Lot
59 
Alaska Commercial Co., St. Michael Alaska Ty., Jul 7 1896, clear strike of magenta oval backstamp on north-bound cover bearing 2¢ Bureau issue, small flaws, tied by "Middlebury Vt., Oct 2, 1895" duplex addressed to J.W. Chapman, San Francisco care of Alaska Commercial Co., upon receipt forwarded to Alaska, a Very Fine use. Estimate $400 - 600.
Realized: $400
Lot
60
Alaska Commercial Co., Str. Arctic, Sep 10 1896, purple oval backstamp on north-bound cover to Alaska addressed in care of Alaska Commercial Co. San Francisco bearing 2¢ Bureau issue tied by Essex Junct. R.P.O. Jul 29th duplex, San Francisco (8.3) transit backstamp, magenta "Alaska Commercial Co., St. Michael Alaska Ty. Sep 9 1896" oval handstamp, Very Fine. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE ALASKA COMMERCIAL CO. STEAMER "ARCTIC" OVAL HANDSTAMP.
This cover reached San Francisco Aug. 3rd 1896 and was delivered to the Alaska Commercial Co. building the following day. It was then placed aboard a company steamer destined for St. Michael. It arrived there September 9th as indicated by the magenta company oval datestamp and placed on board the Yukon River steamer "Arctic" as indicated by the purple oval datestamp. Other envelopes from this same correspondence suggest that the "Arctic" carried this letter to Anvik, a village on the lower Yukon.
Realized: $3,250
Lot
61
Alaska Commercial Co., Str. Arctic, Sep 10 1896, purple oval backstamp on north-bound cover to Alaska addressed in care of Alaska Commercial Co. San Francisco bearing 2¢ Bureau issue, faulty, tied by "Middlebury Vt., Jun, 1896" duplex, San Francisco (7.25) receiver backstamp, Very Fine. Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE ALASKA COMMERCIAL CO. STEAMER "ARCTIC" OVAL HANDSTAMP.
This cover reached San Francisco Jul. 25th 1896 and was delivered to the Alaska Commercial Co. building the following day. It was then placed aboard a company steamer destined for St. Michael. It arrived there September 9th but was not struck with the magenta company oval datestamp and placed on board the Yukon River steamer "Arctic" as indicated by the purple oval datestamp struck the following day. Other envelopes from this same correspondence suggest that the "Arctic" carried this letter to Anvik, a village on the lower Yukon.
Realized: $1,250
Lot
62
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 $2,500 - 3,500.
THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE ALASKA COMMERCIAL CO. STEAMER "ALICE" OVAL HANDSTAMP.
Realized: $2,600
Lot
63
"Indian Key Flor., Septr 3rd", red manuscript postmark with matching "Free" rating on folded letter from Thomas Jefferson Smith to Aaron Vanderpoel, Member of Congress at Washington D.C., forwarded upon arrival to Kinderhook N.Y. with red "Washington City D.C., Sep 17" and matching "Free" rating handstamp, letter datelined "Indian Key (Florida) Augt. 30th. 1837" and reads "I wish to ask your friendly assistance in forwarding sundry petitions of the inhabitants of Dade County to make Indian Key a port of entry. You will find the papers in the hands of our delegate Mr Downing…I left the City of New York last november and have, for the benefit of the climate made this place my residence, and am practising law here…" and signed T.J. Smith, Very Fine, ex-Meroni. Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
ONE OF ONLY THREE RECORDED INDIAN KEY FLORIDA TERRITORIAL USAGES.
Indian Key is one of the Islands in the Florida Keys located northeast of Long Key and between the Upper and Lower Matecombe Keys. The post office was established on May 21st 1833 in Monroe County. In 1835, it became the first county seat of Dade County with Charles Howe as Postmaster. There are only three recorded Indian Key Territorial manuscript postmarks known from Sept. 3, 1837 to Nov. 16th 1840. Indian Key declined and the post office was closed in 1844 after the county seat was moved to Miami. It briefly reopened in 1850, but only a few families remained on the Island and mail was scant.
The writer T.J. Smith, along with J. Houseman (founder of Indian Key) and some 30 other residents had previously signed a petition to Washington in June 1837 requesting a U.S. ship to be stationed there to protect it and Key West from Indian attacks. Later, on August 7th 1840, 134 Indians in 30 canoes attacked Indian Key, killing six people including naturalist H. Perrine for whom a town was named. Housman, a so-called "wrecker" (U.S. licensed salvager of ship wrecks), was killed by being crushed between two ship. He had offered a deal to the U.S. to give him a bounty of $200.00 for each Indian he killed. It was because of this, that Chief Chekika and his warriors attacked Indian Key. The Chief was later killed by troops led by Lt. Col. William S. Harney.
Realized: $3,750
Lot
64
Newport, Rhode Island, Dec 11, green oval postmark with matching bold old English "Paid" and "6" rating handstamps on 1827 folded letter to Providence R.I., Extremely Fine and choice. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
AN EXCEPTIONAL EXAMPLE OF THE GREEN NEWPORT OLD ENGLISH "PAID" RATING HANDSTAMP.
Realized: $1,200
Lot
65
Bennington Center, Vt., two covers, comprising circa 1851 red "Bennington Vt., 'Center' Jun 20" cds with provisional manuscript "Center" added between date and state designation, matching "5" in serrated circle rating handstamp on lady's cover to West Winsted Conn.; and second 1852 use with black "Bennington 'Center Vt', May 24" cds with "East" and "Vt" removed and provisional manuscript "Center Vt" added around outer rim, matching "Paid" and "10" in serrated circle rating handstamps on cross-border cover to Montreal, Canada, 1852 arrival backstamp, a Very Fine and choice pair of provisional cds town postmarks from Bennington Center Vt., ex-Slawson. Estimate $500 - 750.
The postmaster at Bennington Center Vt., H. Kellogg, first used the borrowed cds of "Bennington Vt." with a provisional manuscript designation of "Center". This was discarded and the borrowed cds of "East Bennington Vt." was used by removing the "East" and "Vt" so that he could provisionally add "Center Vt." in the outer rim.
Realized: $650