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Sale 62: Western Postal History

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Swift to Whiting

Lots 318-327 Lots 328-333

Lot 318    

Swift & Co.'s Express, Bodega, blue oval handstamp cancels 3¢ red (U10) buff entire to San Francisco, printed black Swift & Co. paid frank, blue "Wells, Fargo & Co Express, Petaluma" oval handstamp; small edge tear and no flap, Very Fine and scarce use.
Estimate    $750 - 1,000.

AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE SWIFT & CO. BODEGA USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH WELLS FARGO & CO.

E. Swift operated this express from Santa Rosa, Petaluma and way points to as far north as Weaverville during the late 1850s and early 1860s, connecting with Wells Fargo & Co.

Realized: $1,150

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Lot 319    

Swift & Co.'s Express, Clover Dale., complete clear strike of blue oval handstamp on 3¢ red (U10) buff entire to San Francisco Cal., printed black Swift & Co. paid frank, partial blue "Wells, Fargo & Co. Express, Petaluma" oval handstamp; couple small flaws; internal tear, still Very Fine and choice strike of the Swift & Co. Clover Dale oval.
Estimate    $750 - 1,000.

AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE SWIFT & CO. CLOVERDALE USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH WELLS FARGO & CO.

The Swift & Co. Cloverdale oval is quite scarce with about 3 examples recorded.

Realized: $1,100

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Lot 320    

Swift & Co.'s Express, Paid, crude printed shield frank at top center on 3¢ red (U10) buff entire to San Francisco, cancelled by blue "Wells Fargo & Co., Steamboat" handstamp (Leutzinger type 2-7), Very Fine.
Estimate    $750 - 1,000.

A RARE SWIFT & CO. AND WELLS FARGO & CO. CONJUNCTIVE STEAMBOAT USE.

Realized: $575

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Lot 321    

Swift & Co.'s Express, Santa Rosa, bold strike of blue oval handstamp on 3¢ red (U10) buff entire to San Francisco Cal., printed black Swift & Co. paid frank, partial clear strike of blue "Wells, Fargo & Co. Express, Petaluma" oval handstamp; flap tear, Very Fine.
Estimate    $750 - 1,000.

A CHOICE AND EXCEEDINGLY RARE SWIFT & CO. SANTA ROSA USE IN CONJUNCTION WITH WELLS FARGO & CO.

Realized: $950

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Lot 322    

Swift & Co.'s Express, Santa Rosa, blue double oval handstamp (SWI-104) on paste-up of 1853, 3¢ Nesbitt entire without address with Swift & Co.'s Express boxed frank (SWI-002), Very Fine.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $200

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Lot 323    

Telegraph Line Gilroy and Havilah, U.S. Mail Stage via Firebaugh's, Kingston, Visalia, corner card advertising cover to San Jose, Cal., franked with 1869, 3¢ ultramarine tied by grid cancel with matching "Visalia, Cal., Nov 21" cds alongside; small sealed edge tears at left, otherwise Very Fine.
Scott No. 114    Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.

ONLY TWO EXAMPLES OF THIS VERY RARE SANTA CLARA TO KERN COUNTY STAGE AND EXPRESS SERVICE ARE KNOWN.

This stage line operated between Los Angeles and the Southern Pacific railhead in the Central California valleys and continued on to the Owens Valley and Cerro Gordo mining district, it connected with the Coast Line Stage Co., Southern California Atlantic and Pacific Stage lines.

Realized: $2,000

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Lot 324    

Telegraph Stage Co., Los Angelos, Jul 6, 1873, red cds (TEL-100) on 1870, 3¢ green entire to San Francisco, canceled by blue "Wells, Fargo & Co., Los Angeles" oval date stamp, black company frank at top and pencil manuscript "10" stage fee which indicates that this stage/express company may have functioned as a local in the Los Angeles area, carried from Los Angeles to San Francisco by Wells Fargo, Very Fine.
Estimate    $1,000 - 1,500.

ONLY TWO EXAMPLES OF ENVELOPES ARE KNOWN WITH A TELEGRAPH STAGE CO. HANDSTAMP, THIS BEING THE ONLY ONE WITH THE HANDSTAMP APPLIED TO THE FRONT OF THE COVER.

Realized: $2,000

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Lot 325    

Todd & Co. Express, clear strike of small shield handstamp (TOC-100) on cover carried to San Francisco, placed in the U.S. mails where it received a light red "San Francisco, Cal/2" integral rate cds (SAF-400) for drop rate, F.-V.F., the drop rate townmark is very rare used only from August to October of 1850.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $150

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Lot 326    

Todd's Express, Stockton - Forwarded By, blue oval handstamp on 1852 folded letter to Montesuma Flats with T"o be left at the Montesuma House" directive at bottom left, cover soiling and erosion, Fine.
Estimate    $75 - 100.

Realized: $150

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Lot 327    

(Tracy & Spear's Express) T&S, manuscript with boxed "Paid" used as frank on 1853, 3¢ Nesbitt entire used as a paste-up, carried from the Placerville area to San Francisco, operating north of Placerville T&S turned this letter over to the Wells Fargo at Spanish Flat with cds for November applied (we know from other letters that the agent at Spanish Flat was using the same canceling device for both the U.S. Mail and WF material), from Spanish Flat the letter was carried north by Wells Fargo to its center at Georgetown where it received four oval handstamps on the back side and one on front, Wells Fargo then carried it to San Francisco, Very Fine.
Estimate    $2,000 - 3,000.

A GREAT EXPRESS RARITY WITH ONLY TWO EXAMPLES KNOWN. THIS BEING THE ONLY ONE IN COLLECTOR'S HANDS AS THE OTHER IS IN THE WILTSEE COLLECTION.

Tracy & Spear's Express is very rare as it operated but a few months in 1858 around the city of Placerville. By 1859 Spear had departed and Theodore Tracy was working as Wells Fargo's agent in Placerville. In 1864 he became the mayor of Placerville. His brother, Edward was his agent at some earlier point and in 1859 moved to Portland to start his own express operation in conjunction with Wells Fargo.

Realized: $2,200

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Lots 318-327 Lots 328-333

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