Lot
129 
Gregory's Express. Bold strike of San Francisco 3 line marking "Gregory's/Express Office./San Francisco" with San Francisco in small font and Express under left edge of "R" of Gregory's with bold blue "Not Paid" in double oval on brown cover, also manuscript rate marking on folded letter dated September 15, 1851 to New York, NY, folds a little weak inside, Extremely Fine, as nice as they come. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $240
Lot
130
Gregory's Express. Bold strike of San Francisco 3 line marking "Gregory's/Express Office./San Francisco" with San Francisco in small font and Express under right edge of the "G" of Gregory's with bold blue "Not Paid" in oval on brown cover, also faint red manuscript rate marking what appears to be "2/" which equals 2 bits or 25¢, small repair at top right and tear outside marks at top left, Fine and attractive. Estimate $150 - 200.
Lot
131
Gregory's Express. Very nice strike of blue "Gregory's/Express Office/San Francisco" in 3 lines with large font for San Francisco with single line blue "NOT PAID" in oval, addressed to Van Voorhies, Secretary of State, Vallejo, not a full folded letter, only the face and part of the back, file folds, otherwise Very Fine. Estimate $75 - 100.
Realized: $95
Lot
132
Gregory's Express. Nice readable strike in red of the four line handstamp (2nd line light) "Gregory's/Atlantic and Pacific Express/one Montgomery & Merchant Street/San Francisco" also with red "PAID" in oval, on brown cover to Port Richmond, NY, corner repaired at bottom left & cover with mended tear at left, Very Fine appearance. Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $135
Lot
133
Gregory's Express. Nice complete strike of the four line handstamp "Gregory's/Atlantic and Pacific Express/one Montgomery & Merchant Street/San Francisco" on brown cover to New York, NY, with "NOT PAID" in large oval, minor corner wear, Very Fine. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $190
Lot
134
Gregory's Express. Light strike of the rare seven line Gregory handstamp in red with red "NOT PAID" in large oval on light brown cover to Sacramento, CA, F.-V.F., even rarer in red than the black handstamp. Estimate $400 - 600.
Lot
135
Gregory's Express. Incredible strike of the seven line Gregory handstamp in black with red "NOT PAID" on light blue folded letter to Benicia, CA, Extremely Fine, the finest copy of the 7 line marking and arguably the nicest Gregory cover. Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
Realized: $2,900
Lot
136
J. Hawes & Co.'s Express, S.F. & N.Y. Clear full strike of circular handstamp on reverse of cover to West Brook, Conn., franked with 1851, 3¢ dull red, horizontal strip of four tied by "N. York, Steamship" handstamps; light cover wear at left and sealed backflap tears affecting express handstamp, still Very Fine, an exceptional strike and this extremely rare express frank which is pictured in Coburn's Letters of Gold (pg. 195). Scott No. 11A Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
J. Hawes purchased the remnants of Gregory's Express in May of 1853 and started his express which ran from Sacramento to San Francisco when he provided service to New York by steamer carrying treasure and mail.
Lot
137
Hinckley & Co.'s Express/Denver City/Jun. 14/1860. Black circle handstamp tying 1857 3¢ dull red type II on cover to Canton Centre, Connecticut, additionally tied by "The Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Company/Denver City K.T. (Kansas Territory, now Colorado)/Jun 14" black oval handstamp and blue "Saint Joseph, Mo., Jun 21, 1860" cds, Very Fine and attractive, an early use of the Hinckley handstamp; with 1980 P.F. certificate. Estimate $500 - 750.
The wonderful cover was carried from the mines to Denver by Hinckley's and transferred to The Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Company, who carried the cover from Denver to St. Joseph where it entered the United States postal system.
Realized: $375
Lot
138
Hunter & Co.'s Express. Clear bold double-oval horse and rider handstamp on incoming folded letter datelined "Flint Township, July 20th, 1851", addressed to Sacramento City, Cal. with red "Griggsville, Ill., Jul 21" cds and manuscript "10" rate, manuscript "Humbug $2." addressee location and express fee; cover soiling, still an Extremely Fine express marking, one of the earliest Hunter & Co.'s incoming express usages known from this one man's express, illustrated in Kutz's Gold Fever, ex Kutz; with 1981 P.F. certificate. Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
Humbug was a very small mining camp severed only by express operators. This cover was picked up by Hunter in Sacramento and delivered to Humbug at the upper north fork of the American River.