Sale 260


Lot 84



5¢ Blue and 13¢ dark red on thick white wove (5, 6), each ample margins to slightly in, 13¢ with repair at top left, tied together by clear red "Honolulu *U.S. Postage Paid* May 27" c.d.s. on 1856 folded letter to Sally Pitman in Boston, with U.S. 12¢ Black (17), large margins to cutting, tied at left by "San Francisco Cal. 26 Jun" c.d.s.; latter stamp with some toning and small repair at bottom right corner, still Fine.
Estimate 7,500 - 10,000

Expertization: Signed Ashbrook.

Provenance: Gibson, Kapiloff

The Hawaiian stamps paid the full 17¢ rate (5¢ Hawaiian postage, 10¢ U.S. transcontinental rate, 2¢ ship captain's fee), with 1¢ overpayment. The increase in the transcontinental rate from 6¢ to 10¢ in April 1855 rendered obsolete the 13¢ Kamehameha's original purpose, though official correspondence still extant indicate the 13¢ stamps were available at reduced rates in this period. In mailing, it was the custom to include U.S. stamps, and, though the 12¢ 1851 was not necessary, the few existing covers are nearly all mixed frankings. This cover is closely related to the three covers from B. Pitman, postmaster of Hilo to W.R. Post at Sag Harbor in Dec. 7, 13 and 23, 1855. The last shows the 12¢ tied by the Honolulu datestamp and confirms the U.S. stamp was affixed in Hawaii; students have assumed this continued with the Sally Pitman cover.


 
Realized $23,000



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