The Spring Sale

U.S.P.O. Despatch, Pre-Paid, One Cent, clear strike of red oval handstamp on fresh buff cover with embossed "Penn Mutual Life Insurance Co." flap oval addressed to local Philadelphia street address, with original 1855 life insurance circular, Very Fine and choice, ex-West, Gibson, Lilly ; with 2016 P.F. certificate.

Estimate  ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $300 - 400.

References: Illustrated in Ashbrook 1¢ 1851-57, Vol. 2, p. 202, fig. 46 ss.

Carrier, 1851, 1¢ Eagle, large margins to clear at left, deep rich color, bold red star cancel, used with 3¢ dull red (11A) , four margins, tied together by blue "Philadelphia Pa. Feb 12" cds on small cover to New York City street address, Very Fine and attractive, ex-Gibson, Mandel .

Scott No. LO2   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $500.

Bayonne City Dispatch, 1883, 1¢ black, full margins, tied by purple target handstamp, matching "Bayonne City, Dispatch, May 16, 1883" three-line datestamp on cover to Bergen Point N.J.; top edge tear, otherwise Very Fine and scarce on cover use; with clear 2016 P.F. certificate.

Scott No. 9L1   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $750.

California Penny Post Co., 1855-59, 2¢ black on buff, printed frank with instructions for users and additional " Circular " at top right, reverse with partial "HELD FOR POSTAGE" in large block letters and "San Francisco Cal. Aug. 23" cds, bearing four uncanceled 3¢ dull red (11A) singles, addressed to the Postmaster, Mt. Ophir, Mariposa Co. Cal.; docketed "Recd 17 Oct 1855" at left; some wear and wrinkles with light left corner stains, right 3¢ moved to show imprint, Fine; with 1976 P.F. certificate.

Scott No. 34LU1   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $9,000.

AN EXTREMELY RARE COMBINATION OF THE CALIFORNIA PENNY POST 2¢ FRANK AND 3¢ 1851 ISSUE, THIS BEING THE ONLY RECORDED 2¢ FRANK WITH THE "CIRCULAR" IMPRINT.

This inter-city express and local post operated for about one year in 1855 and 1856. Examples of its 2¢ printed envelopes that paid the rate for delivery to the post office are extremely rare (six reported in Lyons census in July 2005 Penny Post). In this instance, it appears that the letter was placed in the San Francisco post office without a 3¢ stamp as required on inter-city Penny Post mail. The post office marked the letter "Held for Postage".

References: Illustrated in "California Penny Post Co." by Larry Lyons, The Penny Post, July 2005, p. 20.

City Despatch Post, 1842, 3¢ black on grayish, large margins showing outer framelines at top & bottom, tied by red boxed " Free " handstamp, matching "City Despatch Post, N.Y., Jul 6, 1 O'Clock" cds alongside on 1842 folded letter addressed to local New York City street address, Very Fine Greig's City Despatch Post use; with 1991 P.F. certificate.

Scott No. 40L1   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $750 - 1,000.

Hussey's Post, 1865, 2¢ blue, large margins to clear at top, tied by "2 Ct. Paid Hussey 50 Wm. St., Mar 7" circular datestamp (PMC-e) on United States Life Insurance Co. pink lithographed advertising cover to local New York City street address, Extremely Fine and choice, ex-Hall, Mayo .

Scott No. 87L38   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $500 - 750.

Hussey's Post, 1858, black on manila, neat strike with intense "Paid/G. Hussey" two-line handstamp (PMS-b) on brown wrapper to local New York City addressee, open at both ends to enclose printed matter, Very Fine and rare; with 2025 P.F. certificate.

Scott No. 87LUP2   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $600.

Messenkope's Union Square Post Office, 1849 (2¢) black on pink, four margins, faulty, uncancelled but tied by extra gum on orange buff cover to New York City street address, partial July, 5, 1850 enclosed letter; two edge tears and edge wear, F.-V.F. appearance, ex-Boker, Erivan ; signed Sloane, with 2023 P.F. certificate.

