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Sale 60: The Westpex Auction

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California - Town Postmarks (Alviso to San Diego)

Lots 617-626 Lots 627-636 Lots 637-646 Lots 647-650

Lot 637    

Nevada City, Cal., 3 Paid, Nov 23 (Nevada), integral rate cds (NEV-1190) with "Paid 3" handstamp below on 1853 cover to Freesport, Ill., with red "Steamer Winfield Scott" handstamp at top; cover wear and repair internal hole in address panel, Very Fine appearance, ex Lichtenstein, Clifford.
Estimate    $1,500 - 2,000.

ONE OF THE SEVEN KNOWN COVERS RECOVERED FROM THE WRECK OF THE "STEAMER WINFIELD SCOTT".

The "Winfield Scott" was a 1,291-ton steamer built in New York City in 1851, which was put into service along the Pacific Coast route in 1852. The "Winfield Scott" was purchased by the Pacific Mail Steam Ship Company from the New York and San Francisco Line in July 1853. One round trip between San Francisco and Panama, but on December 2, 1853, she was stranded off Anacapa Island in the Santa Barbara Channel and lost on her second trip for the company. The five mail bags, passengers, crew and cargo including gold species were saved. Nine examples of this two-line handstamp are recorded, of which two were carried before the "Winfield Scott" was commissioned into the Pacific service.

Realized: $900

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Lot 638    

Oasis, Cal., March 31st, 1889 (Mono), manuscript postmark (MON-0920) on cover to Sacramento, Cal., franked with 2¢ + 10¢ Banknotes canceled by matching manuscript; minor tone spots, still Very Fine, one of only two reported manuscripts from this location, Oasis is located in Fish Lake Valley just inside of the Nevada border.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $260

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Lot 639    

Orleans, Cal., Sept 30, 1875 (Klamath), manuscript postmark (KLA-70) on target canceled 1870, 3¢ green entire to Yreka, Very Fine.
Estimate    $100 - 150.

Realized: $180

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Lot 640    

Placerville, Cal., Sept 23 (El Dorado), clear strike of cds with manuscript date (ELD-2920, R5) on fresh folded letter sheet to Vallejo, Cal., manuscript "Paid 3" rating, forwarded to San Jose with manuscript "Vallejo, Cal., Sept 30" postmark (SOL-1810, R5) and matching "ford 5" rate; reduced bottom flap, Very Fine, illustrated in Coburn's Letters of Gold (page 307).
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $350

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Lot 641    

Poverty Bar, Cal., May 4 (Calaveras), balloon cds on cover to New Kingston, New York franked with 5¢ red brown type I (28), two singles, top stamp with pre-use tear, tied by additional strikes of the cds, endorsed "via Panama"; cover tear at left, bottom backflap missing, F.-V.F., a very rare use of the red brown 5¢ in California, ex-Myerson.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

Illustrated in Coburn's Letters of Gold on page 316.

Realized: $325

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Lot 642    

Rough and Ready, Calif., Post Office, 12-19-81 (Nevada), manuscript provisional postmark (NEV-2030) on cover to Lakeport, Cal., franked with manuscript canceled 3¢ Banknote pair; opening at left and some faint edge staining, Very Fine, the only manuscript cancel recorded from this period.
Estimate    $100 - 150.

Realized: $80

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Lot 643    

Round Valley, Cal., 12/2, 1881 (Inyo), manuscript postmark (INY-1638) on 1874, 3¢ green entire to Sonora, Cal.; small corner nick, Very Fine, only three manuscript examples of this discontinued Post Office have ever been recorded, all were found as a group and all are recorded on an 1874 3¢ green entire, the Post Office was located north of Bishop in a valley at the base of Round Mountain.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

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Lot 644    

Sacramento Cal. Mar. 4 (Sacramento), clear strike of oval postmark with red crayon "40" cent rating on 1850 folded letter datelined "Sacramento City April 3 1850", writer or datestamp month incorrect, interesting miner letter "… He advises me to try the mines and I shall start tomorrow for the Middle fork - he feels confident that much gold will be found this year up there…have to walk 60 miles in the course of the next three days…", 1850 receipt docketing; folds and stain, Fine.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $350

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Lot 645    

Sacramento, Cal., Apr 24 (Sacramento), oval date stamp (SAC-2480, R7) on 1850 folded letter to Augusta, Iowa, with red crayon 40 rate, letter with some interesting content…gold is not as plenty as it was represented to be by the papers before we left homeJohn, myself and Raine are building a sawmill we think we can do better at sawing than at mining; some edge wear and light soiling, still Very Fine.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $230

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Lot 646    

Sacramento Cal., '40', June 1 (Sacramento), neat strike of integral-rate cds on light blue "Yuba River May 27th 1850" folded letter to South Dartmouth Mass, San Francisco red "Too Late." straightline handstamp, some interesting gold rush content…I came to this River last Tuesday and took up a Claim on the River…I think I shall get Paid for coming to California if it proves as rich as I think it is…I left Mariposa Mines where I first went because I could not get paid for…Gold was scarce in that River. I walked 300 Miles to get to this place…I have writen to you the first of April from the Mariaposa Mines but it is uncertain if you get it for I hear the Mail was lost on the way, F.-V.F.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $325

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Lots 617-626 Lots 627-636 Lots 637-646 Lots 647-650

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