Sale 331

U.S. and Worldwide Stamps and Postal History


Express Companies
 
 
Lot Photo Description
Lot 18

Angiers' North San Juan and Humbug Express, ornate printed frank on 3¢ pink entire (U58) to Marysville with additional "Wells Fargo & Co. North San Juan Aug. 14" blue oval and "Wells Fargo & Co. Marysville Aug. 18" receiving postmark; two small nicks at bottom from opening, still Very Fine conjunctive usage. Angiers operated between Humbug and North San Juan in the Yuba River mining region, "Connecting with Wells, Fargo & Co." as this cover demonstrates and the frank spells out.
Estimate $1,000 - 1,500

Expertization: 2004 PF Certificate.
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Lot 19

Copley & Co's Miners Express, red oval with ornaments, clear strike on 10¢ green entire (U17a) to Sempronius, N.Y. with blue "Marysville Cal. Paid By Stamps Nov. 4" c.d.s and matching large grid of squares, tiny tear at upper left, just touching "E" of "Express,", Very Fine, colorful example of this short-lived company.
Estimate $2,000 - 3,000

Provenance: Kramer
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Lot 20

Everts, Davis & Co's Express Express Marysville, large blue oval on 3¢ red on buff entire (U10) to Poker Flat, Very Fine.
Estimate $750 - 1,000
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Lot 21

From the Office of Gregory's Express, Marysville, Cal. Gold Dust, Letters and Parcels forwarded with dispatch, shield handstamp in blue, with small vignette of steamboat, on flap of cover to Nantucket, Mass. "pr. Golden Gate" with blue "Marysville Cal. Jun. 26" c.d.s. and "Paid 6" in irregular oval, sealed tear into shield, still Very Fine, very rare.
Estimate $750 - 1,000

Provenance: Kutz
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Lot 22

Gregory's/ Express/ Marysville, three-line handstamp in blue with matching "Paid" in double-line oval, on 1852 folded letter to Sacramento, docketing indicates letter was from John Sutter of Gold Rush fame writing from Hock Farm and addressed in his hand, Very Fine. Includes a transcript of the original letter & photocopy of Sutter's signature from the last page.
Estimate $400 - 500

Provenance: Clifford
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Lot 23

Holland & Wheeler's Express, red printed frank in banner on 3¢ pink on buff entire U35) to Hartland, Wis., "Atchison Kas. May 11 '65" postmark. & target duplex, blue "Wells Fargo & Co. Marysville Mar. 31" oval; cover with small edge flaws and sealed tear at top into frank, Fine.
Estimate $750 - 1,000

Provenance: Clifford, Edwards
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Lot 24

Lamping & Co's Express, Paid printed frank on 3¢ pink entire (U58) entire to San Francisco, neat "Laming & Co's Express Downieville" used in combination with blue "Wells Fargo & Co. Marysville Aug. 8" double oval datestamp, Very Fine and choice.
Estimate $1,000 - 1,500
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Lot 25

Langton's Pioneer Express, Paid printed frank on 10¢ green on buff entire (U18) to Bridgeport, Ct., entering the mails at Forest City Cal. with clear double line circle and manuscript. date, neat circle of wedges applied over indicia, Very Fine, scarce and attractive combination of express service and post office mails.
Estimate $400 - 500
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Lot 26

Langton's Pioneer Express, printed frank on orange cover to Sacramento with 1857 3¢ dull red (26) tied by bold "Langton's Pioneer Express Downieville" red oval in combination with blue "Wells Fargo & Co. Marysville Jan. 19" double-oval datestamp, fresh & Extremely Fine, a stunning usage, exceedingly rare with a 3¢ adhesive (the more typical use of a Langton's frank is on a Nesbitt entire).
Estimate $2,000 - 3,000

Provenance: Jessup, Pearce & Haas
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Lot 27

Langton's Pioneer Express, Paid printed frank on 3¢ pink entire (U34) used to Brooklyn, Cal. with large blue Langton's Downieville oval, blue "Wells Fargo & Co. Marysville May 31" double-oval datestamp and black oval "J. Bamber & Co. Contra Costa Express San Francisco," slightly reduced at top and small sealed tear above W.F. oval, Fine, rare triple express usage.
Estimate $1,000 - 1,500
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Lot 28

Langton's Pioneer Express, ornate printed frank on 3¢ pink on buff entire (U59) to San Francisco used in combination with "Lamping & Co's Express Downieville" oval and blue "Wells Fargo & Co. Marysville" double oval datestamp, Very Fine and rare. After Samuel Langton was accidently killed, P.A. Lamping acquired the express co. from Langton's widow in early 1865, but within the year he sold out to Wells Fargo.
Estimate $1,000 - 1,500
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Lot 29

