Lot
1021 
Alaska Commercial Co., St. Michael Alaska Ty., Jul 17 1894, sharp strike of magenta oval backstamp on legal-size Department of Interior penalty cover endorsed "From Reindeer Station, Port Clarence, Alaska, 2-7-94" to Glyndon Minn. bearing 2¢ carmine (220) tied by circular cancel, matching "Ounalaska, Alaska, Aug 15" cds, Glyndon Minn. Rec'd (9.13) arrival cds; cover faults, Fine and rare use. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
AN EXTRAORDINARY WINTER USAGE LIKELY SENT BY DOG SLED DOWN THE COAST TO ST. MICHAEL TO WAIT FOR THE ICE TO MELT.
Reindeer Station was located near Teller in the U.S. state of Alaska. The idea of transporting domestic reindeer from Siberia to western Alaska was first suggested by Captain Michael A. Healy, an officer in the United States Revenue Cutter Service, as a possible solution to the Native Alaskans' food shortage problem. Port Clarence (now Point Clarence, where the telegraph line went across to Imperial Russia) was the first place reindeer were brought over by the Siberians in 1892. Kittredge and the Lomen family took care of the herd. In only a few years, the Port Clarence herd was expanded along the coast of Alaska south to Wales, then Teller, then along the coast east to Barrow and Point Hope, and eventually down to Unalaska in the Aleautians. The station was established in 1892 by Sheldon Jackson, Commissioner of Education in Alaska and a Presbyterian minister, who named it in honor of Henry M. Teller. The U.S. Government's program ended in the early 1900s.
Realized: $1,600
Lot
1022
Alaska Commercial Co., St. Michael Alaska Ty., Sep 12 1894, bold magenta oval backstamp on 2¢ green entire to Middlebury Vt., cancelled by four-rings and matching "Ounalaska, Alaska, Oct 21, 1894" cds, fresh and Very Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
Realized: $625
Lot
1023
Alaska Commercial Co., St. Michael Alaska Ty., Jul 4 - 1895, perfect bold strike of magenta oval backstamp on 2¢ green entire cancelled by "Seattle, Wash. Jul 21 95" duplex to Middlebury Vt., Jul. 26th arrival backstamp; reduced slightly at right, fresh and Very Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
Realized: $425
Lot
1024
Alaska Commercial Co., St. Michael Alaska Ty., Sep 2 1896, bold magenta oval backstamp on cover to England bearing 5¢ chocolate (223) placed over Canada small queen issue and tied by four-rings cancel duplexed with partial "Ounalaska, Alaska, Sep 1896" cds, reverse with New York (10.21) and Paddington (10.31) arrival cds, Very Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
Realized: $1,000
Lot
1025
Alaska Commercial Co., Str. Alice, Sep 12 1896, purple oval backstamp on south bound cover to Evansville Ind. bearing 2¢ Bureau issue tied by four-rings cancel, matching "Ounalaska, Alaska, Sep 28 1896" cds, reverse with "San Francisco, Cal. F.D. Oct 12 1896" transit with matching straightline "Ship. 2" due rating handstamp, Evansville (10.16) receiving backstamp; pencil notation on back "Written at Circle City, Sept. 22, 1896"; reduced slightly at left, otherwise Very Fine, illustrated in Cavagnol. Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE ALASKA COMMERCIAL CO. STEAMER "ALICE" OVAL HANDSTAMP.
Realized: $2,500
Lot
1026
Alaska Comm'l Co., St. Michael, Alaska. Jun 28 1898, dateline on enclosed letter of cover bearing 2¢ carmine (279B) cancelled by cork duplexed with partial "Sitka, May 5 1897" cds to Lieut. F. C. McLean U.S.N., c/o Bu of Navigation, Navy Department, Washington D.C., reverse with May 16th machine arrival, letter reads "I am exceedingly obliged to you for the 'instructions for Infantry and Artillery'. Yes, I was aware that the Bu of Ordnance desired me to return to Mare Island as Inspector of Ordnance but I have not been East for over three years and important business demands my presence there this Summer for a month or two, so when this craft reaches Mare Island and goes out of commission, or I am grounded, I want to be ordered to proceed to my home and be granted the usual month's leave which I feel I am entitled to; and then I might feel pleased with orders to Mare Island.", Very Fine. Estimate $200 - 300.
