10c Black (2). Horizontal
strip of four, large margins on three sides, large to just barely in at
bottom, tied by several strikes of red "Paid" cancels and also
cancelled by criss-cross penstrokes, matching "San Francisco 1 Jan."
circular datestamp struck very clearly at left on blue 1851
part-printed notice to Howland & Aspinwall in New York, matching "40" rate
and "Paid" handstamps, endorsed per "Carolina"VERY FINE. AN HISTORIC USAGE OF THE 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE FROM CALIFORNIA. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED USAGE OF THE 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE FROM CALIFORNIA. IT IS WIDELY REGARDED AS ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING OF ALL 1847 ISSUE COVERS.
Supplies of the 1847 Issue were not sent to California. This transcontinental usage at the 40c rate is the only 10c 1847 cover sent from California to New York. The addressee, the firm of Howland and Aspinwall, was a major international trading concern and a financial backer of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company.
Per the sender's instructions, this was carried on the Pacific Mail Steamship Company's Carolina, departing San Francisco on January 1, 1851, and arriving in Panama on January 19. From Chagres on the Atlantic side it was probably carried by the U.S. Mail Steamship Company's Georgia, departing January 28 (there was also a January 27th sailing of the Empire City).
Ex Ackerman, Gibson, Jessup, Pearce, Haas and Kapiloff. Illustrated on the front cover of Coburn's Letters of Gold. With 1981 P.F. certificate. (Image)