Lot
805 
J. Bamber & Co.'s Express S.F. Jul 21, red double circle handstamp (BAM-102) on 1861 3¢ pink entire with "Bamber & Co's Express, W.B. Hardy's Office, Oakland" printed frank entire (BAM-003) to Oakland, light albino embossed merchant corner card at lower left, slight wear at top left into printed frank, Very Fine and attractive.Scott No. U59 Estimate $150 - 200.
Realized: $110
Lot
806
J. Bamber & Co.'s Express S.F. Feb 20, blue double circle handstamp (BAM-102) on 3¢ pink entire with "Bamber & Co's Express, W.B. Hardy's Office, Oakland" printed frank entire (BAM-004) to San Francisco, with Feb 20, 1869 oval merchant handstamp; trimmed slightly at left, Very Fine.Estimate $100 - 150.
Realized: $100
Lot
807
Barnard's Cariboo Express PAID., black on orange label (Thomas BCE-900) and vert. strip of 3 of British Columbia & Vancouver Is. 1865 3p Blue (7) (bottom stamp with small piece missing) cancelled by light numeral oval cancel in combination with United States 1861 10¢ green (68, added/replacement) with San Francisco cogwheel cancel on yellow cover to Maple P.O., Ontario; docketing on verso "Received Novbr 20th 70" with a couple very light transit and/or receiving markings; slightly reduced at left & cover nick at bottom right corner, Very Fine appearance.Scott No. 68 Estimate $500 - 750.
When on August 17, 1862, prospector Billy Barker struck major gold deposits at the head of Williams Creek, he culminated probes of others who had come to the area as early as 1859. The 50 miles surrounding what would become Barkerville contained the greatest and richest gold deposits in the history of British Columbia. Thus began the "Cariboo" gold rush. The Cariboo gold region was 400 miles beyond the head of navigation on the Fraser River. It was located northeast of Fort Hope / Yale area, which was the scene of the "Fraser River" gold rush of a few years prior. In 1862, Francis Jones Barnard established a one-horse pony express with himself as sole rider, serving the Cariboo from Yale, where he met with Dietz & Nelson Express that provided services between New Westminster and Yale. $1 per letter carrier or delivered.
Realized: $650
Lot
808
Berford & Cos Express, San Francisco Cal., black double-oval company handstamp (Thomas BER-101), second lighter strike, and Berford's matching "FREE" handstamp on brown legal size cover to "Hon. Elisha O. Crosby, Senator, San José", minor cover wear at right, Very Fine.Estimate $200 - 300.
Elisha Oscar Crosby (July 18, 1818 - June 25, 1895) was an American lawyer, politician and diplomat. He served as a member of the California State Senate from 1849 to 1852. After a constitutional convention met in Monterey, San Jose was named the first capital from 1849-1851.
Realized: $170
Lot
809
Forwarded by Bowers Express, black oval company handstamp (Thomas BOW-100) on six-page folded letter entered the mails with blurry black cds "San Francisco Cal. Oct [xx] 40" integral rate datestamp with handstamp "PAID" and manuscript "40" rate marking to New Hampshire; datelined "Nevada City, Oct 25, 1850 At the Eureka Cabin" with lengthy contents, in part, "…Feeling a desire to try the mines, and having been confined for three months in a daily morning newspaper office, with two fellow-pointers from the same office and of the same Mindelheim & Kirchheim I embarked from San Francisco on the 28th Sept on the steamer West Point for the good city of Sacramento…Benicia is composed of some [15 or 20 houses altered to few houses and stores] and there are several ships anchored in the stream. Altogether it was quite a commercial appearance. During the night we passed New York, a very thriving little city, and in the morning woke up to find ourselves sailing up the beautiful Sacramento River…we engaged a four mule team to take us up to Nevada City, and about sunset we left Sacramento City with our blankets, and our carpet bags (one each) for Nevada…At night we encamped near the 'Indian Spring'. The next morning we passed through 'Rough and Ready' where we had our first glimpse at the 'elephant' in the shape of gold digging and washing in the ravines near the town…At Navada city, we were astonished at the intent of the mining operations. We visited the 'cayote' works and found that some of the shafts had been sunk more than sixty feet. They are called cayote holes, from the fact that the cayotes (the prairie wolves) dig their holes in a similar manner, for winter lodgings…" letter with a lot more detail on the trip, the mining activities and the like; Bowers Express would have carried this letter from Nevada (City) to San Francisco for entry into the mails; some wear at edges, many of which have been reinforced, some water staining, Fine and rare.Estimate $500 - 750.