Scott No. 106L2   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $2,000.

THE EARLIEST OF FOUR RECORDED USES OF THE MESSENKOPE STAMP ON PINK PAPER, ONLY 5 EXAMPLES OF THIS STAMP ARE RECORDED.

Prince's Letter Dispatch, 1861, black, huge margins to slightly in at right, tied by light circular target in combination with 3¢ rose (65) nat. s.e., later tied by "Hallowell Me. Mar 14" cds on orange cover to Boston Mass.; reduced at right with small nick, local with light horizontal crease in bottom margin, Very Fine, ex-Erivan ; with 2022 P.F. certificate.

Scott No. 122L1   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $8,000.

ONE OF THE RAREST OF ALL INDEPENDENT MAIL USAGES FROM THE ONLY STEAMBOAT CARRIER TO ISSUE STAMPS.

Prince's Letter Dispatch was established by J. H. Prince of Portland Me. and carried mail by steamboat to Boston, Mass. as late as 1869. The pictorial stamps were engraved and printed by Lowell & Brett of Boston, their imprint appears below the steamboat vignette. Only nine or ten complete covers are known according the the Lyons census in the Oct. 2002 Penny Post.

Swart's City Dispatch Post, 1849-53 (2¢) red on blue, full to huge margins, light pre-use crease, double strike of star cancel, used in combination with 3¢ orange brown (10A) left straddle-line single , huge margins to just clear at bottom, canceled by red circular grid cancel, matching red "U.S. Express Mail, N. York N.Y., 15 Oct" railroad agent cds on blue 1851 folded letter to Boston Mass., endorsed "Please forward with all convenient speed" at lower left, Very Fine and quite attractive; with 1994 (photocopy) and 2025 P.F. certificates.

Scott No. 136L6   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $850.

A RARE 3¢ ORANGE BROWN 1851 ISSUE COMBINATION WITH SWART'S CITY DISPATCH POST.

This is the listing example in the Scott catalog.

Telegraph Despatch P.O., 1848, 1¢ black on yellowish, large margins, slight margin scuffing, manuscript "X" cancel, used on second page of blue folded letter with partial blue "Philadelphia '5 cts' Mar 9" integral-rate cds to Washington D.C. street address, Very Fine appearance, ex-Gibson, Erivan ; with 2021 P.F. certificate.

Scott No. 138L1   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $5,500.

ONE OF FOUR RECORDED USES OF THE 1¢ TELEGRAPH DESPATCH STAMP.

Wells Fargo & Co., 1861, $1 red, tied by attractive strike of fancy blue " Pony Express, San Francisco, Aug 3" Running Pony oval datestamp on 10¢ green (U33) Star Die buff entire with red Wells Fargo printed frank, canceled by circular grid to New York City, docketed "Recd. Aug 19/61" at lower left; adhesive with small tear, minor cover restoration, Very Fine appearance.

Scott No. 143L3   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  Estimate $7,500 - 10,000.

AN ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE OF THE $1 HORSE-AND-RIDER STAMP TIED BY THE SAN FRANCISCO RUNNING PONY OVAL DATESTAMP.

Wells Fargo & Co., 1862-64, 10¢ brown, large margins to in at top, hint of edge toning, tied by partial blue "Wells Fargo & Co. Virginia City N.T. Dec 17" oval datestamp on 3¢ pink (U35) buff entire with printed Wells Fargo frank, preprinted address to Sol. Wangerheim in San Francisco Cal.; reduced at left, ex-Crocker .

Scott No. 143L7   ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦ ◦  $5,500.

AN ATTRACTIVE AND SCARCE COVER WITH THE VIRGINIA CITY PONY EXPRESS 10¢ BROWN.

Solomon Wangenheim was an immigrant from Saxony, Germany naturalized on April 30, 1855. He was a furniture merchant at 211 Powell St. in San Francisco as of July 25, 1866.