Lot
786 
PER STR COLUMBUS, red straight line handstamp with manuscript "Ship 42" rate (40¢ trans-continental rate + 2¢ ship Captain fee) on folded letter datelined "Victoria, New Zealand, 9th March 1850" postmarked with red "San Francisco Cal 6 Jun" cds to New York; two vertical file folds, left one with some minor staining, still Very Fine, ex-Knapp & Jessup.Estimate $750 - 1,000.
A RARE USAGE FROM NEW ZEALAND AND CARRIED BY GEORGE LAW'S "COLUMBUS" FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO PANAMA ON HER MAIDEN VOYAGE.
On June 6th 1850, George Laws steamship "Columbus" arrived at San Francisco and on June 19th she started the first of only two voyages to Panama (Columbus carried mail on her maiden round voyage and a second voyage to Panama). Allen had a "Per Str. Columbus" straightline directional handstamp made up to indicate that these letters were to be bagged for Law's Line and not the contracted carrier. It appears this arrangement was made without consulting Washington D.C., and probably after intervention by William Aspinwall, the arrangement ended after only three round trips.
Current Opening Bid: $375
Lot
787
Empire City, bold red two-line handstamp clearly struck on a brown cover (1849) addressed to Amos P. Catlin in San Francisco, "Care of Mr. Vandemark." The fee for the Empire City Line was paid per the manuscript "Paid" at the upper right, so the purser added the EMPIRE CITY marking to the letter and took it on the ship in a closed bag, Carried on the Empire City Line steamer Empire City from New York to Chagres and across the Isthmus to Panama City, where it was turned over to the U.S. Despatch Agent for further transmission on the Steamer Panama by the Pacific Mail Steamship Co., the cover entered the San Francisco Post Office with boxed "40" rate handstamp applied, trivial cover wear, Extremely Fine and rare.Estimate $4,000 - 6,000.
AN OUTSTANDING STRIKE OF THE "EMPIRE CITY" STEAMER HANDSTAMP AND ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE EMPIRE CITY LINE'S NAME-OF-SHIP MARKING. ONE OF THE MOST MOST IMPORTANT EARLY CALIFORNIA COVERS.
An almost identical cover from the same correspondence and only other example was recently sold in the Siegel Sale #1331, Lot 1023 (09/2024) for $8000 hammer price.
Current Opening Bid: $2,000
Lot
788
Pr Steamer Empire City Aug 16, manuscript sender's endorsement at lower left of cover with manuscript "Pd" (Paid) at upper right, no postal markings, on buff cover to San Francisco, minor toning at upper left, Very Fine and rare.Estimate $400 - 600.
The S.S. "Empire City" (1700 tons) was owned variously by Howard & Son's Empire Line; the Pacific Mail Steamship Company (PMSC), which held the mail contract on the Pacific portion of the Panama Route; and the United States Mail Steamship Company (USMSC), which held the mail contract on the Atlantic portion of the Panama Route. Howard & Son's were early competitors to the USMSC on the Atlantic side of Panama. The PMSC acquired the "Empire City" from Howard & Son's and became competitors on the Atlantic side after the Law's Line affair in 1850. That event led the Post Office Department to require that mail agents accompany the mails on all contract sailings by the PMSC and the USMSC. The USMSC acquired the "Empire City" from the PMSC after the two subsidized steamship companies agreed to confine their seafaring activities to the sides of the Isthmus corresponding to their mail contracts.
Current Opening Bid: $200
Lot
789
Per StR Isthmus, red-orange straight line handstamp with matching "San Francisco 17 July / 40" integral rate (due) cds with manuscript "pr Isthmus" at lower left on cover to New London, Conn., 40 cent rate period dates this cover to 1850; light markings typical of this red-orange color, edge wear and light soiling in places, backflap half missing, Fine and rare, Scarce use of the Steamer Isthmus handstamp used on mails send via George Law's line of steamers for only five months in 1850., ex-Vogel.Estimate $400 - 600.
