Sale 129: The Dr. James Milgram Collection of Western Postal History

Lot 840    

Freeman & Co.'s Express, printed frank with details of office locations (FRM-001) on 1853-55 3¢ Nesbitt entire (U10) to San Jose, 2011 P.F. certificate notes that it is a genuine usage "with manuscript 'X' marks deleting the frank"; likely a leftover used for postage after Freeman ceased operation in Nov, 1859, Very Fine, one of only three recorded examples of this Freeman's printed frank, ex-Lyons; with 2011 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. U10    Estimate $300 - 400.

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Lot 841    

Freeman & Co., Marysville Jun, light blue oval handstamp (Thomas FRM-103) with red Freeman's printed frank (Thomas FRM-007) on 1853-55 3¢ Nesbitt entire (U10) to San Francisco; minor backflap damage and tiny tear above indicium, otherwise Very Fine.
Scott No. U10    Estimate $100 - 150.

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Lot 842    

Freeman & Co.'s Express, Mok. Hill, blue company oval (FRM-102) on 1853-55 3¢ Nesbitt entire to San Francisco with red Freeman's printed frank entire (FRM-007), very light stain in bottom left corner, Very Fine, one of only a handful of Freeman's Mokelumne Hill handstamps.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $210

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Lot 843    

Freeman & Co., Sacramento. Sep 23, blue oval handstamp (Thomas FRM-103) with red Freeman's printed frank (Thomas FRM-007) on 1853-55 3¢ Nesbitt entire (U10) to San Francisco, Very Fine.
Scott No. U10    Estimate $100 - 150.

Realized: $80

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Lot 844    

Forwarded by Freeman & Co.'s Express San Francisco, bold blue company oval handstamp (FRE-104) on buff cover to Mess Warren & Co, Sacramento City; pencil notation at bottom left "S.F. Apr 11, 1851", Extremely Fine, ex-Dale-Lichtenstein & Whitington.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $150

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Lot 845    

Freeman & Co'^s Express San Francisco, perfect strike of red oval company handstamp (FRM-101) on outer folded lettersheet from Cuba with "Reply By Freeman & Co.s Express" two line handstamp in red (FRM-400) on verso; internal docketing indicates origination in "Havane 22 Decbr 1855, Receive 16 Jan 56, Repl 19 Jan 56", Extremely Fine and choice, an exceptionally nice example showing both Freeman's handstamps in bright red ink.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

Realized: $2,600

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Lot 846    

Freeman & Co'^s Express San Francisco, red company oval (Thomas FRM-101) with blue merchant oval "Campbell & Caro Havane" on outer wrapper of folded letter from Cuba to San Francisco, verso with "Reply By Freeman & Cos Express" two line handstamp in red (FRM-400), internal docketing indicates mailing from Havana 25 Decbr 1855, received 16 Jan 56, Reply 4 Feb; horizontal file fold, Very Fine and choice, a very appealing cover with bonus of the reply by straight-line on verso.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

Realized: $500

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Lot 847    

Forwarded By J.M. Freeman Agent of Adams & Co.s Express Panama, sharp red oval company handstamp (ADA-114) on buff cover to Santiago, Chile; minor scuffs in address, Extremely Fine, a very rare Adams forwarding agent handstamp, one of only four examples of this Adams handstamp known.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $280

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Lot 848    

Gray's Cal. Express, bold black shield company handstamp (Thomas GRA-100) on bluish folded letter to Wisconsin, entered the mails with orange-red "San Francisco Cal. 19 Jun" cds and matching boxed "10" rate (due) handstamp; datelined "California, May 7 1850" with contents, in part, "…I wrote you a long letter also one to Mr. Tuttle about a month since, and have just learned that the man by whom they were sent to the office got drunk and lost them on the way. Should the finder be kind enough to take them to the office they may reach you yet. I am now located on the middle fork of the American River about 100 miles from Sacramento City which is the nearest P.O. An expressman comes up regularly after the arrival of each mail carrying letters to and from for two dollars each…Jno. H. Lewis", letter goes on to describe the writer's mining activities, gold payouts, etc.; two light vertical file folds, one thru express handstamp and one thru postal rate handstamp, Very Fine and choice, written up by Dr. Milgram in the March, 2018 issue of Western Express.
Estimate    $2,000 - 3,000.

ONE OF ONLY SEVEN EXAMPLES RECORDED IN THOMAS AND THOUGHT TO BE THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLE FROM THIS EXPRESS.

Realized: $5,500

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Lot 849    

Green's Express., red oval handstamp (Thomas GEE-100) on circa 1854 brown cover to "US Hotel, Nevada"; pencil notation on verso "Clinton Jul 5, 1854" may indicate the contents this envelope once contained (now missing), light wrinkling, Very Fine, One of six known examples per the Thomas book census., ex-Knapp.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

Jerry A. Green operated a small, possibly one-man, express from Nevada City and Grass Valley, California in 1853-1854. He served the mining camps between the two cities that were located along the Yuba River and the areas around the two cities.

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