Lot
529 
Hawaii, "Forwarded By U.S. Consul, Sandwich Islands", magenta manuscript endorsement at top on lengthy 3-page folded letter datelined "Bark America off Honolulu Harbor, May 1st, 1846, 5oclock, P.M." to Edgarstown, Mass., interesting letter regarding waiting to sail after chronometer being fixed, several deaths at sea, schrimshawning, sending of letters, etc., entered the U.S. mails with red "New - York, Ship 7cts, Feb 1" cds, faint pencil "Recd Feb 3d, 1847" on face; minor splitting along folds, Very Fine. Estimate $4,000 - 6,000.
A VERY RARE UNITED STATES CONSUL AT LAHAINA FORWARDING USAGE, ONLY TWO OTHER EXAMPLES ARE RECORDED BY FRED GREGORY.
The United States Consul at Lahaina acted as a forwarding agent for United States Citizens aboard ships. Giles Waldo, the Vice Consul at Lahaina in 1846, used this manuscript mark to indicate he forwarded the letter in his official capacity.
Sent aboard the American ship "Niantic", departing for New York on August 17th, 1846 and arriving on February 1st of 1847.
Realized: $3,500
Lot
530
Hawaii, Forwarded By C. Brewer & Co., clear strike of red oval handstamp on flap of folded letter datelined "Royal School, Honolulu, Oahu, S. Is. Mch. 23 /46" by Amos Starr Cooke to Aaron Seeley, Danbury Conn., endorsed "Via Mexico" at bottom left, slightly indistinct Vera Cruz Paid (8.13) transit cds, entered U.S. mails with "Pensacola Flor. Sep 12" cds and manuscript "10" due rating for the 10¢ per ½ oz. rate for over 300 miles; letter with preprint paper fold, Very Fine, Gregory Via Mexico census no. 60, ex-Advertiser; with 1996 P.F. certificate. Estimate $7,500 - 10,000.
A REMARKABLE USE FROM HAWAII TO CONNECTICUT VIA MEXICO AND FLORIDA DURING THE MEXICAN WAR ROUTE DISRUPTION.
ONE OF ONLY THREE RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE C. BREWER & CO. OVAL FORWARDERS HANDSTAMP.
Cooke began this letter with the hope that a ship would arrive soon, bound for Mexico; on June 3rd he writes: "that a vessel sails for Mazatlan today at noon, so I must hurry…there has been an arrival of an English war steamer with two masts. She remained in our harbor eight days & was visited by large number of natives & foreigners. This mission & their children were invited & so were chiefs & scholars. To the natives & our children it was a novel sight. I think the time is not distant when we shall have steamers plying between this & other ports of the ocean & the two continents, America & Asia. The Sandwich Islands are becoming the centre of much influence & we hope that influence is growing better, as well as wider…The Congress, Commodore Stockton,is daily expected with a new commissioner, & a new consul. We hope they will do much better than the present incumbents, who are still doing what they can to destroy the Government & foment quarrels between it & the foreign residents. Mr. Brinsmade since his return has joined with them & I trust will soon get to the end of his rope. He has fallen from his former height & will fall still lower if he does not cease his opposition to Government. Other foreigners against their own good unite with Messr. Brown, Ladd, Hooper & Brinsmade, who have no business but to find fault with Govt. …My position brings me in close contact with the Govt. of these Is. & if I should continue in this school I may think it to be my duty to take the oath of allegiance, & become a subject of his Majesty. But in this, I shall make haste, slowly, for at present it appears a leap in the dark…" Peter Brinsdale had gone to Europe for the purpose of creating a joint stock company to take over the the proprieties & rights of Ladd & Co. of Hawaii. However, a contract with a Belgian company, also signed by Kamehameha III, ended in the ruination of Ladd & Co. and Brimsdale's humiliation;
This cover, along two others (census no. 59 and 61), were carried by the French bark "Jeune France" from Honolulu departing Jun. 4th 1846 to Mazatlan. Forwarded in the Mexican post most likely by Messr. Mott, Talbot & Co. to Vera Cruz where marked Paid Aug. 13th and sent out to the blockading squadron probably by the British consul. Then sent by USS "Princeton" to Pensacola Fla. where entered the mails 10¢ due (no ship fee added because letters were entered by a U.S. naval ship). From Pensacola, the letters went north in the Great Northern Mail. Total transit time was just 109 days, quite good considering the conditions.
