Lot
62 
Hawaii, (Hawaii) Hookena, Hawaii, May 3, 1894, purple origin cds (281.01) on reverse of cover to Kahului, Maui, with provisional manuscript "Paid 2 cts" rate notation at upper right, purple "Kahului, Maui, May 4, 1894" receiving cds on reverse, Very Fine, an extremely rare provisional manuscript rating on cover from Hookena, ex-Krug; with 1962 P.F. certificate.Estimate $500 - 750.
It is believed that when the Postmaster ran out of 2¢ stamps for interisland usage and having a stock of $1 stamps which are hard to use up, he marked the postage as shown here and kept a ledger account for the same. When the amount totaled $1 he canceled a $1 stamp thereby keeping his accounts square with the G.P.O.
It is also of note that Postmaster Mills at Pahala once complained that Hookena postmaster Amalu sent unstamped letters that Mills had to tax at Pahala.
Realized: $950
Lot
63
Hawaii, (Hawaii) Waimea, P.O. Free, manuscript postmark (802 var.) on ca. 1868 cover addressed to Mrs Myra Roberts in care of Castle & Cook in Honolulu; some light water staining at bottom and edge nick at left, otherwise Very Fine.Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
A LIKELY UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF THE MANUSCRIPT "WAIMEA, P.O. FREE" FREE FRANK POSTMARK.
This cover was sent by Rev. Lorenzo Lyons, the Postmaster at Waimea during this period.
Lot
64
Hawaii, (Hawaii) Waipio, PO, manuscript postmarks (802, 1RR) canceling on 1864, 2¢ rose vermilion, horizontal pair (31) on cover to Kohala, "Returned from Honokaa P.O., Nov 9, 1869" notation which was crossed out and forwarded to Hilo, Very Fine, a very rare multiple usage of this scarce manuscript postmark.Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Realized: $1,000
Lot
65
Hawaii, (Maui) Kahului, Maui, Oct 12, 1886, cds (MH) on cover locally addressed, with purple "Postage Paid" straight line handstamp (MH 852, 1RRR); cover reduced at left, Very Fine, a rare usage of this provisional handstamp used on covers in 1886 to Kahului from Honolulu or Wailuku.Estimate $400 - 600.
Realized: $600
Lot
66
Hawaii, (Maui) Wailuku P.O., May 31, Free, manuscript postmark on single-page folded letter datelined "Makawao May 30, 1850" from David Dwight Baldwin to his missionary father, Rev. Dwight Baldwin (4th Company), at Lahaina, the post office at Wailuku would not be official until 1859, but was run in the early 1850's by Rev. Edward W. Bailey (missionary with the 8th Company), acting as de facto postmaster, since all mail within Hawaii did not require postage until 1859, the manuscript notation "Free" on this folded letter is thought to be a small bit of propaganda on the missionaries' part to discourage the imposition of any domestic postal charge for local and interisland mail, minor vertical file folds, Very Fine, ex-Van Dyke, Ostheimer, Advertiser, Twigg-Smith & Steiner.Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
THE EARLIEST OF THREE RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE DE FACTO WAILUKU MANUSCRIPT POSTMARK.
The addressee, Rev. Dwight Baldwin, arrived in Hawaii with his wife Charlotte on June 21, 1831 as part of the 4th Company of American missionaries. Initially assigned to the Waimea mission on the Big Island, assisting Lorenzo Lyons there, they would move to Lahaina in 1836. He started the Seaman's Chapel there, and was the unofficial Lahaina mission station postmaster, handling over 4,000 free (collect) letters from various missionaries in Hawaii writing home or to the ABCFM in Boston. The writer of this letter, David Dwight Baldwin, was the oldest of seven children. He would start the first pineapple plantation on Maui and as a biologist was known for his studies of the various Hawaiian land snail species. The three recorded examples of the Wailuku P.O. manuscript are as follows:
1. "Wailuku P.O., May 31 (1850) Free", the cover offered here, ex-Van Dyke, Ostheimer, Advertiser, Twigg-Smith, Steiner.
2. "Wailuku P.O., Mar 5 (1851) Free", ex-Van Dyke, Golden, Rumsey sale 71, lot 2125, realized $2,300.
3. "Wailuku P.O., Mar. 12 (1851) Free", ex-Peters (Rumsey sale 65, lot 161, realized $2,700).
