Lot
3366 
Elko & Mountain City Pony Express, M.P. Freem & Co., Prop's, Paid One Dollar., printed frank with fancy frame, and conjunctive printed Wells Fargo & Co. frank on 3¢ green (U82) entire cancelled by "Portland Oreg. Jan 19" duplex to San Francisco Cal., endorsed "pr. Steamer "State of California"; small top edge tear, Very Fine, WC8320, ex Dale-Lichtenstein. Thomas No. ELK-001 Estimate $4,000 - 6,000.
ONE OF ONLY TWO POSTALLY USED EXAMPLES OF THE ELKO & MOUNTAIN CITY PONY EXPRESS FRANK.
This express operated out of Elko, Nevada servicing the mines of northern Nevada around Mountain City. Merrill P. Freeman worked in this area for a number of years at jobs relating to the movement of the mails and may have operated this express in some capacity. The only reference is in the Territorial Enterprise of August 19, 1871: "The stage running between here (Elko) and Mountain City will be discontinued on Monday next. A pony express by M.P. Freeman & Co. will carry the mail between the above points.".
Realized: $3,750