Langton's Pioneer Express, ornate Paid frank in dark blue on unaddressed 3¢ pink entire (U58) with blue "Wells, Fargo & Co. Marysville Sep. 12" double oval, no evidence of this being a paste-up or having an address removed, Very Fine & unusual.
Estimate $750 - 1,000
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Lot 30

Pacific Express Co., printed Paid frank with woodcut of rider on 3¢ red entire (U9) to Sarah Pellet at Bidwells Bar with blue "Everts, Davis & Co's Express Marysville" oval and "Pacific Express Co. Sacramento Oct. 31" oval datestamp, manuscript. instructions from American Valley requesting forwarding, reverse has notes from Miss Pellet with a list of names to be written to (petition?) incl. "Gov. Foote" (presumably former Miss. Gov. Henry S. who had moved to Cal.) and various judges, Fine & unusual.
Estimate $500 - 750

Provenance: Lichtenstein, Hall

Pellet, an associate of Susan B. Anthony and Lucy Stone, was a popular temperance lecturer on the west coast, especially in the mining towns where a woman standing on a box in front of a saloon represented rare entertainment for easily aroused miners. In 1854 she tried (and failed) to arrange the importation of 5,000 New England young women to California, chaperoned by the Sons of Temperance. In exchange, miners were expected to give up alcohol.

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Lot 31

F. Rumrill & Co's Express Connecting At Marysville with Wells Fargo & Co., blue circle handstamp on cover to Frank Rumrill at Marysville, carried privately to Wells Fargo at San Francisco, bold oval "FREE" struck over red "Collect" script handstamp, original enclosure datelined "Franklin (O.) Sept. 14, 1854", cover folded at left and some wear, Fine and rare.
Estimate $1,000 - 1,500
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Lot 32

F. Rumrill & Co's Express Connecting At Marysville with Wells Fargo & Co., well struck circle in black, on cover to Frank Rumrill at Marysville with "New York Aug. 25 5 Cts." with "5" crossed out and large "10" written at center, incorrectly addressed to Ohio, which was struck out, probably by sender, original 1854 Franklin, O. enclosure from Rumrill's lover, Henrietta, who is glad that express co. business is picking up, wonders if Frank's mother will consent to their marriage ("Is she willing that I should partially rob her of her Frank?"), etc.; cover with some soiling, Fine & rare.
Estimate $1,000 - 1,500
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Lot 33

F. Rumrill &Co's Northern Express. Connecting With Wells, Fargo & Co., blue double line oval struck at center of buff cover to Marysville with large crude "10" in red and matching Maine c.d.s. with not quite readable town, Fine & rare.
Estimate $750 - 1,000
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Lot 34

Feather River Express./ Paid./ Singer, Meek & Co., boxed printed frank with indistinct manuscript. mark in 3rd line on 3¢ red on buff entire (U10) to San Francisco, blue "Pacific Express Co. Marysville Dec. 29" oval postmark, additional faint c.d.s.; cover refolded at edges, Very Fine appearance, very rare. Singer's partnership with Emerson Meek was his last foray into the express business.
Estimate $750 - 1,000

Expertization: 2003 PSE Certificate.

Provenance: Jessup, Pearce
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Lot 35

Singer & Morrow's Feather River Express, boxed printed frank on 10¢ green entire (U17) to Longmeadow, Mass. with red manuscript. "Reg. No. 7" at top center, two partial strikes of Marysville Cal. c.d.s. with integral "Paid By Stamps," one struck over frank, matching segmented cork killer over Nesbitt oval, pencil "Register 1856" possibly written by the express agent, though the manuscript. "3692" at lower right is of unknown origin and intent; cover with some tiny edge nicks, wear along horizontal file fold near top discreetly strengthened with small pieces of archival tape, Fine appearance and very rare. Capt. William Singer's partnership in several short-lived express companies all occurred in a tumultuous 7 year period, but this remarkable usage carries some posthumous (and deserving) fame: the combination of early post office registration and small flighty express company is virtually unheard of.
Estimate $3,000 - 4,000

Expertization: 1999 PSE Certificate.

