Lot
2748 
Charleston, S.C., Honour's City Express, 1849, 2¢ black on yellow, cut to shape, manuscript canceled and affixed by red wafer seal with sealing impression "tying" stamp on fresh 1850 folded letter sheet to New York City, red "Charleston, S.C., 10, Jun 26" integral rate cds and matching straight line "Paid" handstamp; stamp with small tear, F.-V.F. and attractive, a lovely example of this great on cover rarity, with only four examples known of the 1849, 2¢ Honour's stamp on yellow paper of which only three are known on cover, ex Ferrary, Golden; with 1999 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 4LB2 $12,500.
Realized: $6,000
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
Lot
2580
1852, 3¢ Dull Red, Unofficial "Chicago" Perf 12½, deep rich color, intact perfs all around, tied by perfect bold strike of "Chicago Ill. Sep. 12, 1856" circular datestamp on lady's small cover to Canesville Ill, Extremely Fine, a pristine cover bearing the 1851 3¢ issue with Chicago perforations, one of the few known completely sound examples; with 1986 and 2005 P.F. certificates. Scott No. 11 $8,000.
Realized: $4,750
Lot
2590
1851, 12¢ black, tied in combination with Hawaii 1857, 5¢ blue by red "San Francisco, Cal., Apr 13, 1860" cds on cover to New York, second strike of cds and red "Honolulu, Postage Paid, Mar 21" cds, manuscript "Overland vis St. Louis" endorsement at top left, cover with partial backflap and corner edge wear at lower right, Very Fine, a lovely U.S. and Hawaii combination usage. Scott No. 17 Estimate $4,000 - 6,000.
Realized: $5,750
Lot
1283
Forwarded by Jones & Co Express F.(eather) R.(iver)., blue oval rope handstamp on 1852 folded letter with "Vevay Ioa. Jul 31" cds with manuscript "10" rate to Sacramento City Cal., manuscript notation "Spanish Ranch" and "$1.50" express rate at top, below light pencil notation for "Rush Creek" and "2.00" rate; light edge toning, Very Fine, One of only two recorded examples of this Express Company. Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
We offered the discovery example of the Jones & Co. express handstamp in our December 2006 sale that realized $5,500 plus 15%.
Realized: $3,500
Lot
1082
(Mono) Esmeralda/Aurora, Wells Fargo, Nevada Pony Express, 1861, 3¢ pink entire with blue 25¢ Pony Express stamp (stamp almost has 4 margins just barely touching outer frame line at top left) tied by blue Aurora oval handstamp (Leutzinger type 11-9) to San Francisco, Cal., black Haller type E printed frank, Very Fine, from the famous Crittenden correspondence. Scott No. 143L8 Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
Realized: $3,500
Lot
2768
Envelope, 1863, 2¢ black on buff, die 2, mint size 7 entire, fresh and clean, Extremely Fine and choice. Scott No. U48 $6,250.
Realized: $1,400
Lot
1264
Fargo & Co.'s Feather River Express, clear crisp strike of blue oval handstamp on 1853 folded letter addressed to "California, North Fork Feather River, North of Sacramento City", partial "Vevay Ind. Feb 8" cds with manuscript. "10" rating, Very Fine, a wonderful strike of this extremely rare express handstamp, with only a few examples known. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
Annon Fargo (no relation to Wells, Fargo & Co.) ran his express from Marysville, to Bidwell's Bar and other North Fork River Camps in 1852-53. We offered another example of this express handstamp in our April 2012 auction that realized $3,500 plus 15%.
The 1853 letter has some interesting mining content, "I sincerely hope you have realized your anticipations, though I fear the contrary, for the accounts we receive from California nearly all say that there have been exceedingly heavy rains, sweeping everything before them in the Mining Districts; It is also stated, that all kinds of provisions are exceedingly scarce & high, in so much that many are on the point of starvation, if this be the case, a Man must make several dollars per day to sustain himself with food only…".
Realized: $3,500
Lot
2192
Laflin & Rand Smokeless Powder, multicolor illustrated design on 1903 cover showing Indian Firing Rifle from Startled Pinto, franked with 1¢ Bureau Issue and two 1902 2¢, small stamp faults, tied by Boston, Mass. Mar. 23 machine cancel, the cover is addressed to a Captain in the Royal Warwickshire Reg't., Bermuda and then forwarded to "Warwick Camp", reverse with all-over advertising text in red and brown, Extremely Fine, One of the gems of this collection. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
Realized: $2,900
Lot
1697
Pensacola,/Sept. 23., bold type III straightline postmark with manuscript "Free, T.F. Hunt, Ass. Qr. Mr." on 1821 folded letter to the Quarter Master General in Washington, D.C.; two minor vertical. file folds, Very Fine, The earliest of three reported examples of the type III pre-territorial postmark. Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
Letter requisitions funds for the transportation of troops of the 7th U.S. Army Regiment, commanded by Col. Matthew Arbuckle.