References: Illustrated and discussed in Fred Gregory's Hawaii Foreign Mail to 1870 on proof. I 122-123, fig. 20-10.
The three recorded strikes of the C. Brewer & Co. Forwarders handstamps:
1. 1846 Mar. 23, Honolulu to Danbury Conn., Gregory fig. 7-26, ex-Advertiser, the cover offered here.
2. 1846 Mar. 25, Honolulu to Royalton Vt., Gregory Via Mexico census no. 59.
3. 1846, Maui to Dorchester Mass. via New York (Feb. 1, 1847), ex-Risvold.
Lot
531
Hawaii, Gregory's U.S. and California Express, Thompson & Hitchcock, Agts., 149 Pearl St., N.Y., unusually clear strike of red three-line express handstamp on cover from Copenhagen, Denmark to Honolulu, Hawaii, manuscript "Care of E. A. Iüverkrop Esq., San Francisco" endorsement and red "K./T & H." oval handstamp, Very Fine, ex-Van Dyke. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
A UNIQUE EARLY EXPRESS FORWARDING USAGE FROM DENMARK TO HONOLULU, HAWAII.
Realized: $2,300
Lot
532
Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaiian Isl / Nov. 23, 1850., clear strike of two-line postmark at top left and Honolulu red manuscript "Paid 40" rating on 1850 cover to Miss. Sarah Wight, Wayland Mass., manuscript "Paid" and "Chge E.P.B." notations at top left authorized the Honolulu post office to charge the sender's account, black "San Francisco Cal., 14 Jun" cds and red "Paid" and "40" rating handstamps for the 40¢ letter rate, Very Fine. Estimate $7,500 - 10,000.
A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE HONOLULU STRAIGHTLINE CANCEL STRUCK IN BLACK, ONLY 7 EXAMPLES SHOW PREPAYMENT OF UNITED STATES POSTAGE AT THE HONOLULU POST OFFICE. THESE ARE THE EARLIEST OF EXAMPLES OF SUCH PREPAYMENT.
This cover was carried by American schooner "Velasco" departing Honolulu May 8th to San Francisco arriving Jun. 3rd. From San Francisco carried by PMSC "California" departing Jun. 14th to Panama City arriving Jul. 1st, and then USMSC "Crescent City" from Chagres Jul. 10th to New York arriving Jul. 20th after a stop at Kingston, Jamaica. The Honolulu straightline markings were
References: Illustrated and described in Fred Gregory's Hawaii Foreign Mail to 1870 on p. I-223-224, and listed as #29 in the census on p. I-388.
Lot
533
Hawaii, 'SCHOONER 'VAQUERO.', complete sharp strike of straightline ship handstamp (Gregory AUXSH-SF [BARK. 'VAQUERO.'], Rarity 1RRRR) and matching "Forwarded by G.B. Post, San Francisco" handstamp on 1855 blue legal-size cover addressed to Joseph Hardesty, Hudson's Bay Company, Honolulu, Hawaii, endorsed "pr 'Vauero' " at top left, docketed "Rec'd 31 Jan'y" on reverse; some edge wear, a Very Fine use; with 1973 A.P.S. certificate. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
ONE OF ONLY THREE RECORDED STRIKES OF THE SCHOONER 'VAQUERO.' SHIP HANDSTAMP WITH SINGLE QUOTATION MARKS.
Carried by American schooner "Vaquero" from San Francisco departing Jan. 16th to Honolulu arriving Jan. 30th. This was carried privately in the G.B. Post letter bag since there are no San Francisco postal markings.
References: Illustrated in Fred Gregory's "Hawaiian Foreign Mail to 1870" as fig. 20-26 on p. II-411.
Realized: $1,100
Lot
534
Hawaii, Honolulu, U.S. Postage Paid, Jan 8, perfect bold strike of red cds on 1862 cover to Boston Mass. bearing U.S. 12¢ black (69) tied by encircled grid cancel, matching "San Francisco Cal Jan 23, 1862" cds, endorsed p. "Yankee" at top left; some light perf toning, a Very Fine use. Gregory No. HON US34 Estimate $500 - 750.
Carried by American bark "Yankee" from Honolulu Jan. 10th 1862 to San Francisco arriving Jan. 23rd. Postmarked by San Francisco Jan. 23rd for the overland mail.