10¢ Black (2), four singles affixed in a row, very slightly overlapping, three are the short transfer at top plate variety, two center stamps with large margins, right stamp three ample to large margins and just a bit in at top, left stamp full to large margins, tied together and to cover by red circular grid cancels, matching "New-York Oct. 10" (1850) ocean mail circular datestamp (with "SHIP" removed) on small envelope to Charles H. Smith in Stockton, California, sender's "Paid" notation--carried from New York to Chagres on the U.S. Mail Steamship Co. Georgia, departing October 11, 1850, and arriving around October 23 after a stop at Havana on October 17; the mail crossed the isthmus and was carried from Panama to San Francisco on the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. California, departing November 1 and arriving November 22 (carrying New York dates through October 12, according to newspaper reports)

Very Fine; left stamp with utterly trivial tiny margin tear, and the envelope is missing the backflap.

The USPCS 1847 census lists ten entries for covers with the 40¢ transcontinental rate paid by four or more 10¢ stamps. We will review the entries in detail to emphasize the extreme rarity of this cover.

Three of the ten USPCS entries may be excluded because they really should not be compared to the others. One is the iconic double-rate cover with eight 10¢ stamps (no. 8339), the importance of which transcends mere single-rate 40¢ frankings. The second is the unique cover from San Francisco to New York, sold in the Gross U.S. Treasures sale and now in the Eubanks collection (no. 225). The third is the Reynold's Express cover (no. 8567), formerly in the Needham and Wiltsee collections, and now in the Wells Fargo museum and not available to collectors (Ashbrook's opinion was that the strip of 10¢ 1847s did not originate on the cover).

Of the seven remaining entries, the front with "80" numeral cancels (no. 8329) may be demoted, because it is not a complete cover, which leaves six complete covers. One of these is from Austin, Texas, to Benicia, California, with four singles (no. 13695, Siegel Sale 412, lot 87). The other five are from the East Coast, franked with the following: two covers with a strip of 4 (nos. 2750 and 8448), one with a strip of 3 and single (no. 959), and two with four singles (no. 8479, the cover offered here, and no. 11809). Therefore, this cover may be judged to be one of the finest of the five comparable 10¢ 1847 covers with four stamps paying the 40¢ rate from the East Coast to California.

Ex J. David Baker, Duane B. Garrett and John R. Boker, Jr. Illustrated in Chronicle 109 (p. 20). Signed by Stanley B. Ashbrook.

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