Sale 37: The Westpex Sale

Lot 11    

(Sacramento) Sacramento, Cal./Mar. 1. Bold oval handstamp with red crayon "40" rate on 1850 folded cover to Kentucky, great letter, I have made since that time over $1000 and am satisfied that I will do better than that every month from this till Dec. next…and there is a chance of my doing three or four times as much…if you were here at this time with $5000, I know that you could make $20,000 by next winter. Money is worth 10 percent per month. I believe that it could be loaned at 15 and made perfectly secure. …several who came over in the same train that I did have made from 5 to $15,000 and one started back to the States last week with over two hundred lbs of dust. I would advise you by all means to come, bring all the money with you that you can raise, borrow at 20 percent if you can do no better, come with but three thousand dollars and you can soon make a fortune…pack up and come if you want to be rich…, plus much more, Very Fine and attractive.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $475

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Lot 12    

(Sacramento) Sacramento, Cal. /Mar. 4 (1850). Oval postmark on folded cover to Ohio with red crayon manuscript "40" rate, endorsed at bottom left "From W.C. Lawrence, Plumas, Cal.", sent via San Francisco with rare "San Francisco Rec^d" backstamp, letter with long descriptive text regarding life in the gold country, Very Fine and choice, a lovely pre-statehood usage with great contents.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $425

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Lot 13    

(Sacramento) Sacramento, Cal., Apr 18. Oval postmark and "12½" handstamped rate marking on stampless folded letter to San Francisco, letter is headed "Sacramento 17 Apl 1850" and states "I find this market abundantly supplied with hams at 35 and 40 cts…." and quotes other prices current, minor splitting and toning at the folds, F.-V.F.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

Realized: $220

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Lot 14    

(Sacramento) Sacramento, Cal./26 June/80. Integral rate cds on buff cover to Rhode Island, Very Fine, a scarce double rate cover.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

Realized: $250

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Lot 15    

(Sacramento) Sacramento, Cal./27 Aug./40 (1850). Integral rate cds on buff cover to Connecticut, cover appears to have originated in Stockton as per endorsement at left, Very Fine and choice.
Estimate    $150 - 200.

Realized: $190

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Lot 16    

(Sacramento) Sacramento, Cal./14 Sep./40. Integral rate postmark struck in error on 1850 folded cover to "Oregon City, O.T./Applegate Settlement", cover postmarked a second time with Sacramento, Cal./14 Sep./12½ integral rate cds paying to correct rate to Oregon, letter datelined "State of Missouri, Buchanan County, May 5, 1850" letter mentions St. Joseph full of California emigrants, death of infant son, some wear & folds, Fine, an unusual item written on the trail to California and sent to Oregon.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $230

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Lot 17    

(San Diego) San Diego, Cal. Ap'l, 18,/50. Manuscript postmark & matching "12 ½" rate on small folded cover to Secretary of State at San Jose, mostly complete outer address leaf (three panels missing), fresh and Very Fine, rare manuscript pre-statehood marking.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $450

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Lot 18    

(San Diego) San Diego, Cal./Jul. 3 (1850). Bold cds with inverted date on small ladies' cover to Washington, D.C. with manuscript "40" rate, Very Fine and rare, this is the earliest recorded example of this postmark, Cover illustrated in Coburn's Letters of Gold (page 34), ex-Polland.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $300

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Lot 19    

(San Diego) San Diego, Cal./July 4, 1850. Manuscript postmark with matching manuscript "Paid 40" rate on folded cover to New York, interesting letter regarding the financial difficulties of making a living in San Francisco, before you come to San Francisco to be first assured that on your arrival here, you can find some business or employment, I give this advice from the fact that I know very few of you have much money, and a cat had better be in hell without claws, than a man in San Francisco without money. - as for the mines there are a humbug, to be sure there is a plenty of gold, yet it takes hard working men to get it and it uses even them rather badly., small ink stain affecting "40" rate, Very Fine and choice, ex-Haas.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

Realized: $450

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Lot 20    

(San Diego) San Diego, Cal. Bold manuscript postmark with matching "12½" rate on folded cover to Andreas Pico, San Jose, Cal., couple light file folds, Very Fine.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Andreas Pico was the first delegate to represent Southern California at our new, first state capital.

Realized: $525

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