Sale 268

United States Stamps and Postal History


Territorial Usages of the U.S. 1851 Issue - New Mexico
 
 
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Lot 1831

Albuquerque. N.M./ Nov. 2d, boldly written manuscript postmark on blue envelope to Columbus, O. with 3¢ rose red (11), large margins to just clear at TL, cancelled by matching manuscript "X", endorsed "Via San Antonio Texas" at lower left, 1854 docketing; stamp with scissors cut in left margin, still choice, pristine and Extremely Fine.
Estimate 500 - 750

Provenance: Jarrett, Shipley

Five or less examples exist of the manuscript postmark. This is dated only a few months after the opening of the San Antonio-Santa Fe route (Apr. 24, 1854). Notes by Sheldon Dike accompany the cover.

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Lot 1832

Albuquerque N.M. Feb. 2, balloon-style postmark ties 3¢ brownish carmine (11), margins to cutting, on orange cover to Columbus, O., 1857 pencil docketing at left, Fine and rare.
Estimate 200 - 300
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Lot 1833

Albuquerque N.M. Aug. 22, partly clear balloon-style postmark ties 3¢ claret (11), large margins to barely in lower right, on buff envelope to Charles Fisher, Johnson, Vt., original enclosure datelined "Fort Stanton New Mexico June 1st 1857" from Capt. A.J. Lindsay, answering an inquiry about a private, W.S. Fisher, ending the letter, "Direct via Santa Fe"; cover with wax seal stain at center, stamp with horizontal crease near top, Fine.
Estimate 200 - 300
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Lot 1834

[Fort Defiance N.M.], 3c red on buff entire (U10) additionally franked with 3¢ yellowish rose red (11), margins to touched one corner, tied by bold grids, and addressed to Lt. E.F. Beale at San Antonio, Tex. from Chester Pa. Jul. 9, readdressed to Fort Defiance, N.M. with "FORWARDED 6" straightline and manuscript rate, San Antonio Aug. 1 postmark; cover with small edge nick at top and few toned spots, Fine.
Estimate 200 - 300

Beale, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in 1842, was appointed superintendent of Indian affairs for California and New Mexico. In 1861 he was appointed surveyor-general of California by President Lincoln.

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Lot 1835

Ft. Fillmore N Mex. May 7/ 54, manuscript postmark on buff envelope to a Capt. Bowman in Washington with a 3¢ dull red (11), large margins to touched at upper left, matching pen cancel, cover additionally postmarked "Washington D.C. Jun. 20" c.d.s., clear strikes of "ADVERTISED 1 Ct." and "FORWARDED" with manuscript "5" re-rated to 6¢ and redirected back to "Ft. Fillmore via New Mexico San Antonio Texas" with note at lower left, Very Fine, very scarce usage.
Estimate 400 - 500

Provenance: Shipley
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Lot 1836

Ft. Union N.M. Augst. 3d/ 52, manuscript postmark and "5" on forwarded 1852 folded letter from Anapolis Md. on May 24th to a Dr. Thomas A. McParlin of the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Union, "Via Independence Missouri", 3¢ brownish carmine (11), margins to touched, attached with wax wafer and tied by black grids, redirected back to Annapolis with postmark and unpaid "5" rate though an additional manuscript "ford 5" was added in another hand, presumably to clarify the postage due after the fort postmark and 5 was deleted upon receipt; stamp with some toning at edges, Fine and very scarce.
Estimate 400 - 500

In writing to Dr. McParlin, his brother William makes this comment about his letters: "They will in future years be of great inerest to us…or to give our children (if we should be so blessed) a correct idea of our progressive stages of life, as well as of composition; and serve us as land marks of our previous lives. So keep mine, as we do all yours. Of your letters I believe we have a complete set from the time you started from Baltimore to Vera Cruz. I hardly think we have lost more than one of them. This is saying a great deal for the Postal arrangements of the United States."

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Lot 1837

Fort Union New Mex. Aug. 4, clear strike of c.d.s. ties 3¢ Rose Red (11), full to large margins, on white envelope to Columbus, Ohio, 1855 pencil docketing at left, Very Fine, rare and exceptionally nice example.
Estimate 750 - 1,000

Provenance: Shipley
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Lot 1838

Fort Union New Mex. Aug. 4, mostly bold c.d.s. ties 3¢ rose red (11), margins to slightly in, on buff envelope to Columbus, Ohio, pencil 1855 docketing at left; cover with some stains, Fine and rare.
Estimate 400 - 500

Expertization: 1988 P.F. Certificate.
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Lot 1839

Ft. Union N.M./ Sept. 3d/ 52, neatly written manuscript postmark and matching "Frd 5" on white envelope from Annapolis Md. on June 21 with 3c brownish carmine (11), position 53R2L, ample margins to barely touched at right in two places, cancelled by three strikes of black "5" one tying, manuscript "Via Independence Missouri" at lower left, redirected back to Annapolis; few tiny toned spots, still Very Fine, attractive and rare.
Estimate 400 - 500

Provenance: Simpson, Shipley
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Lot 1840

