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Sale 41: Western Postal History

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Via Panama, Via Nicaragua, Western Mail Routes & Trail Letters

Lots 447-456 Lots 457-466

Lot 447    

1849 Letter From Ship Captain Carrying '49ers to California. Written "at Sea March 25th, 1849 Latitude 47:00, Longitude 52:00" (East of Falkland Islands), folded stampless letter to Boston, Mass., with "New York, Ship 7" cents (date in postmark is in error), given to a passing ship and received (docketing)" Jun 6th, 1849", Very Fine.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $230

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Lot 448    

1849, San Francisco to London via Panama. Stampless folded letter, reverse has manuscript "forwd by Smith & Lewis / Panama", circle "Panama" transit, and red crown circle with "Z T 2 Oc 1849"; file folds and other trivial faults, F.-V.F. and scarce.
Estimate    $100 - 150.

Realized: $180

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Lot 449    

Panama & San Francisco, May 7th (Mail Agent Marking). Manuscript marking and "40" rate applied by temporary agent R. J. Laurensen on folded cover from San Francisco to New York City street address, sender's sailing designation "Steamer Panama 1st May" (1850), some wear & staining, Very Fine, This is the earliest Panama & San Francisco Steam Ship marking known and only one of two recorded. pictured, described and discussed in detail in "Gold Rush Mail Agents to California and Their Postal Markings, 1849-1852" by Theron Wierenga, 1987.
Estimate    $1,000 - 1,500.

A HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT COVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE CALIFORNIA MAILS. THIS IS ONE OF TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE MANUSCRIPT "PANAMA & SAN FRANCISCO" ROUTE AGENT'S MARKING.

This cover was carried by PMSS Panama on May 1, 1850, connecting with USMSS Georgia at Charges. This was the only trip handled by route agent R. J. Laurensen, who applied the manuscript postmark in the absence of a date stamping device.

Realized: $1,700

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Lot 450    

Steam Panama. Oval handstamp on 1871 cover from San Salvador to Pachecoville, Cal., postmarked small San Francisco, Cal cds and "10" rate marking, letter dated "March 19, 1871", reduced at left, Very Fine.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Realized: $280

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Lot 451    

Via Nicaragua/Ahead Of The Mails. Bold strike in red on scarce 1853-55 6¢ Nesbitt entire to Kenosha, Wis., cancelled in transit by bold "New York" cds, Very Fine and scarce this nice.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

Realized: $700

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Lot 452    

Via Nicaragua/Ahead of the Mails. Red boxed two line handstamp on fresh cover to Boston, Mass., franked with 1851, 3¢ dull red, horizontal pair tied by "New - York, Dec 24" cds, manuscript "Via Nicaragua" endorsement and 1853 pencil docketing; small cover repair at lower left, F.-V.F.
Scott No. 11A    Estimate $300 - 400.

Realized: $210

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Lot 453    

(Mail Routes) Chorpenning Route. "Carson City U.T. (Utah Territory, now Nevada), Jan. 15" cds on 1853-55 10¢ Nesbitt entire with pencil strokes cancelling the indicium to Middletown, Rhode Island, "Via San Francisco" sender's endorsement, piece torn out at top and top backflap replaced, Fine.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Carried on the Chorpenning Route from Carson City via San Francisco to Rhode Island. Carried over the Sierras by Snowshoe Thompson for Chorpenning (see Across The Sierra Nevada Mountain by Snow-Shoe, by Risvold and Frajola in Chronicle #215).

Realized: $300

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Lot 454    

(Mail Routes) Jackass Route. "Sand Hill, Mo, Ap 3" manuscript postmark and 1857 3¢ dull red with pen cancels on cover to French Camp, California, "By the overland mail via fort yuma" sender's endorsement, "Due 7" handstamp to make up the transcontinental rate, tear and ink stain at right, edge tear at bottom, F.-V.F.
Estimate    $300 - 400.

Carried on the Southern Overland Route (from San Antonio to San Diego on the "Jackass" route under the Birch contract if 1858, which is most likely given the reference to Fort Yuma, and from Saint Louis via Los Angeles to San Francisco on the "Oxbow" route under the Butterfield contract if 1860.

Realized: $1,000

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Lot 455    

(Mail Routes) Overland/Via/Los Angeles. Red imprint on fresh 1855, 10¢ Nesbitt entire to Cambridge, Mass., canceled by neat "San Francisco, Cal., May 9, 1859" cds, light pencil "Recd Jun 4" docketing, Extremely Fine, one of finest examples of this rare three-line routing imprint.
Estimate    $1,500 - 2,000.

In September 1858 the Overland Mail Company started regular semi-weekly stagecoach service along the so-called "Butterfield Route" between San Francisco and St. Louis via Los Angeles. A variety of markings, printed and handstamped, were used on mail to designate this route. This "Overland via Los Angeles" three-line imprint is found on 3¢ and 10¢ Nesbitt entires, in red or black, with or without the Wells, Fargo & Company's frank, and one plain envelope. There are approximately 18 entires in total (excluding the plain envelope with a 10¢ adhesive) are recorded. There are 9 on the 3¢ and 9 on the 10¢.

This is one of only eight or nine 10¢ imprinted entires. Further, it is one of only a few examples with only the red imprint on an entire and without the Wells, Fargo & Co. frank.

Realized: $2,800

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Lot 456    

(Mormon Trail Letter) (Pottawattamie) "August the 11, 1850, Silver Creek". Heading on stampless folded Mormon letter from a woman to her parents and family in Bethany, New York, with "10" blue manuscript rate marking but no postmark, Very Fine.
Estimate    $500 - 750.

Letter reads in part "…we live on the main road from the Mississippi to the Missouri, the emigration to the [California] gold mines has been very great for two years past, we could sell everything we had to spare at good price…." with prices quoted for various foodstuffs and "I made enough to get me a cooking stove and some clothing… there was about three thousand wagons past here last spring besides the pack animals, it seems that the whole eastern world is bound for the west… there was a hundred wagons of Mormons went to the valley this summer, some of them died with the cholera, I some expect we shall go next season… direct a letter to Kanesville Pottawattamie County Iowa…."

Kanesville on the Missouri River was a temporary outfitting post for Mormon pioneers journeying west to Utah. Silver Creek was one of the surrounding Latter Day Saints communities. On order of the church, the last Mormons in Kanesville departed in 1852. The locals who remained behind renamed the city Council Bluffs.

Realized: $850

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Lots 447-456 Lots 457-466

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