Sitka Alaska 1897 CDS with navy business content letter date lined U.S. Str. "Pinta" May 5, 1897 from Lt. Cmdr F. M. Symonds. A news clip from The San Francisco Call, May 18, 1897 (image with listing) confirms that Symonds was the commander of the "Pinta" and that she was slated for decommissioning in August 1897. The "Pinta" engaged in Bering Sea patrol operations from 1889 to its decommissioning.
Realized: $120
Lot
1027
Alaska Comm'l Co., St. Michael, Alaska. Aug 21 1897, magenta oval backstamp on north bound cover bearing 2¢ red (279B) pair, vibrant color, tied by "New York, Madison Square, Jul 27 '97" duplex to Mrs. John W. Chaplain, Anvik, Alaska in care of Alaska Commercial Co., San Francisco Cal., reverse with "San Francisco Cal. Aug 1, 1897" cds; slight toning at right, otherwise Very Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
The United States Government mail service to much of Alaska was poorly developed or non-existent in the 1880s and 1890s. Consequently the ships of the Alaska Commercial Co. carried mail, as a convenience, mainly between western Alaska and San Francisco. The Anvik post office was opened on June 12th 1897, he first postmaster being the Rev. John W. Chapman D.c., the husband of the addressee.
Realized: $425
Lot
1028
Alaska Comm'l Co., St. Michael, Alaska. Aug 21 1897, magenta oval backstamp on north bound 2¢ green entire cancelled by "Chimney Point Vt. Jul 26 1897" cds and four-ring target cancel to Mrs. John W. Chaplain, San Francisco Cal. in care of Alaska Commercial Co., reverse with Port Henry N.Y. (7.26) and "San Francisco Cal. Aug 1, 1897" transit cds; upper right corner stain on reverse, Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
Realized: $425
Lot
1029
Samson's Hotel, Skagway, Alaska, printed corner card on cover to Union Ore. bearing faulty 2¢ pink (279B) along with Canada Small Queen 1¢ yellow and 2¢ green, later tied by "Victoria, JA 2 1898" squared circle datestamp, reverse with Seattle (1.3) transit and Union (1.5) arrival cds; reduced slightly at left, F.-V.F. Estimate $300 - 400.
This cover was apparently carried out of the mails and placed into the Canadian post at Victoria, British Columbia. It is an extraordinary use from the early days of the Yukon Gold Rush - sent out of Alaska by one of the early gold seekers and prior to the huge population boom in the spring/summer of 1898. The earliest documented Skagway Alaska cancel is February 20, 1898. A postmaster was appointed to Skagway on November 19, 1897. The actual post office opening date would have occurred some time later, making this cover a rather remarkable early use.
Realized: $375
Lot
1030
Alaska Comm'l Co., St. Michael, Alaska. Jun 28 1898, magenta oval datestamp on south bound 2¢ green entire from up the Yukon River to Mariposa Cal. with original letter datelined "Nunivook River Nov 7 - 97" during the winter; roughly opened at right, Fine. Estimate $500 - 750.
A SCARCE ROUTE DURING THE WINTER THROUGH ST. MICHAELS AFTER NAVIGATION OPENED UP ON THE YUKON RIVER IN THE SPRING.
Some interesting letter content, "I now have a chance to send a letter out by one of our passenger's that is going up the river in hopes of getting to Dawson this winter. It will take him at least four months to get there if he gets there at all And then the letter will go over the Pass to Dyer. There is a mail carrier that goes from Circle City to Dawson and over the Pass to Dyer every month but we are 1600 miles from Circle City and 100 miles from St. Michaels in Nunivook River a small stream running into the Yukon. We are for winter quarters and don't expect to get any mail till spring. There are two other steamers here beside our boat one the Merwin a steamer from Seattle with 130 people on board and the Alice a steamer belonging to the Alaska Commercial Co. They are both river boats that run from St. Michaels to Dawson… The Alice has no passengers at all only freight for the mines…".
Realized: $425