P.O./ Frontera/ 20 Dec. 51/ N.M., unusual manuscript postmark in four lines, all in bright magenta, on white envelope to Washington with 3¢ orange brown (10), mostly ample to huge margins including right sheet margin, just clear at upper left, gorgeous color on bright fresh paper, tied by matching pen strokes, original 1851 enclosure headed "Frontera near El Paso:"; cover without bottom flap and stamp with small diagonal corner crease, still immaculate and Very Fine, a great rarity and one of the most important New Mexico Territory covers used with the 1851 Issue.
Estimate 5,000 - 7,500

Provenance: Longfellow, Shipley

The writer of the letter, G. Clinton Gardner, was a clerk and artist for the Boundary Survey Commission headed by Maj. William H. Emory. Gardner noted, "I have just sent my letters home by the mail via San Antonio yet in case that may fail I will write you these few lines via Santa Fe." In addition, he instructed anyone writing him to send letters "Care of J.R. Sweet & Co. San Antonio." At the outbreak of the Civil War, Emory, stationed in the Indian Territory, gathered up all the scattered companies of the abandoned forts of Arbuckle, Cobb, Smith and Washita in addition to 150 women, children and teamsters, and led them to Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, just ahead of pursuing secessionist volunteers from Arkansas and north Texas.

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Lot 1841

P.O./ Frontera/ 10 Feby 52, neat magenta manuscript postmark on rebacked buff cover to Washington with four copies of 3¢ orange brown (10), margins to slightly in, each with matching pen cancels which have been additionally cancelled in brown ink, manuscript "Via San Antonio" at lower left, Very Fine and rare.
Estimate 1,000 - 1,500

Although the routing for this is different than the cover in the previous lot, Gardner may have been misunderstood the rate, franking it at double the 6c rate for letters over 3,000 miles, though a quadruple 3¢ rate may have been intended. This was probably handled by J.R. Sweet & Co., as described in his 1851 letter.

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Lot 1842

Las Vegas N. Mex./ Sept. 2 `54, clear manuscript postmark on buff cover to Brooklyn, N.Y. with 3¢ rose red (11), margins to touched at bottom, cancelled with blue pen and just tied at right by matching smear of ink, redirected to Great Barrington Mass. with "Due 5" in circle; cover with age spots, Very Good, rare.
Estimate 200 - 300

Founded by the Spanish in 1794, a post office was not established there until Nov. 11, 1850. By then the settlement had become a stop on the Santa Fe trail.

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Lot 1843

[Pajarito, New Mexico], June 28, 1857 folded letter from Chihuahua, Mexico to a Sr. Chavez in Pajarito and franked with uncancelled 3¢ orange red (11), large margins to slightly in, contents in Spanish; some wear, Fine and rare usage.
Estimate 200 - 300

Although the sender intended this to be mailed, the letter never entered the Mexican or U.S. postal systems and was instead privately carried. Pajarito did not have a post office until 1868.

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Lot 1844

Santa Fe N.M. Jan. 9, 1860, clear double circle datestamp ties 3¢ claret (11), full margins to touching, on white envelope to Bolivar, Mo., manuscript "Via Overland mail route" at lower left; cover without flap and small tear at top, Fine, late usage of the 1851 Issue.
Estimate 200 - 300

Provenance: Shipley
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Lot 1845

Santa Fe N.M. June 1, mostly clear balloon-style postmark on undated folded cover to Lehre, Bavaria, and franked with single and two pairs of 12c black (17), margins to cutting, each stamp with matching manuscript "X", paying double the 30¢ Prussian closed mail rate, red "N. York 14 Br. Pkt. Paid Jun. 3" exchange postmark. and red Aachen Franco boxed postmark., no backstamps, manuscript "via New York and Bremen pr. steamer" at lower left; top pair with small sealed tear at R., bottom pair with tiny creases at bottom, Very Fine usage, rare double rate and probably unique from New Mexico.
Estimate 5,000 - 7,500

Provenance: Shipley
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Lot 1846

Santa Fe N. Mex. Aug. 1, partly clear c.d.s. ties 3¢ orange red (11), large margins to just in bottom left, on blue envelope to Philadelphia, ca. 1855, under the postmark are traces of gum from a 2nd stamp removed prior to mailing- the sender presumably thought this was overweight; cover with small tear at right, Fine and scarce.
Estimate 200 - 300
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Lot 1847

Santa Fe N.M. Aug. 15, well struck balloon-style postmark on ca. 1857 cream envelope to Chester, Pa. with 3¢ brownish claret (11) just tied by neat grid; address faded, Fine and very scarce.
Estimate 400 - 500

Provenance: Dike
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Lot 1848

[Fort Webster], 3¢ brownish carmine (11), margins to slightly in, tied by clear "Santa Fe N. Mex. Jul. 1" on light buff envelope to Ballston Centre, N.Y. ca. 1852, additional address written above the latter: "Asst. Surgeon T.C. Henry U.S.A. Fort Webster N. Mexico"; cover with some wrinkling not affecting stamp, Fine and rare.
Estimate 400 - 500

Provenance: Longfellow, Shipley

Fort Webster was established in Oct. 1851, occupying a Mexican fort built in 1834 by Francisco Elguea to protect the Santa Rita copper mines. It was abandoned in 1853 and its troops transferred to Fort Thorn. This is the only known cover to or from Fort Webster. It is believed the cover was originally sent out-of-mails to Henry, and then re-used by him; by not crossing out the first address, it served as an effective return address.

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