Sale 65: The Gary Peters Collection of Hawaii

Lot 252    

"Wells Fargo & Co., Lahaina", endorsement at lower left and matching "Paid" rating on U.S. 3¢ Nesbitt entire to L.W. Sloat, San Francisco Cal.; apparent non-contemporary red pencil "Wells Fargo" at top left, otherwise Very Fine and rare.
Estimate    $5,000 - 7,500.

THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF MAIL HANDLED BY WELLS FARGO AT LAHAINA, HAWAII.

The addressee, Lewis W. Sloat was the addressee in his capacity as Commissioner of Board of Claims at San Francisco. Sloat was the son of Commodore Sloat, who figured in capturing California for the United States in 1846. In 1854, he was apparently appointed a commissioner to acknowledge legal instruments to be recorded in the states of Massachusetts and Texas. This cover proves that there was a Wells Fargo & Co. office in Lahaina, about which nothing else is currently known.

References: Illustrated and discussed in Fred Gregory's Hawaii Foreign Mail to 1870 on p. II-354, fig. 19-6.

Realized: $6,000

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Lot 253    

Wells, Fargo & Co's. Express., printed brown frank at center on U.S. 5¢ Garfield (U222) entire, frank showing white ship stern flaw, Very Fine. Meyer-Harris No. 331.0002 var.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $450

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Lot 254    

Wells, Fargo & Co's. Express., printed brown frank on 5¢ blue (U4) entire, frank showing defective "G" in "Fargo" flaw, Very Fine. Meyer-Harris No. 301.1122.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $450

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Lot 255    

Wells Fargo & Co's Express, Paid, Honolulu, H.I., two complete clear strikes of magenta oval with one tying 5¢ ultramarine (39) and additional strike at top left on cover to A. L. Bancroft & Co., San Francisco, third strike of oval as flap seal; barely reduced at right, Very Fine, ex-Ishikawa, Honolulu Advertiser; with 2015 P.F. certificate.
Estimate    $5,000 - 7,500.

A RARE HANDSTAMPED PRECURSOR OF THE PRINTED FRANK, USED SHORTLY AFTER AGENT GEORGE ASHLEY REOPENED A WELLS FARGO & CO. OFFICE IN HONOLULU ON AUGUST 3, 1883.

ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS WELLS FARGO HAWAII OVAL HANDSTAMP.

This cover went with the first batch of mail prepared by Ashley, on the "Hankow", which departed Honolulu August 15th to San Francisco. This may be the earliest known cover from the second period.

Realized: $9,000

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Lot 256    

Wells Fargo & Co's. Express., printed brown Hawaiian paid frank on mint Hawaii 5¢ blue, blue on inside (U8) entire, "L" owners backstamp, Very Fine.
Estimate    $1,000 - 1,500.

A RARE WELLS FARGO ENTIRE WITH LESS THAN 15 KNOWN.

Realized: $800

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Lot 257    

Wells Fargo & Co's. Express., printed brown Hawaiian paid frank on paste-up U.S. 10¢ chocolate (U189) legal-size entire cancelled by partial strike of purple "Wells, Fargo & Co's. Express, Honolulu" oval datestamp; minor adherence on reverse from paste-up removal; trivial small stain at left, Very Fine.
Estimate    $1,000 - 1,500.

Realized: $725

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Lot 258    

Wells, Fargo & Co. Hawaii-U.S. Express, paid brown company frank at top center on unused entire with blue inside, fresh and immaculate, Extremely Fine. Meyer-Harris No. 381.
Estimate    $200 - 300.

Realized: $350

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Lot 259    

Wells Fargo & Co's. Express., printed brown Hawaiian paid frank on cover bearing 5¢ ultramarine (39) tied by purple "Dec 1 1884" straightline cancel and additional strike cancels frank to Mr. C.A. Yarick, S.S. Wellington, care of R. Dunsmuir & Son, Pacific Wharf, San Francisco Cal.; some light soiling and edge wear, F.-V.F.; with 1992 P.F. certificate.
Estimate    $2,000 - 3,000.

A RARE EARLY 1884 WELLS FARGO HAWAII USE WITH THIS STRAIGHTLINE DATESTAMP CANCELLATION.

There is another use from this same correspondence with the straightline datestamp cancel dated "Apr 1 1885" that was offered in the Advertiser sale (lot 3440).

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Lot 260    

Wells Fargo & Co's. Express., printed brown Hawaiian paid frank on paste-up blue on the inside cover bearing 5¢ ultramarine (39) tied by purple "G.W. MacFarlane & Co., Honolulu, Jun 30 1885" (Gregory AUXFWDR-MACFAR, rarity 1RRRR) double oval datestamp with additional strike cancelling the paid frank, purple "Wells Fargo & Co., San Francisco, Jul 8, 1885" oval datestamp; some staining at bottom, ex-Jarrett.
Estimate    $5,000 - 7,500.

THE ONLY RECORDED USE OF THE G.W. MACFARLANE & CO. OVAL HANDSTAMP AS A CANCELLATION AS AGENTS FOR WELLS FARGO & CO.

This cover was carried by the Oceanic Steamship Co. "Alameda" departing Honolulu July 1, 1885. G.W. MacFarlane & Co. was agent for Wells Fargo & Co. in the 1870s and therefore his company handstamp could be used to cancel the Hawaii stamp as agents for Wells Fargo & Co.

This cover is the basis for the Meyer-Harris listing M-H 656 on pg. 293 and illustrated in plate 4 on pg. 269.

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Lot 261    

Wells Fargo & Co's. Express., printed brown Hawaiian paid frank on paste-up Hawaii 5¢ blue (U4) entire cancelled by purple "Wells, Fargo & Co's. Express, Honolulu, H.I., Jan 16, 1887" oval datestamp, New York (2.2) transit duplex and additional partial strike on reverse, red London (2.14) arrival cds; partial flap and some adherence on back from paste-up removal, Very Fine.
Estimate    $2,000 - 3,000.

A RARE HAWAII WELLS FARGO USE TO ENGLAND.

The Honolulu Advertiser sale (lot 3445) offered another Jul. 30th 1887 paste-up use to Great Britain with the same transit dates, although it has a London address.

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