 cover with the 13c Kamehameha III stamp and U.S. postage (ex Golden, Siegel Sale 1009, lot 256); and 5) pair on double-rate 1861 cover with the 13c Kamehameha III stamp and U.S. postage, similar to number 5 on this list (U.S. stamps affixed over 5c pair).

Ex Honolulu Advertiser and Gross. Illustrated in Gregory book (II-89). With 1995 and 2016 P.F. certificates

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