Lot
208 
Freeman & Co.'s Express. Red double-lined oval handstamp plus "From Sacramento" and "Paid" red straight line handstamps and "Paid to San Francisco" manuscript notation on 1850 folded letter to California Secretary of State William Van Voorhies in San Jose, exchanged with "Berford & Co.'s Express / San Francisco Cal". red double oval handstamp with "Dec 22" manuscript date and "Collect" red straight line handstamp with "$1" manuscript Express rate, letter is headed "Sac City Dec 19, 1850" and is in regard to a property tax dispute, Extremely Fine. Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Cover illustrated in Nathan's "Franks of Western Expresses" (page 83) and Coburn's "Letters of Gold" (page 188). An excellent combination of markings.
Realized: $5,500
Lot
209
Freeman & Co.'s Express/Grass Valley. Black oval handstamp on 1853-55 10¢ green Nesbitt entire with green company frank to Winchester, Virginia, entered the mails with "New-York, May 14" large cds, entire with light vert. fold, Very Fine and attractive, a very rare trans-continental usage of a Freeman entire. Estimate $300 - 400.
Freeman's printed green franks on 10¢ stamped envelopes borrowed the "Through Our California & Atlantic Express" terminology used on Wells Fargo's printed red franks. Similarly, Freeman's printed red franks on 3¢ stamped envelopes borrowed the "Over Our California & Coast Routes" terminology used on Wells Fargo's printed black franks, which Wells Fargo had in turn borrowed from the printed black franks introduced by Adams & Co. before that company failed. The improvement made by Freeman was to match the color of his printed franks to the color of the envelope stamps.
Realized: $1,350
Lot
210
Wm. T. Gibbs' Express/Paid. Clear double-line oval handstamp on cover to Placerville franked with uncancelled 1857 3¢ dull red (clipped perfs at right), included is original enclosure datelined "Georgetown, Nov. 6th, 1859" with political contents, small part of back torn away (covered with foreign paper), F.-V.F., a very rare express. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $180
Lot
211
Green's Express. Red double handstamp on folded cover from Kentucky to "Nevada City, Alta California", neat manuscript "Rocky Hill, Ky." postmark & matching "10" rate, carried by Green's from San Francisco to Nevada City, reinforced file fold at right affecting marking, Fine, a very rare one man express which is reported to be one of two known, ex-Haas. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $525
Lot
212
"Gregory's California Express". And "California Package & Parcel Express" and "Thompson & Hitchcock" signage in printed illustrated building design showing Gregory's New York City office on cover to Oriskany, New York, postmarked red "New York, Jul 21, 5cts" postmark, "1851" docket on the back, light edge wear and sealed tear affecting the postmark, Fine. Estimate $100 - 150.
This design shows the location of the Thompson & Hitchcock building at 149 Pearl Street at Beaver Street with Wall Street beyond. Thompson & Hitchcock were Gregory's New York agents. Packages, horse-drawn vehicles carrying packages, and numerous people in period finery complete the vignette.
Realized: $425
Lot
213
Gregory's Express. Large size blue two line handstamp on buff cover to San Francisco with two strikes of matching "Not Paid" in oval, manuscript endorsement at top "Per Gregory's Express", Very Fine. Estimate $150 - 200.
Realized: $240
Lot
214
Gregory's Express/Marysville. Blue straight line handstamp and "Not Paid" with "Not" deleted in pen and "Paid" blue straight line handstamps on 1852 folded letter to San Francisco, manuscript notation by Gregory's agent in Marysville, Frank Rumrill, indicates that "$300 Draft enclosed take receipt [in San Francisco] / [receipt] not given [in Marysville] Paid./F. Rumrill", letter is headed "Marysville May 29 /52" and reads in part "Inclosed please find Draft for three Hundred. I wood have sent you four only I am oblige to By a Cow for witch I will have to pay 10 & 25 at Least. I also find that we will have to have a mutch Larger stock of provition than I thort as thair ar a great many miners on arigon Crik who all want to By of us.", Very Fine and rare, ex-Myerson. Estimate $300 - 400.
Gregory's Express operated in California, between San Francisco and New York, and even beyond the United States from February of 1850 to May of 1853. Gregory's Express was in direct competition with Adams & Co. from the start and with Wells Fargo & Co. after July of 1852. Joseph W. Gregory gave up the express business and returned to the East on May 1, 1853.
After the demise of Gregory's Express, Frank Rumrill allied himself with Wells Fargo and established Rumrill's Express between Marysville and Downieville and eventually on to Gibsonville. Rumrill's Express was in competition with Langton & Co.'s Express and subsequently Langton & Bro.'s Express, which were allied with Adams. Frank Rumrill sold his Yuba River business to what was by then Langton's Pioneer Express and returned to the East to marry the sweetheart he left behind in 1855.
Realized: $900
Lot
215
Gregory's Express/Sacramento. Red octagonal handstamp on 1852 folded cover to Vallejo, Very Fine, a very rare Gregory marking, Cover illustrated in Coburn's Letters of Gold (page 193), ex-Polland. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $300
Lot
216
Gregory's New York and California Express. Blue fancy oval express company marking on buff cover to New York with manuscript "Paid $1.00/G.E.C.", light strike of red Gregory's eight-line handstamp listing offices, addresses and agents for San Francisco (280 Montgomery), Sacramento and New York at bottom left, some cover wear, F.-V.F., rare markings. Estimate $200 - 300.
Joseph Gregory started his express in April 1850 and expanded rapidly, the 280 Montgomery address was first advertised in October 1850.
Realized: $240
Lot
217
Gregory's/Atlantic & Pacific Express/Central Office/Cor. Montgomery & Merchant Sts./San Francisco, California. Five line handstamp on neat cover to New York with manuscript "Paid" in top right corner, Extremely Fine, an unusually clear strike of this scarce marking. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $800