HAWAII, 1866, 5c Blue (32). Horizontal pair, tied by boldly struck large 7-bar grid cancels, used with United States 1861 10c Green (68), horizontal pair, straight edge at left, cancelled by cork and duplex "San Francisco Cal. Feb. 10" (1868) circular datestamp on cover to Mrs. Frederic Hobbs in Bangor Me., bold strike of red "Honolulu U.S. Postage Paid Jan. 20" circular datestamp, mostly readable strike of red "Hawaiian Steam Service" double-line oval handstamp, opening tear at upper right taking small piece of 10c margin with it

FINE. A SPECTACULAR DOUBLE-RATE MIXED-FRANKING WITH THE "HAWAIIAN STEAM SERVICE" OVAL, APPLIED BY THE SAN FRANCISCO POST OFFICE TO CONTRACT STEAMSHIP MAIL FROM HAWAII.

According to www.hawaiianstamps.com , the "Hawaiian Steam Service" oval was applied regularly to contract letters from November 1867 to August 1869 (there are two later, irregular uses of the marking). This cover was carried on the COMSS Idaho, departing Honolulu on Jan. 20, 1868, and arriving in San Francisco on Feb. 2. Mail from this sailing was datestamped in San Francisco on Feb. 3 or 10.

Gregory census no. 22.

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