Sale 44: The Westpex Sale - Important Worldwide Stamps and Covers

Lot 1135    

Adams & Co./Mormon Isl'd/Aprl. 20. Red oval handstamp on stampless cover to San Francisco, faint matching red "Paid" double-lined oval handstamp at upper right, Very Fine, a very scarce Adams marking.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

Realized: $350

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Lot 1136    

Adams & Co./Nevada Nov. 22. Red oval datestamp with matching "Paid" in double-line oval on blue folded letter datelined "Nevada Nov. 20th 1854" to San Francisco, franked with 1851 3¢ dull red (large margins to just in at bottom right), pre-cancelled by single vertical line, Very Fine & rare Pre-Cancel Usage, ex-Landis, Lewenthal, Polland and Myerson; with 2009 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. 11A    Estimate $750 - 1,000.

Realized: $950

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Lot 1137    

Adams & Co.'s Express/Mormon Island. Black double-lined oval handstamp struck twice on cover that originated in Boston, with red "Boston/6 cts/Jun. 28" integral rate origin postmark and franked with 1851 3¢ dull red vertical pair tied by large Boston "Paid" grid cancels, addressed to San Francisco where the cover was taken out of the mails by Adams for delivery in the mines with "Murd Bar 1.00" express pen notation, which refers to Murder's Bar on the Middle Fork of the American River, light cover wrinkles, Very Fine and a scarce usage, ex-Hertz, Haas, and "Edwards".
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Mormon Island was so named because it was primarily Mormons who gathered gold at the location. Mormons were among the first participants in the California gold rush. A Mormon Battalion as it was called had arrived from New York to settle in California two years before the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mill in 1848. The Mormon Battalion was comprised of over 200 Latter Day Saints and was led by Elder Samuel Brannan who, as it happens, is credited with starting the California gold rush by travelling to San Francisco, waving above his head a bottle filled with gold dust, and boisterously proclaiming that gold had been discovered on the American River. Under the influence of gold fever, Brannan went on to renounce his affiliation with the Mormon Church.

Mormon Island was situated just above the confluence of the North and South Forks of the American River on the road connecting Sutter's Fort and Sacramento City with Sutter's Mill and Coloma. As a consequence, Mormon Island served as the gateway to the earliest mines in El Dorado and Placer Counties. Other placer discoveries occurred to the north and south of those counties, however, and the importance of Mormon Island diminished. The town had largely disappeared by the end of the 19th century. Today, the site of Mormon Island lies submerged beneath the backwaters of Folsom Dam, which was completed in 1955.

Realized: $200

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Lot 1138    

Adams & Co.'s Express/San Francisco. Excellent strike of blue double-lined oval handstamp on stampless folded cover to Sacramento City, "1853" internal docket, Extremely Fine and scarce.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

Realized: $135

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Lot 1139    

Per Express Adams + Co. Sender's endorsement on stampless cover to Melbourne, Australia, with "Collect" manuscript notation, "He is probably in Ballerat, where he can be notified" additional sender's endorsement at left, with original 1854 letter from a woman attending the Normal School at Albany, New York, to her brother, Very Fine, a most unusual usage.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $230

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Lot 1140    

Alta Express Company/Stockton. Black circle handstamp on 1853-55 3¢ Nesbitt entire with Alta printed company frank to San Francisco, Very Fine.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $220

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Lot 1141    

American Express Co., Antonio, Tex. Red on white label affixed to parcel front to London, England, with "55¢" express charge and additional blue crayon "3d" tying label, franked with G.B. 3d tied by Southampton parcel accountancy handstamp; small nick in label at right, F.-V.F.
Estimate    $100 - 150.

Realized: $55

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Lot 1142    

Bamber & Co.'s Express/S.F./Oct 24. Blue double circle receiving handstamp on 1864 3¢ pink entire with Bamber printed company frank to San Francisco, "1869" docket on the back indicates "Moore's Landing, San Joaquin Co., Via Antioch" origin, Very Fine, Bamber covers sent from places beyond Contra Costa and Alameda Counties are rare.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

Realized: $100

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Lot 1143    

Berford & Co./Letter & Package Express/California. red shield handstamp on incoming stampless folded cover to San Francisco, additionally struck with "B & Co. Collect" red two line handstamp, light stain at top, Very Fine, a scarce eastern Berford marking, illustrated in Coburn's Letters of Gold (page 177).
Estimate    $750 - 1,000.

Realized: $600

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Lot 1144    

Berford & Co's Californian Express. Blue double-lined oval handstamp neatly struck on incoming stampless folded cover to San Francisco, "per Berford's Express" sender's endorsement and "B & Co. Collect" red two line handstamp, closed edge tears at top, Very Fine, only a handful of this scarce marking are known.
Estimate    $400 - 600.

Realized: $375

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