Lot
749 
J. P. Wharton's Express. Fancy framed frank with uncancelled 1861, 3¢ rose on unaddressed half of paste-up, reverse addressed to "Sheriff, E. H. Pierce, Quincy, Plumas County, California", express franked side with trivial nick from the opening and reverse with soiling, F.-V.F., an extremely rare express frank and usage, a virtually identical example of which reposes in the Quincy Museum's collection of Plumas County, ex Clifford. Scott No. 65 Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $115
Lot
750
Whiting & Co's/Feather River Express/Paid. Printed box frank on 1855, 10¢ Nesbitt entire to Illinois, with blue "Marysville, Cal., Paid By Stamps, Mar 18" cds and matching star killer handstamp; barely reduced at left and small tear at right just touching indica, F.-V.F. Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $115
Lot
751
Whiting & Co.'s Feather River Express/Paid. Black oval handstamp on 1864 3¢ pink entire with "Containing $40-" and "Paid" manuscript notations, Samuel Hill correspondence to San Francisco, exchanged with "Wells Fargo & Co./Marysville May 24" blue double oval handstamp (Leutzinger type 11-5) on Wells Fargo & Co.'s Express From black on orange label on the back, "1865" docket on the back, Very Fine, an uncommon money letter usage. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $325
Lot
752
G. H. Wines & Co.'s California Express Eagle and Shield. Printed frank on 1853-55 3¢ Nesbitt entire, origin unknown but evidently a conjunctive use with "Rhodes & Whitney's Express, Weaverville" blue double-lined oval handstamp, to Shasta with "Please deliver immediately" endorsement; light horizontal crease at top, otherwise Very Fine, ex-Polland; with 2010 P.F. certificate. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Cover illustrated in Coburn's Letters of Gold (page 78 and 213). A spectacular frank and one of truly stunning Express Covers.
A number of G. H. Wines & Co. covers with Rhodes & Whitney handstamps are known. The relationship between the companies is not discussed in the literature but emerges from the record of an 1862 California Supreme Court case regarding the 1855 theft of $1360.25 in coin from and relating to a consignment of gold dust to the Branch Mint in San Francisco. Wines & Co. was based in San Francisco and operated between Sacramento and San Francisco and beyond California. Rhodes & Whitney were based in Weaverville and operated from Sacramento to Weaverville and elsewhere in the northern mines. Wines & Co. and Rhodes & Whitney connected with one another in Sacramento, but the association was more than geographical. G. H. Wines and Jesse Rhodes (starting in 1855) each had a Shasta businessman named Cornelius S. Whitney as their partner in their companies. The companies were co-owned.
Realized: $3,750
Lot
753
Wines & Co. Express. Legal size cover with "Agency of the Accessory Transit Co. of Nicaragua / San Francisco" corner card, to Charles Whitney, Nicaragua S.S. Co Agency, New York; endorsed "Pr. Wines & Co"; contents on fancy "Agency" letterhead datelined "San Francisco, July 24 1855"; letter talks of setting up Wines & Co Express in California and how expensive rents are; sent outside the mails and is probably the first cover carried by Wines & Co. from San Francisco; cover with some wear and staining, F.-V.F. and rare. Estimate $500 - 750.
Whitney was probably related to Cornelius S. Whitney, a partner in Wines Express company.
Realized: $240
Lot
754
G.H. Wines & Co's California Express. beautiful Eagle on Shield illustrated frank (Haller FW15) on 1853-55 10¢ Nesbitt entire to Westerly, Rhode Island, slight toning, otherwise Very Fine, Wines ran from the Northern Mines to San Francisco, this is the only black design on a 10¢ entire arguably the most beautiful printed Western Express frank design. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Realized: $2,200