(San Francisco to Germany, 1860) "Overland Mail, Via Los Angeles" Illustrated Railroad Propaganda Envelope. Rare design with locomotive in ornate oval frame with route stated above (this design does not have a publisher's imprint), on bright oatmeal cover to Bremen, Germany, red "San Francisco Cal. Paid Jun. 4, 1860" circular datestamp, red crayon "30" rate, red "N.York Am. Pkt. 7 Paid Jun. 30" 7c credit datestamp, no receiving markings, Extremely Fine -- this left San Francisco on the June 4, 1860, eastbound Butterfield stagecoach trip, arriving at Springfield, Missouri, June 24; probably carried on the HAPAG Hammonia, which departed New York on June 30, 1860, and arrived at Hamburg July 15 (there was also an Inman Line sailing on the same day, June 30, and an NGL departure on July 7) -- the depiction of a locomotive on covers that were carried by stagecoach or steamship was an attempt to rally public and legislative support for railroad construction in the West and across the continent, we are aware of only three other examples of this design (including two used from Vancouver Island), any railroad propaganda cover to a foreign country is a great rarity -- with 2012 P.F. certificate

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