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Sale 93: The Dale Forster Collection of Australian - United States Mails

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Via San Francisco Pre-1870

Lots 4047-4056 Lots 4057-4066 Lots 4067-4070

Lot 4057    

Australian States: New South Wales, 1853 (Jun. 15) Sofala, New South Wales to Mokelumne Hill Cal., gray datelined folded letter bearing New South Wales, 1d red, 2d blue pair, tied by barred ovals for 5d ship letter from country town, reverse with partial "Sofala" origin datestamp and sharp "Ship Letter, Sydney, JU * 20, 1853" crown cds, carried by private ship via Pacific Ocean to San Francisco, "San Francisco Cal., 14 Sep" cds and partial "Ship" and "7" handstamps for 5¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee, sent by stagecoach to Mokelumne Hill; small edge tear and wear, 2d pair with small flaws from edge placement, a Very Fine use, ex-Robson Lowe.
Estimate    $1,000 - 1,500.

The writer had left California for the mines in Australia, his ship stopping at Polo (Samoa) where "My mate and I selected two sisters and enjoyed ourselves with them in the bush…". A good description of the mines follows with the comment "…women and provisions are cheap and plenty but rum is high…".

Realized: $900

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Lot 4058    

Australian States: Tasmania, 1854 (c.) Kelly's Point, Tasmania to Wolcott N.Y., cover bearing Tasmania, 4d red orange (2), two cut to shape singles, right showing partial imprint at bottom, each tied by "67" barred numeral ovals, carried by private ship via Pacific Ocean to San Francisco, entered mails with "San Francisco Cal., 16 Dec" cds and matching "Ship" and "12" rating handstamps for 10¢ rate over 3,000 miles plus 2¢ ship fee, carried by ship via Panama to New York; light cover restoration, Very Fine appearance, ex-Kramer.
Estimate    $2,000 - 3,000.

THE ONLY RECORDED TASMANIA COVER WITH THE NUMERAL "67" CANCELS OF KELLY'S POINT.

Illustrated in Vol. I of Tasmania handbooks as the sole example on cover of numeral 67 of Birch's Bay. Recent research by David McNamee has shown that this device was almost certainly issued to Kelly's Point. Cover remains the only example with numeral 67.

Realized: $4,500

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Lot 4059    

Australian States: New South Wales, 1854 (Nov. 25) Sydney, New South Wales to Gold Springs Cal. via San Francisco, cover with two strikes of the "Adams & Co., Sydney N.S.W." oval handstamp, endorsed "Per Adams & Co's Express", probably carried by American Bark Julia Ann from Newcastle to Honolulu arriving Mar. 15th, departing Mar. 30th for San Francisco arriving Apr. 12th, entered mails with bold "San Francisco Cal., 13 Apr" cds and matching "7" cents due for 5¢ inland postage plus 2¢ ship fee, sent via stagecoach to Gold Springs.
Estimate    $2,000 - 3,000.

THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE ADAMS & CO. SYDNEY N.S.W. HANDSTAMP.

Adams & Co. failed in California on February 23, 1855, so the cover was mailed upon arrival in San Francisco.

Realized: $1,600

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Lot 4060    

Australian States: New South Wales, 1856 (May 14) Sydney, New South Wales to Stockton Cal. via San Francisco, mourning cover bearing New South Wales, 6d greenish gray, some creasing, cancelled by barred oval, matching "Sydney N.S.W., MY 14 1856" rimless backstamp, carried by private ship via Pacific Ocean, entered mails with "San Francisco Cal. 26 Aug" cds and matching "SHIP" and "5" cent due rating, stagecoach to Stockton; wear and flaws, Fine and scarce mourning cover use.
Estimate    $400 - 600.

An anomaly of the 1855 to 1861 ship letter rates was the rate to the port of entry was 6¢ and the rate to a town under 3,000 miles from port of entry was only 5¢.

Realized: $375

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Lot 4061    

Australian States: New South Wales, 1857 (Apr. 24) Sydney, New South Wales to New York N.Y., docketed folded cover with sharp blue "E. Lynch & Co., Sydney" double-oval, carried out-of-mails by private ship to San Francisco, entered mails with United States, 10¢ green (15), mostly large margins, tied by "San Francisco Cal., Aug 5, 1857" cds, ship via Panama to New York, Very Fine, ex-Kramer.
Estimate    $750 - 1,000.

Captains of private ships were required to turn over mail to United States post office at port of entry. In this case, the letter was mailed directly with the post office and the captain's gratuity was not paid.