John Taylor Bowers, with the help of his brother Herbert and possibly his other brothers, started running small packages, letters, and gold dust between Caldwell's Upper Crossing (later know as Nevada City) to Sacramento and on to San Francisco in Aug, 1849. They quickly expanded to serve Grass Valley, Rough & Ready, Washington, and the mines along Poor Man's Creek and the Yuba River. They advertised as connecting with Freeman in Sacramento and Adams in San Francisco. Freeman purchased Bowers Express in Sep, 1851 to establish a direct business presence in Nevada City.
This cover is the subject of an article written by Dr. Milgram in Western Express (Dec. 2009).
Realized: $400
Lot
810
Forwarded By Bowers Express, perfect strike of small black company oval (BOW-100) on blue folded letter datelined "Nevada City Mar 15, 1851"; postmarked red-orange "San Francisco, Cal. 1 Apr" cds with matching "40" rate handstamp addressed to Maine; miner's letter talks of the trials and tribulations of his venture, the weather, etc.; a second cover accompanies from the same correspondence postmarked blue "Placerville, Cal. 25 Feb" cds with "Paid 6" in circle handstamp, Extremely Fine and choice.Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
ONE OF THE FINEST KNOWN OF THE DOZEN OR SO BOWER'S EXPRESS COVERS REPORTED.
John Taylor Bowers, with the help of his brother Herbert and possibly his other brothers, started running small packages, letters, and gold dust between Caldwell's Upper Crossing (later know as Nevada City) to Sacramento and on to San Francisco in Aug, 1849. They quickly expanded to serve Grass Valley, Rough & Ready, Washington, and the mines along Poor Man's Creek and the Yuba River. They advertised as connecting with Freeman in Sacramento and Adams in San Francisco. Freeman purchased Bowers Express in Sep, 1851 to establish a direct business presence in Nevada City.
Realized: $1,700
Lot
811
(British Columbia & Vancouver Island) Dietz & Nelsons British Columbia & Victoria Express, PAID, black printed frank vertically at left (Thomas DIE-002) on 1864 on 3¢ pink on buff entire to San Francisco with Wells, Fargo & Co. printed frank, additional franked with United States 1861 5¢ brown + 10¢ green tied by "Wells, Fargo & Co Victoria Aug 27" blue oval datestamp (Thomas WFE-107) handstamps, additional strike cancelling entire, 10¢ with a tiny hole at bottom left, entire with minor defects, Very Fine appearance, ex-Dale-Lichtenstein; with 2004 P.F. certificate.Scott No. 68, 76 Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Realized: $675
Lot
812
(British Columbia & Vancouver Island) Victoria Vancouver Island, Post Office, Paid, blue oval frank handstamp on 1866 blue cover to Oldham, Lancashire, England, additionally franked with U.S. 1862 24¢ lilac (78, overall aging) tied by cogwheel handstamp with matching "San Francisco, Cal., Jan 24" cds alongside, light red New York exchange markings on front (undecipherable with red ink on dark blue cover), reverse with receiving cds; ironed out vertical fold, trimmed unevenly at left, some edge wear, F.-V.F.Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $290
Lot
813
(British Columbia & Vancouver Island) Wells Fargo & Co., Victoria, partial blue oval handstamp (Thomas WFE-101) on 1861 3¢ pink entire (U35) to Dalles, Near Portland, Oregon; sharp bold strike of "Post Office, Victoria V.I." Coat of Arms blue handstamped postal frank, black Wells Fargo frank at top; couple minor toning spots, Very Fine and attractive, ex-Dale-Lichtenstein.Scott No. U35 Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $200
Lot
814
(British Columbia & Vancouver Island) Wells Fargo & Co., Victoria, Jul, partial blue oval datestamp (Thomas WFE-107) on 1861 3¢ pink entire (U35) to San Francisco, unusually clear and bold strike of "Post Office, Victoria V.I." Coat of Arms blue handstamped postal frank, black Wells, Fargo & Co. company frank at top, Very Fine and attractive, a choice strike of the Victoria frank.Scott No. U35 Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $180