Lot
44 
The Central Overland Californi(a) & Pikes Peak Express Company, Denver City K.T., Nov 8, oval date stamp on the front an reverse of 1853, 3¢ Nesbitt entire to Philadelphia, Pa., entered the mails with "Leavenworth City, Kas, Nov 18" cds cancelling, also with "The Only Through Express / Direct Your Letters Care / C. O. C. & P. P. Express / St. Joseph, Mo. / Or / Leavenworth, K. T." magenta company advertising label; a trifle reduced at right, Very Fine, ex-Bauer; with 2013 P.F. certificate. Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
A RARE COVER WITH THE COC & PPE ADVERTISING LABEL. THE COC & PPE AFFIXED ADVERTISING LABELS TO SOME OUTGOING COVERS IN 1860. ONLY FOUR COVERS BEARING THE LABELS (ONE YELLOW AND THREE MAGENTA) ARE RECORDED.
The second strike on the backflap of the "Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Company, Denver City K.T." oval handstamp dated "Nov. 6". These envelopes were available for purchase prior to use and this handstamp reflects the date of sale.
Lot
45
The Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Company, St. Joseph, Mo., Jun 18, oval handstamp on 1860, 3¢ Star Die entire to "Denver City, K.S." with "C.O.C. + P.P. Express St. Joseph Mo." sender's endorsement, "Platte City, Mo, Jun 13" cds cancelling; cover cleaned, professionally restored with right end and top backflap added, Very Fine appearance. Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $325
Lot
46
The Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Company, St. Joseph, Mo., Feb 9, oval handstamp in green on Chicago Silversmiths illustrated advertising cover to Mountain City, Kansas Territory, with "care of (C) O C + P P Exp" sender's endorsement, franked with 1857, 1¢ blue, type V, single and pair tied by blue "Chicago, Ills, Feb 5" cds and grid duplexes; cover reduced at left with edge tears at bottom, F.-V.F., ex-Knapp, Lichtenstein; with 2004 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 24 Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
AN EXTREMELY RARE CENTRAL OVERLAND CALIFORNIA AND PIKES PEAK EXPRESS COMPANY EXPRESS USAGE ON AN ILLUSTRATED ADVERTISING COVER BEARING THE 1857 1¢ ISSUE.
Necessarily an 1861 use from just before Colorado Territory was created since the COC & PPE did not come into existence until February of 1860 and did not have company handstamps until later that year.
Realized: $1,300
Lot
47
Hinkley & Co.'s Express, Denver City, Jul 12, 1860, circle handstamp and "The Central Overland Californi(a) & Pikes Peak Express Company, Denver City K.T., Jul 12" oval date stamp on cover to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, entered the mails with 1857, 3¢ dull red (straddle margin at left, pre-use crease) tied by "Saint Joseph, Mo., Jul 19, 1860" cds in green, also light Prairie du Sac, Wis. transit cds, "rcd July 23" and other dockets, Very Fine conjunctive use. Scott No. 26 Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Brought in from the mines by Hinkley to Denver City and exchanged with the COC & PPE before the Denver City Post Office became operational in August of 1860 and before Hinkley entered into competition with the COC & PPE on the Central Overland Route in September of 1860.
Realized: $1,000
Lot
48
Hinkley & Co.'s Express, Denver City, Nov 5, 1860, cds on Abraham Lincoln campaign cover to "Denver City, Kansas Territory, Care of Hinkley & Co. Express", franked with 1857, 3¢ dull red tied by partial cds of Terra Haute, Indiana, "Answered Dec 4th" docket; cover professionally restored, F.-V.F. appearance, picked up by Hinkley from the Denver City Post Office and delivered to the addressee somewhere in the mines after the Denver City Post Office became operational in August of 1860. Scott No. 26. Milgram No. AL-39 var. Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
AN EXTREMELY RARE USAGE OF A LINCOLN CAMPAIGN COVER CARRIED BY EXPRESS COMPANY.
Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States on November 6, 1860, the day after Hinkley picked up this cover in Denver City and possibly the very day this cover was delivered. Lincoln was the first Republican to hold the office although it should be recognized political ideologies in those days were very different than now.
This campaign design, similar to Milgram no. AL-39, differs in the letter style of "Lincoln." below the portrait.
