HAWAII, 1853, 5c Blue, Thick White Wove (5). Top sheet margin position with clear to large margins on two other sides, slightly in at bottom, beautiful color and impression, tied by vivid red “Honolulu * U.S. Postage Paid * May 1” circular datestamp on buff cover addressed in the hand of the Rev. Titus Coan from Hilo to his son, Titus Munson Coan, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, used with United States 1855 10c Green, Ty. III (15) and 1851 12c Black (17), 12c large margins to clear at bottom left, 10c has two margins, in at right and bottom, each stamp tied by “San Francisco Cal. 21 May” circular datestamp

VERY FINE. A REMARKABLE MIXED FRANKING, PRECISELY PREPAYING THE HAWAIIAN 5-CENT RATE, THE UNITED STATES 20-CENT DOUBLE RATE, AND THE 2-CENT SHIP CAPTAIN’S FEE.

There is evidence on this cover indicating that when it left the post office at Hilo, there was additional Hawaiian postage affixed, which was removed at Honolulu, and, in its place, the two United States stamps were affixed. Beneath the 10c and 12c stamps are scuffs in the envelope, of the size and shape that would result if other stamps were peeled off. The scuffs were not there when the address was written (the letter “n” of “Munson” is affected), but were there before the U.S. stamps were affixed and then cancelled at the San Francisco post office (the datestamps are impressed over the scuffs). The Honolulu “U.S. Postage Paid” marking confirms that the letter was fully prepaid at Hilo, probably with two 13c Kamehameha stamps, which, together with the 5c, would nearly cover the 32c postage (underpaid 1c or charged to sender). The use of 10c and 12c 1851-55 Issues on the same cover from Hawaii is rare -- in this case, they precisely paid the 22c U.S. postage (2 x 10c postage plus 2c ship captain’s fee).

This cover was carried on the American bark Yankee, which cleared Honolulu on May 3, 1856, and arrived in San Francisco on May 20. It was carried by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company’s John L. Stephens, departing on May 21 and arriving at Panama City on June 4. The mail was carried across the isthmus to Aspinwall, and from there it left on the U.S. Mail Steamship Company’s George Law, departing June 4, 1853, and arriving in New York on June 13. The George Law was renamed Central America in 1857, the year that she sank in a hurricane, claiming hundreds of lives and tons of gold.

Ex Atherton, Honolulu Academy of Arts, Honolulu Advertiser and Gross. Illustrated in Gregory book (page II- 81). With 1995 P.F. certificate

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