Realized: $900

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Lot 4062    

Australian States: Victoria, 1859 (Jan. 16) Melbourne, Victoria to New York N.Y. via San Francisco, blue folded cover bearing Victoria, 1s blue tied by numeral "1" barred oval, matching "Melbourne, Victoria, JA*16, 1858" (year not updated to 1859) rimless oval backstamp, endorsed for Columbian via Suez and Southampton, framed "Detained for "2" Postage" handstamp with ms. "2" pence due, red "G.P.O. Insufficiently Paid, Melbourne" oval handstamp, Melbourne (2.1.1859) backstamp, sent by private ship via Pacific Ocean, "San Francisco Cal., '12' May 20, 1859" integral-due cds for 10¢ postage over 3,000 miles plus 2¢ ship fee, sent by ship via Panama to New York; bottom flap missing and bottom left corner repair, 1s creased from horizontal fold, Very Fine appearance.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

The rate to the United States border via Southampton during this period was 14 pence, so this cover was marked "Insufficiently Paid" and "Detained for Postage". When the additional 2 pence was not forthcoming, the cover was sent via San Francisco overpaid for the 6 pence private ship rate.

Realized: $500

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Lot 4063    

1860 (Jun. 4) South Bend Ind. to Melbourne, Victoria, light amber cover bearing United States, 10¢ green (35) tied by sharp "South Bend Ind. Jun 4" cds, endorsed "Via California", carried by private ship via Pacific Ocean, reverse with "Ship Letter, Sydney, SP 3" rimless cds and red Melbourne (9.11) arrival cds, forwarded to Sunbury with Sep. 12th arrival backstamp, forwarded again to Black Forest with Melbourne (9.13) transit backstamp and Sep. 17th arrival backstamp; top edge tear, otherwise Very Fine.
Estimate    $1,000 - 1,500.

ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS RARE 10¢ PRIVATE SHIP LETTER RATE TO THE AUSTRALIAN COLONIES.

Starnes lists a 10¢ private ship rate from San Francisco to Australian Colonies from April 1855 until August 1863. Very little mail was sent since sailings were infrequent and post offices did not have access to private ship sailing schedules. Note there were no arrival charges in Australia.

Realized: $600

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Lot 4064    

Australian States: Victoria, 1861 (Mar. 18) Melbourne, Victoria to San Francisco Cal., gray folded cover with original letter bearing Victoria, 6d blue (30) tied by bold "1" numeral grid, matching "Melbourne, MA 18, 61" backstamp, carried as endorsed by Iconium to San Francisco, entered mails with "San Francisco Cal., Jun 7, 1861" cds and matching bold "Ship 6" due handstamp; some edge wear, Very Fine.
Estimate    $1,000 - 1,500.

This San Francisco "Ship 6" marking is the last state of the device with the clamshell removed. See article by Fred Gregory in "Western Express".

Realized: $700

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Lot 4065    

Australian States: New South Wales, 1861 (Apr. 17) Sydney, New South Wales to San Francisco Cal., datelined folded letter bearing New South Wales, 6d violet (40), some per flaws, tied by "N.S.W." barred oval duplexed with "Sydney, AP17 '61" cds, carried as endorsed by ship Alcyone via Pacific Ocean, entered mail with "San Francisco Cal. Jul 3, 1861" cds and matching bold "Ship 5" rating handstamp (earliest recorded example); cover wear, F.-V.F.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

In 1861, the anomaly that letters sent beyond the port of entry were charged less than those to the port of entry was corrected. Now the rate to port of entry was 5¢; the rate beyond was domestic postage plus 2¢ captain's concession.

Illustrated in "Letters of Gold" by Coburn on p. 339.

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Lot 4066    

Australian States: New South Wales, 1861 (Jun. 29) Sydney, New South Wales to San Francisco Cal., datelined folded letter bearing New South Wales 2d blue (36), 6d brown (39), each tied by "N.S.W." oval duplexed with "Sydney, JU 29 '61" cds, carried as endorsed by Midas via Newcastle across the Pacific Ocean, entered mails with "San Francisco, Oct 17, 1861" cds and matching bold "Ship 5" due handstamp for 5¢ port-of-entry ship fee; some age spotting, Very Fine.
Estimate    $750 - 1,000.

Apparently the 8d rate included 2d to Newcastle plus 6d for private ship letter.

Realized: $500

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Lots 4047-4056 Lots 4057-4066 Lots 4067-4070

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