Realized: $4,500
Lot
49
Holladay O. M. & E. Co., Virginia City, Mon., Oct 26, 1866, double circle handstamp struck twice on 1864 3¢ pink entire with Holladay Overland Mail and Express Company printed frank, to Independence, Missouri, entered the mails with "Leavenworth, Kan., Nov 12" cds and cancel on the indicia, carried by outside the mails from Virginia City to Salt Lake City and then east on the Central Overland Route; slightly reduced at left, Very Fine, sent less than a month after the "Grand Consolidation" with Wells Fargo. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Realized: $850
Lot
50
Jones & Russell's Pike's Peak Express Co., Denver City, circle handstamp without date and "To Pikes Peak" manuscript endorsement on 1853, 3¢ Nesbitt entire, evidently intended for use to the mines but instead sent outbound to Somerset, Ohio, with the similar company circle handstamp dated "Jul 29, 1859" on the reverse, entered the mails with "Leavenworth City, K.T., Aug 8, 1859" cds on the indicia; cover stain professionally removed, Extremely Fine appearance, an unusual if not unique "franked" envelope bearing the second handstamp used by this company in period, i.e., prior to being absorbed by the larger freighting partnership of Russell, Majors, and Waddell in October of 1859; with 1973 P.F. certificate. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Realized: $675
Lot
51
Leav'h City & Pikes Peak Express Co., May 25, 1859, wonderfully clear cds on 1853, 3¢ Nesbitt entire to Brock, Ohio, entered the mails with "Leavenworth City, K.T., Jun 9, 1859", cds cancelling; lightly cleaned with minor restoration sealing tear at top, Extremely Fine appearance and rare example of the first handstamp used by this company, ex-Meroni, Baughman; with 1965 P.F. certificate. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
ONE OF THE FINEST KNOWN OF THIS VERY RARE COLORADO EXPRESS COVER. APPROXIMATELY SEVEN COVERS ARE THOUGHT TO EXIST.
Jones & Russell's Leavenworth City & Pikes Peak Express operated in Kansas Territory from Leavenworth City to Denver City beginning in April of 1859. This was the first express service between Leavenworth City to Denver City, charging 25¢ per letter. This marking is known used only from April to July, 1859. The company was the precursor of the Central Overland California & Pike's Peak Express, which was organized in February of 1860.
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Realized: $4,000
Lot
52
Paid Murphy 10¢, and "C. O. C. and P. P. Express, Paid" manuscript notations on 1860, 3¢ Star Die entire to "Spring Gulch, Mountain City, Colorado Territory", "Sumner, Kansas, Jul 29, 1861" origin postmark on the back perhaps applied as a courtesy plus partial strike canceling indicia, evidently picked up as a stagecoach way letter by the Central Overland California & Pike's Peak Express company and carried to Denver City then delivered by Murphy to the addressee; light stains, small corner and edge faults, F.-V.F., a copy of a 2016 Linn's Stamp News article announcing the discovery this cover accompanies. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
THE ONLY KNOWN MURPHY EXPRESS COVER.
When this cover was sent, Sumner in the new state of Kansas was a fairly large town 20 miles northwest of Leavenworth City. While Sumner along with Denver City and Mountain City in the newly created Colorado Territory all had Post Offices, Spring Gulch was a mining location beyond Mountain City that did not. The recipient of this letter likely prepaid Murphy to call for his letters at Denver City and perhaps Mountain City. Murphy is believed to have been John T. Murphy who was a merchant based in Nevada City, which was near Mountain City.
Realized: $1,200
Lot
53
(A.J. Oliver & Co's) Bannack City Express, tombstone handstamp clearly struck on "Direct To Salt Lake City, In Care Of Bannack City Express, Oliver & Co., Proprietors" company text advertising cover to Westborough, Massachusetts, and forwarded to Cincinnati, Ohio, entered the mails with "Brigham City, U.T., Sept 11" manuscript postmark at lower left and franked with pen canceled 1861, 3¢ rose (s.e. at top), "Westborough, Ms., Sep 30" cds applied when forwarded along with second 1861, 3¢ rose tied by circle of wedges cancel, likely an 1863 use given the manuscript postmark; trivial moisture stains along the bottom, Extremely Fine and attractive, cover illustrated in Nathan's Franks of Western Expresses (page 15). Scott No. 65 Estimate $4,000 - 6,000.
THIS IS THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLE OF THIS RARE EXPRESS - WITH APPROXIMATELY SEVEN COVERS RECORDED.
Oliver & Co. operated as a stage line and express company from 1862 until 1866 in the part of the original Idaho Territory that became Montana Territory in 1864. Oliver's Bannack Express ran overland from Bannack City (aka East Bannack) through unsettled Indian country to Utah Territory. Oliver's intent was to provide a direct connection to the Central Overland Route for letters going to and from the eastern states. The need for Oliver's service to Utah diminished when a mail contract between Salt Lake City and Bannack City was awarded in 1863.
Realized: $4,000