Realized: $2,000
Lot
67
Hawaii, (Oahu) From Genl Post Office, Per Honolulu Hawaiian Ids, orange-red dateless lozenge handstamp, as used by the Honolulu Post Office to indicate free postage, on inter-island cover with well-struck "Honolulu, Hawaiian-Islands, Oct 12" cds (MH-243.03), original enclosure regarding a quarterly due postage bill datelined "Honolulu, September 30th 1866", addressed to Rev. A. Wilcox at Hanalei on the island of Kauai., Very Fine, ex-Advertiser, Pietsch & Golden.Estimate $3,000 - 5,000.
ONE OF ONLY THREE RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS EYE-CATCHING CORNER CARD HANDSTAMP, USED EXCLUSIVELY ON OFFICIAL POST OFFICE BUSINESS CORRESPONDENCE.
The addressee, Rev. Abner Wilcox, arrived at Honolulu on Dec. 14, 1836 with the 8th Company of American missionaries. Initially stationed at the Hilo mission, in 1846 he and his family would move to the Wai'oli mission near Hanalei on the north coast of Kaua'i.
The three recorded examples of this marking are as follows:
1. Jan. 23, 1865, used on cover to Halifax, Nova Scotia with U.S. 5c brown (76) and 12c black (69), ex-Advertiser, lot 2213, realized $17,500.
2. Apr. 8 (1866), on inter-island cover to Rev. A. Wilcox on Kauai, ex-Fitzpatrick, Rumsey sale 22, lot 1958, realized $7,250.
3. Sept. 30, 1866, on inter-island cover to Rev. A. Wilcox on Kauai, with enclosure, the cover offered here.
Realized: $11,000
Lot
68
Hawaii, (Oahu) Honolulu, Hawaiian Is., Apr. 30, 1851, remarkably clear full strike of the Honolulu straightline cancel struck in black ink, on a folded letter to "Royal C. Knapp Esq., care of Messrs Wm. Fell & Co, Merchants, San Francisco, A. California", manuscript directive at top left "per John Calvin", red "San Francisco, May 22" cds with matching clamshell "Ship 6" marking for port-of-entry delivery; some light wear and a some age spotting, Very Fine, Gregory census no. 26, ex-Pietsch.Estimate $7,500 - 10,000.
ONE OF TWO RECORDED HONOLULU STRAIGHTLINE COVERS TO SAN FRANCISCO, RECEIVING ITS PORT-OF-ENTRY CLAMSHELL 6 MARKING.
Of the 26 surviving examples of the Honolulu straightline postmark in black ink, only 3 are dated April 30, 1851. William Fell & Co., the designated 'care/of' addressee, was founded by a Danish immigrant who arrived in San Francisco in 1849 during the Gold Rush craze. He became a prominent figure in the City's early days of infrastructure development, involved with street paving and establishing the Fire Dept. He founded the Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. in 1863.
While the sender's directive indicated carriage by the John Calvin, this letter was likely sent out a day earlier on the British bark Thetis (dep. Honolulu Apr. 29; arr. SF May 22) since the John Calvin did not arrive in SF until May 24. Thus, it would appear that Henry Whitney had pre-set the postmark device for a scheduled April 30 departure of the John Calvin, but then was given the opportunity to send the mail out a day earlier on the Thetis.
Realized: $6,250
Lot
69
Hawaii, (Oahu) Honolulu, Hawaiian Is., Jun. 4, 1851, sharply struck two-line handstamp in black on printed prices current sent collect to E.&T. Fairbanks & Co., St. Johnsbury, Vt., with manuscript "Printed Sheet" above, red "San Francisco, Jul 1" cds with matching "12" rate mark for the new (July 1) U.S. collect letter rate plus 2¢ ship fee, Gregory census no. 33, ex-Ishikawa, Van Dyke & Golden.Estimate $7,500 - 10,000.
ONLY RECORDED HONOLULU STRAIGHTLINE ON PRE-PRINTED MATTER.
Of the 26 surviving examples of the Honolulu straightline postmark in black ink, only 3 of them are postmarked June 4, 1851, all addressed to the East coast and arriving in San Francisco the first day of the new U.S./Hawaii July 1851 rates.
