Lot
911 
Todd & Co. Express, sharp strike of small black double-line shield company handstamp (TOC-100) on blue 1850 folded letter with straight line "FROM STOCKTON" Todd's handstamp (TOC-600) to San Francisco, vertical file fold, Very Fine and choice, a lovely example of this rare early California express company.Estimate $500 - 750.
Current Opening Bid: $250
Lot
912
Todd & Co. Express, sharp strike of small black double-line shield company handstamp (TOC-100) on small cover originating with "Rising Sun, Ind. Jan 13" cds and "40" in circle rate handstamp addressed to Stockton; carried by Todds with their "$2" rate handstamp to "Hawkeye" (very light pencil notation); cover is silked and repaired including tear through company handstamp, Very Fine appearance, a nice appearing example of this popular Todd's shield handstamp with the express fee handstamp.Estimate $200 - 300.
Current Opening Bid: $100
Lot
913
Forwarded by Todd's Express San Francisco, sharp strike of blue company oval handstamp (Thomas TOE-100) with matching company double oval "NOT PAID" handstamp on bluish legal size cover to Stockton, Extremely Fine.Estimate $200 - 300.
C.A. Todd's Express operated from Apr 22, 1852 to Sep 1, 1853, serving the southern mines.
Current Opening Bid: $100
Lot
914
From Todd's Express Office Sonora, blue so-called tombstone handstamp (Thomas TOE-104) on brown cover to San Francisco with manuscript "With 30 ozs Dust" and "CC" at lower left (Todd's designation for Carson Creek, the origin of this cover); slight wrinkling and staining at left, F.-V.F.Estimate $200 - 300.
Charles A. Todd purchased all the assets of Reynolds, Todd & Company and continued to operate from San Francisco and Stockton serving the southern mines. Todd made inroads along the Sacramento River to points above Sacramento, but faced tough competition from Adams & Co. in that area. At first, Todd connected with Gregory's Express, but later shared an office in San Francisco with Wells Fargo and connected with them for services to the Eastern States. Todd sold his operation to Wells Fargo in Sep, 1853, giving them control of the routes to the southern mines, where they began to compete with Adams.
Current Opening Bid: $100
Lot
915
Todd & Co.s Express Stockton, perfect strike of tiny black company oval handstamp (TOC-106) with straight line italic "PAID" (TOC-200) on blue folded letter to San Francisco; money letter endorsed "with $76 50/100", business contents datelined "Stockton Jan 10th 1851", Extremely Fine and rare, ex-Jessup, illustrated in Letters of Gold.Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
ONE OF ONLY ABOUT A HALF-DOZEN OF THESE MARKINGS ON COVER, THIS BEING CERTAINLY ONE OF THE FINEST KNOWN.
Alexander H. Todd and E. W. Colt formed Todd and Company's Express following Benjamin L. Bryan's departure from Todd & Bryan's Express on Jul 13, 1850. E. W. Colt operated out of Stockton and served the southern mines through merchant agents, while A. H. Todd anchored the operation in San Francisco. They connected in San Francisco with Adams & Company and in Sacramento with Hawley & Company. Later, they also connected with both Freeman and Reynolds & Company in Sacramento. They extended a line, by steamer, to Portland and Oregon City and brought L. W. Newell into the partnership to work out of Sonora. The partnership disbanded in Oct, 1851 with Colt and Newell taking the Oregon California express operation, as Newell & Company. Todd then combined the remaining California operation with Reynolds & Company to form Reynolds, Todd & Co.'s Express.
Current Opening Bid: $500
Lot
916
Tracy & Co's Express Dalles, blue oval handstamp (Thomas TRA-101) with Tracy & Co. Oregon Express PAID printed frank (Thomas TRA-007) on 3¢ pink on buff entire (U35) to Roseburg, Douglas Co., Oregon; docketed at left "March 18/62"; couple tiny seal tears at top, Very Fine, a scarce Oregon express.Scott No. U35 Estimate $200 - 300.
Current Opening Bid: $80
Lot
917
Tracy & Co. Portland Jun 12, six strikes of blue double circle datestamp (Thomas TRA-100) on two 3¢ red Star Die entires (U26) with Tracy & Co. printed franks (Thomas TRA-007) as paste ups on legal size envelope; one of the entires covers most of the second, address portion of paste-up absent; vertical file folds, F.-V.F. and attractive.Estimate $150 - 200.
Current Opening Bid: $80
Lot
918
(Tracy & Co.'s) Salmon River & Nez Perces Express, PAID 50 CENTS., black printed frank (TRA-604) at lower left of 3¢ pink entire with Wells Fargo printed frank (WFE-030) at top center and conjunctive blue handstamp oval "Wells Fargo & Co [indistinct]" to Eureka, Humboldt County, California; light water stain & slightly irregularly trimmed at right, Very Fine.Estimate $200 - 300.
Current Opening Bid: $100
Lot
919
(Tracy & Co.'s) Salmon River & Nez Perces Express. Paid 75 Cents., black printed frank at lower left (Thomas TRA-606) with red Wells, Fargo & Co. printed frank on 1853-55 10¢ green Nesbitt entire (U16) to Wisconsin, entered mails with "New York Aug 15 1862" black cds; included is original enclosure datelined "Florence City July 5th 1862" which reads, in part, "…I have just received a latter from Adams dated June 21st he is on John Days River. He had a good trip from Virginia City, he is about three hundred miles from here, a part of his company came on through (they arrived here two weeks ago), and the rest went to John Days River to prospect for gold… direct his letters as well as mine to Portland Oregon and then we will have them sent to us by express…This is the most disagreeable climate I ever lived in, on day it will be hot enough to roast a person and the next day cold enough to freeze…K.G. Armstrong," cover faults including indicia replaced & one sideflap replaced, three small, clear corner mounts are affixed to enclosure, Fine appearance, an excellent mining letter from Idaho.Estimate $200 - 300.
Current Opening Bid: $290
Lot
920
Truman & Co.'s Express Jan 28, bold oval handstamp (Thomas TRE-100) on 1864 3¢ Nesbitt entire to San Jose with black company printed frank with San Francisco office location imprint below (TRE-003), Extremely Fine and rare, only a small handful of Truman's Express covers have the company handstamp.Estimate $300 - 400.
Current Opening Bid: $150