1c Blue, Ty. V, 30c Orange (24, 38). Two 1c, one with trivial perf flaws, used with 30c and affixed over red “Honolulu U.S. Postage Paid Jul. 17” (1861) circular datestamp, all stamps affixed at the Honolulu post office and tied by “San Francisco Cal. Aug. 8, 1861” circular datestamp on blue folded cover to Lubeck, Germany, Melchers & Co. embossed stationery seal, sender’s endorsement “On Service” and “Lubeck Consulate, Honolulu”, red pencil “32” rate applied at Honolulu stating the total amount of prepaid postage, including 30c for Prussian Closed Mail rate and 2c ship captain’s fee, red “N.Y. Am. Pkt. 7 Paid Aug. 31” credit datestamp, red “Aachen Franco” transit datestamp (Sep. 13) and Lubeck receiving backstamp (Sep. 14), the addressee’s name has been skillfully removed from cover

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE ONLY RECORDED USE OF THE UNITED STATES 30-CENT 1860 ISSUE FROM HAWAII. AN OUTSTANDING COVER, NOT ONLY FOR ITS SIGNIFICANCE IN HAWAIIAN POSTAL HISTORY, BUT MORE GENERALLY AS A CLASSIC UNITED STATES 1857-60 ISSUE AND TRANSATLANTIC MAIL USAGE.

This cover was carried on the American bark Yankee, which cleared Honolulu on July 18, 1861, and arrived in San Francisco on August 7. The following day it was sent to Placerville for the next stagecoach departure on the Central Overland Route to St. Joseph, Missouri. The Central Overland Mail Co. took over the mail contract from Butterfield when the Southern Route was jeopardized by the Civil War. Service began on July 1, 1861 (source: Frajola website).

Once this cover reached New York, it was carried on the Inman steamer City of Washington, which departed on August 31, 1861. At Queenstown the mail for Prussia was off-loaded and sent to London, then on to Antwerp, Belgium, and Aachen, where it entered the Prussian mail system on September 13. The next day it was delivered in Lubeck.

Ex Tows, Krug, Rust, Ishikawa, Pietsch and Gross. Signed Ashbrook. Illustrated in Gregory book (II-118)

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