Wells Fargo & Co., Virginia City Pony Express, 25¢ Blue (143L8), vertical strip of three, margins mostly full to just slightly into frameline, used with three 3¢ Rose (65) and tied by two strikes of blue "Wells, Fargo & Co Virginia City N.T. Feb. 15" (1863) oval datestamp on buff legal-size paste-up cover to San Francisco, addressed to Wm. E. Wood, in care of Stanford Brothers, additional clear strike of datestamp with matching "PAID" in double-line oval handstamp, docketing at left indicates the heavy contents related to bids for a tunnel contract

Fine appearance; strip has small tear and toning at top, 3¢ stamps have small faults, cover edgewear and tears.

This is one of only two recorded strips of three of the 25¢ Blue Virginia City Pony Express stamp on cover. It is a remarkable artifact of Western Express postal history.

We record only four covers bearing multiples of the Wells Fargo & Co. 25¢ Blue, as follows:

1 Strip of 5 plus one, February 25, 1863, "Edwards" (Grombacher) Collection, Christie's sale, 10/29/1991

2 Strip of 3, February 20, 1863, ex Mitchell (Sale 859, lot 199)

3 Strip of 3, February 15, 1863, the cover offered here

4 Pair, February 19, 1863, ex Kramer

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