Sale 1211 — The William H. Gross Collection: United States Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 29-30 October, 2019
Category — Hawaiian Mails
An impressive 2¢ Black Jack and 3¢ 1861 Issue multiple franking from Hawaii, prepaid 22¢ at the late-1864 "Kalakaua Error Rate"2¢ Black (73), two vertical pairs and single, used with vertical strip of four of 3¢ Rose (65), tied by cogwheel cancels and by "San Francisco Cal. Nov. 29, 1864" double-circle datestamp on cover to Boston, clear strike of red "Honolulu U.S. Postage Paid Nov. 9" circular datestamp, carried on the bark Yankee from Honolulu on November 10, 1864, arriving San Francisco November 28, 1864, then via overland mail to Boston
Very Fine appearance; right edge and right 2¢ stamp expertly restored, sealed cover tear.
A rare and exceptional multiple 2¢ Black Jack use from Hawaii, prepaid 22¢ based on the Honolulu postmaster's misinterpretation of the July 1, 1864, U.S. blanket steamship rate. A wonderful classic cover of U.S. and Hawaiian postal history.
During the period from August 13 through December 3, 1864, U.S.-Hawaiian postal rates were misinterpreted by the postmasters in both San Francisco and Honolulu (Postmaster General Kalakaua). Their misinterpretation was based on an erroneous reading of the July 1, 1864, U.S. postal law that provided for a blanket 10¢ steamship rate on incoming or outgoing foreign mail. However, the law did not apply to mail exchanged between countries which already had a postal treaty, as the U.S. and Hawaii did (1850 treaty). As a result, letters sent from Hawaii during this period were prepaid according to the following erroneous schedule: U.S. postage at 10¢ per -1/2 oz (blanket steamship rate); Hawaiian postage at 5¢ per -1/2 oz.; and a ship fee of 2¢ per letter, regardless of weight.
The cover offered here is an example of the 22¢ rate for letters between a half-ounce and one ounce (double rate), where the ship fee was charged at a flat 2¢ rate and the Hawaiian 10¢ postage was paid in cash. The correct rate for the U.S. postage would have been 10¢ based on the still effective 1850 treaty. The Gregory book records only four covers mailed to the U.S. during this period--this cover is number 2 in the census.
Illustrated in the Meyer-Harris and Allen books, as well as Gregory, Hawaiian Foreign Mail to 1870 (p. II-185). Ex Charles Wilson, Harry F. Allen (and Maryette B. Lane), Dr. Joseph F. Rorke and Blake M. Myers.
