3c Rose (65). Deep rich color, used as forwarding postage on bright buff cover with Walsh, Hall & Co. "W&Co. Japan" embossed seal on flap from Francis Hall in Kanagawa, Japan, to Edward Hall, Ellington, Connecticut, care of Macondray & Co. in San Francisco, Hall's directive "'Somass' via Vancouver Island, Japan Oct. 3d", after a lapse of nearly six months the cover received a red manuscript "Forwarded from U.S. Consulate, Victoria, V.I., March 25, 1864, By 'Bro Jonathan'" forwarding notation on back in the hand of Allen Francis, U.S. Consul in Victoria--carried on the California Steam Navigation Co. Brother Jonathan, departing Victoria March 27, 1864, and arriving San Francisco March 30--"San Francisco Cal. Mar. 30 1864" double-circle datestamp and duplex grid cancel, "DUE 4" straightline handstamp for 4c ship-letter rate to port of entry, delivered to Macondray & Co. who wrote "Recd San Francisco Mch 31/64" on back and crossed out their address, Macondray also applied the 3c stamp, tied by cogwheel cancel, which was struck twice more to obliterate the "Due 4" marking, bold "San Francisco Cal. Mar. 31 1864" double-circle datestamp at bottom right, opening tears in flap extend slightly along top

VERY FINE. THIS EXTRAORDINARY COVER IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF MAIL FROM JAPAN THAT WAS SENT VIA THE UNITED STATES CONSULATE IN VICTORIA, VANCOUVER ISLAND. AN IMPORTANT COVER FROM THE EARLY PERIOD OF UNITED STATES AND JAPAN MAILS.

Francis Hall, whose family resided in Ellington, Connecticut, started a bookstore in Elmira, New York, in 1842. After the death of his wife and sale of his bookstore, Hall traveled to Japan in 1859 and worked as a news correspondent for Greeley's New York Tribune. After establishing himself in Kanagawa, in 1862 he became a partner in the firm of Walsh, Hall & Co. Despite the company's success, Hall left in 1866 and returned to the United States. Hall kept an extensive journal of his experiences in Japan, which was published in 1992. He also formed an important Japanese art and antiques collection that was dispersed after his death in 1902. Many of the early covers from Japan to the United States come from Hall correspondence, and the origin notations reflect his careful journalistic mind. He also utilized different routes to send mail to the United States.

Illustrated in Frajola-Perlman-Scamp book (p. 38)

Ex Risvold.

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