Lot
4 
Forwarded by C. Brewer & Co., complete bold strike of red oval handstamp on flap of March 25th 1846 folded letter written by David and Henry Lyman of Hilo, along with their mother to their Aunt and Sister Melissa Joiner at Royalton Vt., slightly indistinct "Franqueado, Vera Cruz" (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; some interesting content including, "My Dear Aunt…. I was at the volcanoe and spent a 'Merry Christmas' in the crater and ate a Christmas dinner in a cleft of the rock…D.B.L." and "April…We have never had so many ships here before now. A week or two ago there was twenty ships and one schooner here at a time. 19 American whalers, French man of war, and 1 Hawaiian sch'r…Henry Lyman", etc., Very Fine and choice, Gregory Via Mexico census no. 59. Estimate $7,500 - 10,000.
A REMARKABLE STRIKE OF THE C. BREWER & CO. FORWARDERS HANDSTAMP, ONE OF ONLY THREE RECORDED EXAMPLES.
This cover, along two others (census no. 60 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.
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, Gregory Via Mexico census no. 60.
2. 1846 Mar. 25, Honolulu to Royalton Vt., the cover offered here
3. 1846, Maui to Dorchester Mass. via New York (Feb. 1, 1847), ex-Risvold, currently in the Richard Malmgren Collection.
Realized: $7,250