Lot 1068 o
1867, 3¢ rose, Z. grill, vertical strip of 7, circle of wedges cancels, remarkably well centered overall for this notoriously off centered issue, strong bright color, first stamp with tear, second a small grill thin and sixth stamp with faint bend slightly creasing, other four stamps sound, Very Fine appearance, a spectacular strip of great rarity, this being the largest known multiple of the 3¢ rose, Z. grill, ex Ishikawa.Scott No. 85C $26,250 for singles.
Realized: $22,000
Lot
10 
Coraville K.T., Jun 17, clear two line handstamp postmark on attractive 1859 cover to Ohio franked with 1857 1¢ strip of 3 (small faults) tied by 3 additional strikes of the handstamp postmark, cover opened at left & right, Very Fine, One of the most important Colorado Covers in existence & the earliest recorded handstamp postmark from pre-territorial Colorado, illustrated in Jarrett's Colorado book. Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.
There never was a community named Coraville. The Coraville post office, located in Denver City, was also the western terminal for the Leavenworth City and Pike's Peak Express Company. The contract for mail between Salt Lake City did not include Coraville in error, three mails were dispatched from Coraville as contract mails before the express agent realized that they were not being pair for the service.
Realized: $14,500
Lot
9
Breckinridge, Utah Ter'ty, 13th Sept 1860, manuscript postmark on cover to Iowa franked with 1857 3¢ tied (slightly defective at top) by matching manuscript cancel, neat docketing on face, Very Fine and rare, This is the earlier of two known covers from the only post office in that part of Utah Territory that is now Colorado. Estimate $4,000 - 6,000.
Named for Vice President and presidential candidate John C. Breckinridge, the town later changed its spelling to Breckenridge after its namesake's support of the Confederacy in 1861. A stunning Colorado rarity. .
Realized: $14,000
Lot
756
Skull & Crossbones of Waterbury, Ct., full socked-on-the-nose strike of fancy cancel on 1861, 3¢ rose, tied on cover to New Haven Conn. by matching "Waterbury, Con., Apr 8, '66" cds, with additional New Haven "Carrier, Apr 10, 1866" dispatch cds alongside, Very Fine and choice, a wonderful example of this extraordinarily rare Waterbury fancy cancel, Rohloff rarity RRRR (less than 6 examples known) however only this cover and the example in the Boker collection are the only recorded examples to date, this being the earliest of the two, the Rohloff R-1 cancellation is given the same rarity factor as the R-2 yet 11 examples of the R-1 cancel have been recorded, ex Knapp, Matthies and Grunin. Rohloff No. R-2. Scott No. 65 Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.
Realized: $14,000
Lot
819
1877 Mixed franking cover from Mexico to Washington D.C., addressed to the secretary of Mexican War Survivors, with a rare late usage of 1861, 3¢ rose in combination with Mexico 1864, 25c blue, each tied by full strike of green "Franco en Monterrey, 14 Set, 77" oval postmark, Very Fine, an extremely rare combination usage from Monterrey, Mexico, ex Ishikawa; with 1993 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 65+Mexico 109 Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.
Realized: $10,000
Lot
4
Auraria K.T., July 11th/59, two line manuscript postmark ties 1857 3¢ adhesive (tiny perf faults) on neat cover to Illinois, cover with trivial small corner repair at bottom left, Very Fine and scarce, One of only a couple reported examples of the manuscript postmark, a rare usage on the first day of service. Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
The Auraria post office was established Jan. 18, 1859 and was formally transferred to Denver City on February 11, 1860.
Realized: $9,500
Lot
22
Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Company, Denver City K.T. Oct. 30 (1860), oval handstamp tying rare C.O.C. & P.P. Express, Magenta Label (bottom left corner clipped off) to 1853-55 3¢ Nesbitt Postal entire with a second strike alongside dated October 29, postmarked at Leavenworth City, Kas. November 6, flap torn & trivial mended cover nick at top, Very Fine and attractive, A very rare label on cover, particularly tied by the Express handstamp, illustrated in Jarrett's Colorado book. Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
The backflap has a third strike of the "Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Company, Denver City K.T." oval handstamp dated "Oct. 7". These envelopes were available for purchase prior to use and this handstamp reflects the date of sale.
Realized: $9,000
Lot
856 ()
1870, 10¢ brown, tied to cover front only in combination with Fiji Times Express 1 shilling, laid batonne paper, by San Francisco October 6 (1871) duplex postmark, additional San Francisco Steamship postmark of the same date, carried by the Wonga Wonga (under charter to Hall's Line) that departed Fiji on September 11 and arrived at San Francisco, via Hawaii, on October 6, 1871, some minor faults, Very Fine and rare, the only reported example of the 1sh on cover and the only combination cover with U.S. stamp, ex-Seybold, Lagerloef, Purves, Robertson and Mayer; 1987 R.P.S. cert. (which is now missing) states, "genuine as far as one can say for an incomplete cover". Scott No. 150 Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.
Realized: $9,000
Lot
7
Bent's Fort, Santa Fe Trail, Unorganized Territory, 1846 Mexican War letter from settler/trader enroute to Santa Fe, datelined "Near Bents Fort July 31 '46", the same day that Kearny (also at Bent's Fort) issued his proclamation to the people of New Mexico declaring his intention to "liberate" Santa Fe, postmarked "Fort Leavenworth, Mo., Sep 2" black cds with manuscript "5" cents unpaid, An excellent trail letter with historic contents written by E.N. Pomeroy, which states in part, "We are all well as usual intending to leave for Santa Fe in two or three days, the traders are in fine spirits from the understanding that we are not to pay any duty, and from sea ports being blockaded so that supplies can't enter the usual way…We are making fine profits in our sales to the Army, the only trouble is in procuring goods enough. The mail is about to close. The news from Santa Fe is that the place will probably surrender without a fight, nothing however is known upon which much reliance can be place.", Very Fine and rare, this is the earliest recorded folded letter from what is now Colorado & one of the most important early Colorado items, one other example is known carried by this Military express. Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
Bent's Fort was established as an early trading post in unorganized Missouri Territory, but was also used by the military as circumstances dictated. As it had no postal facilities, this letter was carried by military courier back to Fort Leavenworth.
Realized: $7,000
Lot
6
Auraria K.T., Aug. 9, 1859, clear two line handstamp ties 3¢ 1857 adhesive on clean cover to Ohio, professionally repaired flap & cover tear at top left affecting top right corner of adhesive, Very Fine and rare, a wonderful example of this rare marking. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
Realized: $6,500