Sale 51: United States Postal History

Lot 1072    

(Mono) Esmeralda/Aurora, "Esmeralda, Cal., March 17/62" manuscript postmark (MON-650; R-5) on 1860, 3¢ pink entire addressed to San Francisco; sealed cover tear at top slightly affecting postmark, otherwise Very Fine, the earliest recorded in Williams.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $550

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Lot 1073    

(Mono) Esmeralda/Aurora, Esmeralda, Cal. manuscript postmark (MON-650) August 28, 1862 on cover to East Boston, Mass., franked with 1861, 10¢ green canceled by manuscript; slightly reduced at left and tiny stain, otherwise Very Fine.
Scott No. 68    Estimate $300 - 400.

Mono county was formed on April 24, 1861 from the counties of Calaveras, Fresno and Mariposa. At this time only Monoville post office was establish and it had previously been in Calavaras but was soon followed by Esmeralda/Aurora.

Realized: $500

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Lot 1074    

(Mono) Esmeralda/Aurora, Esmeralda, Cal. manuscript postmark (MON-650) May 14, 1863 on 1861, 10¢ yellow green entire to Kinmundy, Ill., Very Fine.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $500

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Lot 1075    

(Mono) Esmeralda/Aurora, Esmeralda, N.T., excellent strike of cds (MON-655) Aug. 29, 1863 on cover to Hammersmith, England franked with 1861, 30¢ orange cancelled by target, red "Short Paid" in truncated rectangle and two New York Exchange markings, red ""N. York Br. Pkt/Sep 22/Paid 19"" and black "N. York. Br. Pkt./Sep. 22/10" exchange postmarks, manuscript mailing instructions "Via Panama Southampton", British manuscript "2/-" due marking on face and 2 British receivers on back, this is an overpayment of 1 cent on the single rate but was an overweight cover thus the Short Paid marking and manuscript due marking; stamp with small tear at top, otherwise Very Fine; with 1997 and 2007 P.F. certificates.
Scott No. 71    Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.

This cover is the most important usage of the "Esmeralda. N. T." postmark and was also used in the California Period before being transferred to Nevada on January 20, 1864.

Realized: $1,100

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Lot 1076    

(Mono) Esmeralda/Aurora, Esmeralda. N. T., fine strike of cds (MON-655) Dec. 26, 1863 on cover to Mukwonago, Wis., franked with 1861, 3¢ rose cancelled by grid handstamp; slight cover reduction at right, Very Fine and scarce, another usage in the California period.
Scott No. 65    Estimate $200 - 300.

Realized: $475

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Lot 1077    

(Mono) Esmeralda/Aurora, Esmeralda, Nev, fine strike of double cds on cover to Hammersmith, England franked with 1861, 10¢ green, three singles tied by target cancels with red "N. York Br. Pkt./Feb 14/Paid 19" and "Paid/10/28FE65/W/London" receiver, manuscript "via New York" all on face, back flap missing, otherwise Extremely Fine, another rare foreign usage.
Scott No. 68    Estimate $300 - 400.

Realized: $550

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Lot 1078    

(Mono) Esmeralda/Aurora, "Aurora, Nev./July 2nd, 1866" manuscript postmark on 1864, 3¢ pink entire to Winchester, Iowa with small edge tear and trimmed at left, F.-V.F., a very scarce Nevada cancel.
Estimate    $250 - 350.

The name of Esmeralda was finally changed to Aurora, the real towns name, on February 27, 1866 and reverted to a manuscript cancel for a few months.

Realized: $160

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Lot 1079    

(Mono) Esmeralda/Aurora, Wellington Express in blue oval on a white blank envelope used as a paste-up, with 1864, 3¢ pink entire canceled by Esmeralda, Nev double cds dated Sep 27, 1865 with 4 ring target killer, to Miss Mary E. Bush in New York City, manuscript "Due 3", bumped corners and a few small tears, otherwise Very Fine, a great western rarity with only five Wellington Express usages known.
Estimate    $4,000 - 6,000.

Daniel Wellington and a partner ran an express from Mono and most likely Inyo counties to Esmeralda/Aurora for the approximate period of 1864-66. Little is definitively known about this express company, these areas were all lightly populated and thus the rarity of this express. All five known covers are addressed to Miss Mary Bush.

Realized: $3,500

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Lot 1080    

(Mono) Esmeralda/Aurora, 1863 Wells Fargo cover, blue oval handstamp (Leutzinger type 11-9) on 1861, 3¢ pink entire to Hammersmith, England, black Haller type E printed frank with red "New York Am. Pkt./3/Nov 28" and "London-E.C./XB/DE 9/63/Paid" date stamps, also has 7 sided star inside of octagon cancel that would appear to be postal, Very Fine, should have been 29 cents but accepted by the British and US postal systems, a rare territorial international Wells Fargo usage.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $300

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Lot 1081 ()   

(Mono) Esmeralda/Aurora, "Wells Fargo & Co., Express, Aurora" blue oval handstamp tying ample to large margin Wells Fargo & Co., 1862-64, 10¢ brown on top portion of 1861, 3¢ pink entire with printed Wells Fargo frank, on reconstructed cover, Very Fine.
Scott No. 143L7+U35    Estimate $300 - 400.

Realized: $850

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