HAWAII, 1857, 5c Blue, Thin White Wove (8). Two, each with three clear to large margins, more or less cut into on fourth side, bright and fresh, used with United States 1851 12c Black (17) and 1857 10c Green, Ty. III (33), 12c clear to ample margins, internal tear and slight toning, 10c deep rich color, few toned perfs, red “Honolulu U.S. Postage Paid Jan. 24” (1860) circular datestamp on cover to Mrs. Julia A. Byrne at Robbinston, Maine, two strikes of “San Francisco Cal. Feb. 13, 1860” circular datestamp tying one of the 5c Kamehameha III stamps, vertical fold clear of stamps, some light toning

A FINE APPEARING AND EXTREMELY RARE DOUBLE-RATE MIXED-FRANKING COVER WITH A COMBINATION OF IMPERFORATE 1851 AND PERFORATED 1857 ISSUES.

This cover was carried on the American bark Comet, which cleared Honolulu on January 24, 1860, and arrived in San Francisco on February 10. At this point the San Francisco post office began sending all mail by the Butterfield overland stage route to St. Louis (via Los Angeles and El Paso) unless the letter was specifically marked for steamship service via Panama.

The stamps on this cover correctly prepay double-rate postage: 10c Hawaiian, 20c U.S. and 2c ship captain’s fee. The Gregory census reports two covers with a Hawaii 5c 1857 pair and U.S. 12c 1851 and 10c 1857 Issues. The other cover was sold in our sale of the Golden collection. This cover is the finer of the two.

We record just five double-rate frankings with the 5c 1857 Second Printing on cover: 1) pair on doublerate cover with U.S. postage unpaid (offered in this sale, lot 33); 2) two 5c singles on double-rate cover to Robbinston Me. with U.S. 12c 1851 and 10c 1857, the cover offered here; 3) pair on double-rate cover to Chicago and forwarded, with U.S. 12c 1851 and 10c 1857 (ex Golden, Siegel Sale 1009, lot 297); 4) pair on double-rate 1861 cover with the 13c Kamehameha III stamp and U.S. postage (ex Golden, Siegel Sale 1009, lot 256); and 5) pair on double-rate 1861 cover with the 13c Kamehameha III stamp and U.S. postage, similar to number 5 on this list (U.S. stamps affixed over 5c pair).

Ex Honolulu Advertiser and Gross. With 1995 P.F. certificate

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