Lot
361 
(Eastern Sierra) Wells, Fargo & Co. Virginia City Pony Express, 1861, 3¢ pink entire to Willow Springs, Coso (Mining District in Inyo County), with large margin Wells, Fargo & Co. 1862, 25¢ blue (143L8) tied by blue "Wells, Fargo & Co., San Frco, Sep 17" circular datestamp, printed frank (WFE-030) at top, with additional manuscript "Care of Kenson's Pony Express" at "Aurora/Esmeralda", "Coll 2/-" (2 bits or 25¢) manuscript Kenson's express fee to collect, sender's manuscript on reverse from Cobb in San Francisco and "Rec Oct 15th"; cover edge flaws, opened on three sides and reduced at left. Scott No. 143L8+U34 Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
A REMARKABLE AND UNIQUE DOUBLE PONY EXPRESS USAGE CARRIED BY WELLS, FARGO & CO. VIRGINIA CITY PONY EXPRESS AND THE KENSON'S PONY EXPRESS FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO THE COSO MINING DISTRICT.
Only a few of the Virginia City Ponies are double express usage. The other examples, which are believed to be two, started in the east bay and were carried by Bamber Express and turned over to Wells Fargo. This is the only Virginia City Pony cover known that Wells Fargo turned over to another express. The town of Aurora had just been determine (9/16/1863) by a boundary survey to be in Esmeralda County, Nevada. Before that the town's Post Office was known as Esmeralda and the town was believed located in Mono County, California. This cover traveled from San Francisco by steamer to Sacramento, then to Placerville by train and then by pony over the Sierra's to Carson City, Nevada and then down the back side of the Sierras Mountains to Aurora. The pony run from Placerville to Aurora was a distance of about 160 miles. At Aurora, Wells Fargo turned the cover over to Kenson's Pony Express who then carried it south, passing back into California, running next to Owens Lake to Willow Springs which was located east of Coso Junction, Inyo County. The distance of this second pony run is around 200 miles.
Realized: $8,500