Although the Pacific Mail Steamship Company had an exclusive government contract to carry the mails, Law offered the San Francisco postmaster the use of his ships to convey mail. On May 14, 1850 the postmaster agreed only on condition that the sender's had to indicate carriage by Law's steamers. This agreement was a breech on the government contract and was eventually terminated after five months.
Current Opening Bid: $200
Lot
790
Steam Manzanillo., full bold strike of oval handstamp on folded cover from Cuba to San Francisco, postmarked on arrival by "San Francisco, Cal. Aug 11, 1865" double cds (Williams SAF-600), correct double rate of 20¢ with manuscript blue crayon "20" due marking; additional handstamp at lower left "Suarez Lienau Y Ca, Habana" in blue; minor wrinkling near center, Extremely Fine.Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
San Francisco used a set of four oval steam markings indicating origin used in association with the four stops of the PMSS Co. ships running from Panama to San Francisco: Panama, Mazatlan, Acapulco, and Manzanillo. There are 47 covers total recorded by Richard Frajola and only 4 for Manzanillo. This being the finest example.
Current Opening Bid: $500
Lot
791
Steamer Tennessee, black on orange passage ticket, "First Cabin, From San Juan Del Norte to New York, Voyage No. 1", "York" of New York crossed out and manuscript "Orleans" added, signed by the Purser and pencil dated "le 16 Octobre 1856", Very Fine,A RARE EARLY TICKET ON THE TENNESSEE FROM NICARAGUA TO NEW ORLEANS.
Current Opening Bid: $150
Lot
792
Steamship Winfield Scott, light but readable straight line handstamp in red on cover to New Orleans with "Steamship" written out in full versus the normal "Steamer", with manuscript "P Steamer Winfield Scott" postmarked "New Orleans, La Dec 5" in red with circular "Steam 5" matching; cover originated from New York as evidenced by small embossed label on backflap "Elliman Brothers New York" and light red handstamp on verso "Forwarded by Davis Brooks & Co. New York", Very Fine; with 1981 P.F. certificate.Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN EXAMPLE WITH THE SPELLING "STEAMSHIP" VERSUS THE NORMAL "STEAMER."
Davis, Brooks & Co. (handstamp on verso) were the original owners of the Steamer Winfield Scott, and transported passengers in the Atlantic Ocean between New York and New Orleans. The vessel's ownership was later transferred to the New York and San Francisco Steamship Company Line. It carried passengers from Panama City to San Francisco in the Pacific Ocean. Ownership was again transferred on July 8, 1853 to the Pacific Mail Steamship Co., which company owned it at the time it was wrecked.
Articles by Rick Mingee and Dr. James Milgram in the March, 2018 and Sept, 2018 issues of Western Express detail the postal history artifacts from the Steamer Winfield Scott. Mingee census WS-1.
Current Opening Bid: $500
Lot
793
Steamer Winfield Scott, perfect strike of red straight line handstamp with "10" manuscript rate marking, on 1851 folded letter datelined "Steamship Winfield Scott, New Orleans, 4 Decr 1851", manuscript endorsement "Winfield Scott" at lower left, an Extremely Fine gem, Unlisted in the Mingee census.Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
PERHAPS THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLE OF THE STEAMER WINFIELD SCOTT MARKING.
Current Opening Bid: $750
Lot
794
Steamer Winfield Scott, two strikes of red straight line handstamp at lower left of cover with manuscript "10" rate marking on buff cover to New York; somewhat rounded lower right corner, F.-V.F. and rare, Mingee census #WS-4 (March, 2018 Western Express).Estimate $500 - 750.
The Winfield Scott was a 1,291-ton steamer built in New York City in 1851 and put into service along the Pacific Coast route in 1852. The steamer was purchased by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company from the New York and San Francisco Line in July 1853. One round trip between San Francisco and Panama for the PMSC was completed before the Winfield Scott was stranded and lost on her second trip for the company off Anacapa Island in the Santa Barbara Channel on Dec 2, 1853. The five mail bags, passengers, crew and cargo (including gold specie) were saved. Nine examples of this two-line handstamp are recorded, of which two were carried before the "Winfield Scott" was commissioned into the Pacific service.
Current Opening Bid: $250