Lot
4002 
Hong Kong, 1867 (Feb. 16) Hong Kong to Boston, Mass., cover franked with Hong Kong, 1865, 8¢ orange buff (13) tied by barred "B62" oval handstamp, manuscript "Per "Colorado" via San Francisco" endorsement at upper left, reverse with "Hong Kong, Fe 16, 67" cds, entered the U.S. mails with "San Francisco, Cal., 10, Mar 21" integral due cds additionally tying stamp and bold red straight line "Steam China" handstamp; trivial pulled perf and cover edge stain at upper right, Very Fine and choice, illustrated and reviewed in Frajola et al The United States Offices in China and Japan 1867-1874 (page 57), ex-Kramer & Walske; with 2003 P.F. certificate. Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.
ONE OF TEN RECORDED COVERS CARRIED ON THE FIRST RETURN PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP CO. VOYAGE FROM HONG KONG.
In 1867 the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. founded the first regular steamship service across the Pacific Ocean. The first ship of the company was the stream side-paddler "Colorado", built in 1864 for the New York-San Francisco route. She was refitted for the company's inaugural voyage across the Pacific in 1867. At the same time orders were placed for four new ships specifically for the new route to China. These four ships were the China, Japan, America and the Great Republic and were the largest and the last of the great side-wheeler. In 1873 the first iron screw propelled steamer entered the service and the era of Trans-Pacific side-paddlers came to a close.
Carried aboard the steamship "Colorado" departing Hong Kong on February 17th and transiting Yokohama to San Francisco arriving on March 20th. Mail from Hong Kong addressed to San Francisco was processed on the same day with all other mail processed the next day to correspond to the overland mail dispatch. This is only one of seven examples receiving the "Steam China" handstamp struck in red for this trip.
Realized: $13,000