Lot 3236 *
(Tracy & Spear's Express) "Tracy & Spear", manuscript endorsement with boxed "Paid" handstamp overstruck used as frank on 3¢ red (U10) Nesbitt entire used as a paste-up, carried from the Placerville area to San Francisco Cal., operating north of Placerville T&S turned this letter over to the Wells Fargo at Spanish Flat with dateless "Spanish Flat" circular handstamp struck, from Spanish Flat the letter was carried north by Wells Fargo to its center at Georgetown where it received "Wells, Fargo & Co., Express, Georgetown" oval handstamp canceling indicia and strike on the paste-up, Wells Fargo then carried it to San Francisco, Very Fine.Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
A GREAT EXPRESS RARITY WITH ONLY THREE EXAMPLES KNOWN. THIS BEING ONE OF ONLY TWO IN COLLECTOR'S HANDS AS THE THIRD IS IN THE WILTSEE COLLECTION.
Tracy & Spear's Express is very rare as it operated but a few months in 1858 around the city of Placerville. By 1859 Spear had departed and Theodore Tracy was working as Wells Fargo's agent in Placerville. In 1864 he became the mayor of Placerville. His brother, Edward was his agent at some earlier point and in 1859 moved to Portland to start his own express operation in conjunction with Wells Fargo. We know from other letters that the agent at Spanish Flat was using the same canceling device for both the U.S. Mail and WF material.
Realized: $2,000