Provenance: Clifford
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Lot 36

Vera's Express, printed frank on 3¢ red on buff entire (U10) to Oroville, Cal., Very Fine, one of the finest examples of this very rare express frank. Ex Dale-Lichtenstein.
Estimate $2,000 - 3,000

Expertization: 2004 PF Certificate.
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Lot 37

Washburn's Express/ News Agency/ Camptonville, blue oval handstamp with fancy scroll at center, beautifully struck on cover to Camptonville, manuscript. "Russian River/ Cal. Dec. 24" at lower left, upper right corner of cover torn away and repaired with a "Paid 3¢" added by the conservator, and based on a similar cover from the Edwards Collection (Lot 1380), Very Fine appearance & rare.
Estimate $750 - 1,000
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Lot 38

Wells, Fargo & Co. Express S.Frco. 4 Aug., blue double circle datestamp ties 3¢ orange red (11A), margins to slightly in, on fresh white envelope to Marysville, banker's corner card with "Marysville" struck out in pen, tiny margin corner crease mentioned for accuracy, old lot # still attached to cover, Very Fine.
Estimate $400 - 500

Provenance: Chase, Renard
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Lot 39

Wells, Fargo & Co. Express Georgetown, clear oval struck three times on 3¢ red on buff entire (U10) as part of paste-up, additional "Spanish Bar Cal. Nov." c.d.s. and "PAID" in box, red manuscript. "2" at lower left, reverse with second cover attached with fourth strike of oval and addressed to San Francisco, Very Fine.
Estimate $400 - 500
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Lot 40

Wells, Fargo & Co., printed frank on 3¢ rose entire (U581) additionally franked with a 3¢ black & 5¢ brown (73, 76), each with some trimmed perforations, and Vancouver Island 5¢ rose (5), to San Francisco; U.S. stamps tied by blue "Wells Fargo & Co., Victoria, April 5" oval datestamp, 5¢ rose cancelled by blue oval "Paid", and all also tied by the neat docketing often characteristic of this Meussdorfercorrespondence; trivial opening tear at upper right, Very Fine.
Estimate $2,500 - 3,500

A RARE AND EXCEEDINGLY HANDSOME CROSS BORDER USAGE.

Provenance: Robertson
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Lot 41

Wells Fargo & Co., Newspaper (Unstated Value), Blue (143LP9), appears uncanceled but struck and tied by faint violet straightline cancel on rebacked wrapper with part-printed address to Ogden agent of Wells Fargo for delivery by regular mail to Chicago, and additionally franked by 1¢ ultramarine (246) tied by cork cancel, manuscript. "Agent Ogden please drop in mail", faint "Wells Fargo & Co. Odgen Utah Feb. 22, 1895" oval in violet, express map corner card, Very Fine appearance, great commercial rarity showing newspaper & regular postage combination.
Estimate $1,500 - 2,000

Expertization: 1985 & 2002 PF Certificates.

Provenance: Warm-Griffiths
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Lot 42

Wheeler's Express, printed frank in scroll on 3¢ pink on buff entire (U35) to San Francisco, blue "Wheeler's Express La Porte" double circle and partial Wells Fargo & Co. Marysville struck at lower left, mended corner nick at BR otherwise Very Fine. The banner-style frank was actually an altered version of the earlier Holland & Wheeler Express woodcut, made when Sam Wheeler dissolved his partnership with Holland in Dec. 1863 and started his own express company in short-lived partnership with his own brother.
Estimate $750 - 1,000
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Lot 43

Wheeler, Rutherford & Co's Express, printed frank in banner on 3¢ pink entire (U58) to the editor of the Santa Clara Argus, San Jose with blue "LaPorte Express Co. La Porte May 10" oval and partial Wells Fargo Marysville oval, slightly reduced at left, well clear of frank, Very Fine triple conjunctive use.
Estimate $1,500 - 2,000

Expertization: 2004 PF Certificate.

Provenance: Dale-Litchenstein
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Lot 44

Whiting & Co's Feather River Express, printed Paid frank in box on 3¢ red on buff entire (U10) to Quincy Valley, blue "Everts, Wilson & Co's Express Marysville" circle handstamp, vertical file fold at center, Fine. Though both express companies served the same area, Everts and Whiting were friends. According to Nathan, Whiting made arrangements to turn over a portion of the route (Quincy-Marysville) to Everts.
Estimate $750 - 1,000
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Lot 45

Whiting & Co's Feather River Express, Paid printed frank on 10¢ green on buff entire (U16) to East Longmeadow, Mass., blue "Marysville Cal. Paid By Stamps Jul. 4" c.d.s. with matching ornate crossroads cancel on 10¢, small tear at top, Very Fine & attractive.
Estimate $750 - 1,000
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Lot 46

Whiting & Co's Feather River Express, mostly clear oval on 3¢ pink on buff entire (U59) to San Francisco with Whiting & Co's Express Quincy Paid Apr. 16 double line circle and "Wells Fargo & Co's Express Oroville Cal." orange label with town name struck on pasted over top, opened at R. with small reduction at BR, o/w fresh, Fine and rare combination of markings and label.
Estimate $1,000 - 1,500
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