Sale 1207 — Outstanding Pony Express Covers from the George J. Kramer Collection
Sale Date — Wednesday, 25 September, 2019
Category — Pony Express Covers
Eastbound Pony Express cover with blue and carmine Running Pony ovalsPony Express, San Francisco, Aug. 22 (1860). Blue Running Pony oval datestamp clearly struck and tying 10¢ Green, Ty. V (35) on blue cover addressed to Robert Patton in Covington, Kentucky, sender's directive "Pony Express, August 22nd 1860", bold strike of carmine "Pony Express, St. Joseph, Sep. 2" (1860) Running Pony oval receiving datestamp on back, no indication of $2.50 rate, entered the mails with "Saint Joseph Mo. Sep. 2, 1860" circular datestamp also tying 10¢ stamp, receipt docketing "George Binds, himself, Keep this carefully for me, R Patton", cover opened for display and professionally restored with some paper backing and additions, but not affecting the stamp or markings
A REMARKABLY BOLD AND COMPLETE STRIKE OF THE CARMINE RUNNING PONY OVAL OF ST. JOSEPH, APPLIED AS A RECEIVING MARK ON A COVER WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO BLUE RUNNING PONY OVAL.
The St. Joseph Running Pony handstamp was normally struck in black, but the FKW census records ten covers with this marking struck in the distinctive carmine color (listed below). They are dated from August 12 to September 13, 1860, and all but two are struck on the backs of the covers. Four have 10¢ adhesive stamps (Scott 35), all eastbound with the carmine oval struck on the back as a receiving mark.
The FKW census lists five covers with the 10¢ 1857 stamp tied by the San Francisco Running Pony oval, all eastbound: E15 (the cover offered here), E16, E38, E46 (offered as lot 8 in this sale) and E49.
This cover was sent from San Francisco on Wednesday, August 22, 1860, after the new Pony Express rate of $2.50 per quarter-ounce (half of the $5.00 per half-ounce rate) was announced at St. Joseph. News of the rate change took approximately two weeks to reach the West Coast and was implemented in San Francisco starting with the August 15 eastbound trip.
The addressee, Robert Patton, was a prominent citizen of Covington, Kentucky, and served as the town's mayor before the Civil War. At the start of the war, he enlisted in the Confederate army and held the rank of colonel. In 1862 he was among a large group of Kentucky citizens indicted for treason for joining the rebellion, but the sealed indictments were never prosecuted and only became public in 1866.
FKW Census E15. Ex Dale-Lichtenstein.