Carried by the "Loo Choo" (dep. Honolulu May 24; arr. SF June 26), then by PSMC steamer Panama (dep. SF July 1; arr. Panama July 19), crossing the isthmus to Chagres to connect with the USMSC "Empire City" to New York via Kingston, Jamaica (dep. July 25; arr. NY Aug. 6, 1851).
Realized: $9,000
Lot
70
Hawaii, (Oahu) Honolulu, Hawaiian Is., Jun. 14, 1851, bold straight line postmark on folded letter addressed to Mr. Bowman at Kings Cross, London, datelined "May 6, 1851" by John Thomas to his father in England, manuscript at lower left "For Mr. Thomas", magenta manuscript "Paid 59" at top right, red "San Francisco, Cal., Jul 15" cds with matching "Paid" and "25" rate handstamps, at New York, it received a red "3" handstamp indicating credit for the British inland postage rate, red Southampton "Paid, 1851, 4 Sp 4" circular handstamp, red octagonal London "Sep 4" receiver handstamp on backside, Very Fine, Gregory census no. 35, ex-Golden & Walske.Estimate $15,000 - 20,000.
LATEST RECORDED USE OF THE HONOLULU STRAIGHTLINE POSTMARK - ONE OF TWO RECORDED COVERS TO NON-U.S. DESTINATION AND ONE OF THREE HAWAII COVERS SHOWING THE SAN FRANCISCO "25 CENT" ERROR RATE.
The sender of this letter, John Thomas, writes about the return of the future Kings, King Kamehameha IV and King Kamehameha V, who had traveled to Europe and the US with Dr. Gerritt Judd, the Minister of Finance and Plenipotentiary Minister to England, France and the United States, as appointed by KKIII. He also references the earlier (Aug.-Sept. 1849) invasion by the French detachment led by Adm. Louis Tromelin, the so-called 'Tromelin affair', with further observations on the influx of people from Australia heading to the California gold fields hoping to 'strike it rich'.
The "59" rate paid by the sender was to cover the 40¢ East coast rate plus the 19¢ trans-Atlantic rate (16¢ for the crossing service plus 3¢ British inland postage) at the time of posting. On July 1, however, the total US-British treaty rate was reduced to 29¢ (6¢ reduced US transcontinental rate plus 23¢ increased trans-Atlantic rate). San Francisco erred by applying the "25" rate handstamp, and was notified in August of the correct rate. Note that the sender also paid 10¢ for the Hawaiian postage, and the 2¢ ship fee was likely absorbed by the Honolulu post office, as was often the case for prepaid letters.
Carried by the schooner J.K.S. "Mansfield" (dep. Honolulu June 16; arr. S.F. July 14), carried to Panama by the PMSC "Northerner" (dep. S.F. July 15; arr. Panama Aug. 5), crossing the isthmus to Chagres for transport to Havana on USMSC "Falcon" (dep. Aug.11; arr. Aug. 16). Transhipped to USMSC "Cherokee" (dep. Havana Aug 17; arr. N.Y. Aug. 21) then carried on the American Packet steamer "Humboldt" (dep. N.Y. Aug. 23; arr. Southampton Sept. 4).
Reverse:
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Realized: $16,000
Lot
71
Hawaii, (Oahu) Honolulu, U.S. Postage Paid, Dec 3, exceptional strike of red cds (236.05) on 1852 cover to New York City, blue "San Francisco, Cal., Jan 1" cds with matching "Paid" and "8" in circle rate handstamps; cover missing backflap and some splitting along central vertical file fold, otherwise Extremely Fine.Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
A RARE HAWAII USE WITH LESS THAN 15 COVERS KNOWN WITH THE SAN FRANCISCO MARKINGS STRUCK IN BLUE.
The Gregory book (volume 1, page 255) notes that blue ink was introduced in the San Francisco office in September 1852, but that the earliest use on Hawaii-related mail is Dec. 1, when some prepaid covers were marked with blue ink and others in black. From Dec. 15, 1852, to Jan. 15, 1853, prepaid covers from Hawaii were marked in blue, while collect covers were marked in black. The exception is Jan. 15, when both collect and prepaid covers were marked in blue.
Carried aboard the Hawaiian Barkentine "Wallace" departing Honolulu on Dec. 6th and arriving at San Francisco on Dec. 23rd. Cover postmark on Jan 1st at S.F. for the east coast.