Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

2005 Rarities of the World, Part Two continued...

**Western Mails**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description	Est/Cat	Realized
556		Grass Valley Cal. Dec. 18, 1860. Mostly clear circular datestamp with red ms. "Paid 58" rate on illustrated six-horse stagecoach cover to Wetter, Prussia, "From San Francisco via Los Angeles" banner and Wm. K. Spencer imprint, red "N. York Brem. Pkt. 24 Paid Feb. 23" (1861) credit datestamp and blue Bremen transit, backstamped with German transits (Mar. 11-13), backflap slightly refolded (originally folded over thick contents) and some minor edge wear VERY FINE. A REMARKABLE AND EXTREMELY RARE TRANSATLANTIC USE OF AN "OVERLAND MAIL" ILLUSTRATED STAGECOACH ENVELOPE. The 58c prepayment marked on this cover by the Grass Valley postmaster does not correspond to any prevailing rate to the German States at this time. It was probably an error based on the 29c rate to England (24c plus 5c for West Coast origin), which was doubled for this letter weighing between one-half and one ounce. The New York foreign-mail exchange office treated it as a double 15c rate Bremen Packet letter, applying a 2 x 12c credit (24c) and sending it on the North German Lloyd's New York, departing on Feb. 23, 1861, and arriving in Southampton on Mar. 7 (the steamer was docked there for repairs and did not carry mail any further eastward, thus the delayed Mar. 11 arrival backstamp). Our Levi records and other sources consulted contain only six examples of an illustrated stagecoach cover (of any design) addressed to a foreign country. A similar stampless cover from San Francisco to Germany is illustrated in Letters of Gold (p. 136). Ex Dale-Lichtenstein. With 2004 P.F. certificate. (Image)	E. 3,000-4,000	3,750.00
557		1c Blue, Ty. V (24). Vertical strip of three with straddle-pane margin at right showing full guideline, tied by three strikes of blue "Petaluma Cal. Dec. 31" double-circle datestamp on yellow cover to Jacksonville Cal. with blue illustrated four-horse stagecoach design and "The Star of the Union--California" imprint, "Overland via Los Angeles U.S. Mail" on coach, arithmetic notations, minor toning on stamps, still Very Fine, extremely rare intra-California usage of stageoach envelope with 1c 1857 Issue (Image)	E. 1,000-1,500	750.00
558		3c Rose (65). Beautiful bright early shade and choice centering, tied by sharp strike of "Visalia Cal. Dec. 13" (1861) circular datestamp on yellow cover to San Francisco with illustrated four-horse stagecoach cover with "Via Visalia & Los Angeles" banner, neatly docketed mostly clear of design, light diagonal fold clear of stamp EXTREMELY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE USE OF THE 1861 ISSUE ON AN OVERLAND MAIL STAGECOACH COVER. PROBABLY THE FINEST OF THE FEW USED WITHIN CALIFORNIA. The outbreak of the Civil War caused the United States Post Office to relocate its overland mail route from the Southern Route to the Central Route. As a result, the illustrated "Overland Mail" covers that became popular from 1859 to 1861 were practically meaningless by late 1861. The consequence of this circumstance for collectors is that the 1861 issue is considerably scarcer than its 1857 Issue counterpart on illustrated "Overland Mail" covers. The example offered here is one of the few intra-California usages we have seen with either issue. As explained, the use of a 3c 1861 is very unusual. Further, the design with the Visalia route designation is a rarity in its own right. All elements considered, this cover is a truly extraordinary piece of Western postal history. (Image)	E. 2,000-3,000	4,750.00
559		10c Green on Buff entire (U18). Addressed to Burlington Vt. with marvelous illustrated four-horse stagecoach "Overland" design, coach and horses labelled "San Francisco, St. Louis, New York via Los Angeles, U.S. Mail", bold "San Francisco Cal. 5 Dec." (ms. "1858") circular datestamp, Very Fine, this outstanding woodcut and other similar designs are almost always printed on plain envelopes, only a handful of 10c entires exist with any form of horse-drawn stagecoach design, ex Wiltsee and Barkhausen (realized $240 in 1955), with 2001 P.S.E. certificate (Image)	E. 1,500-2,000	5,500.00
560		Overland via Los Angeles. Three-line imprint in red on 10c Green Nesbitt entire (U16) to Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, clearly struck "San Francisco Cal. May 22, 1859" circular datestamp, faint "U. States 6d" framed cross-border handstamp indicating unpaid rate, blue crayon "9" for 9p rate due from addressee, New Brunswick (Jul. 21) and Nova Scotia transit backstamps, small piece of backflap missing and couple tiny edge tears at top VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THIS "OVERLAND VIA LOS ANGELES" IMPRINT ON AN ENTIRE TO A FOREIGN DESTINATION. In September 1858 the Overland Mail Company started regular semi-weekly stagecoach service along the so-called "Butterfield Route" between San Francisco and St. Louis via Los Angeles. A variety of markings, printed and handstamped, were used on mail to designate this route. This "Overland via Los Angeles" three-line imprint is found on 3c and 10c Nesbitt entires, in red or black, with or without the Wells, Fargo & Company's frank, and one plain envelope. A census quickly compiled from our Levi records and other sources counts 17 entires in total (excluding the plain envelope with a 10c adhesive). There are 9 on the 3c and 8 on the 10c. Sorted by date, the data indicate that the 10c entires preceded the 3c. Sorted by color, all of the 3c entires have a black imprint, while the 10c divides into 3 black, 5 red. The additional Wells, Fargo & Co. frank is found on 4 of the 3c (black frank) and 4 of the 10c (red frank). The match in color between the red imprint and red Wells, Fargo & Co. frank on the 10c entires indicates that the two were applied simultaneously. The cover to Nova Scotia offered here was postmarked at San Francisco on May 22, 1859. If the directions were followed, it travelled by the Overland Mail Co. stage via the Southern Route, rather than by steamer via Panama. Only three of the "Overland Mail" imprint entires have St. Louis transit postmarks, all are addressed to the East Coast and have Wells, Fargo & Co. franks (see lots 561-562). In these three cases the covers entered the U.S. mails at the St. Louis terminus of the stage route. The other covers were postmarked at San Francisco or other California locations. A few are addressed to places within California, so the meaning of the "Overland Mail" imprint is probably moot. We have provided extensive background information about this fascinating "Overland Mail" imprint to help potential bidders gauge the rarity and importance of the cover offered here. It is one of only eight 10c imprinted entires in our census. Further, it is the only red imprint on an entire without the Wells, Fargo & Co. frank. Finally, and most importantly, it is the only foreign-bound example of the eighteen recorded imprint covers in total. Ex Dale-Lichtenstein. With 2004 P.F. certificate. (Image)	E. 5,000-7,500	7,000.00
561		Overland via Los Angeles. Three-line imprint in red with matching Wells, Fargo & Co. red frank on 10c Pale Green on White Nesbitt entire (U17a) to Boston Mass., cancelled in transit by "Saint Louis Mo. Jul. 20, 1859" circular datestamp, very minor edge and flap faults, slight crease VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF EIGHT RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 10-CENT NESBITT ENTIRE WITH THIS "OVERLAND MAIL VIA LOS ANGELES" IMPRINT, OF WHICH ONLY FOUR HAVE THE ADDITIONAL WELLS, FARGO & COMPANY RED FRANK. ONLY FOUR "OVERLAND" IMPRINT COVERS (TYPE I OR II) ARE POSTMARKED AT THE SAINT LOUIS TERMINUS OF THE OVERLAND MAIL COMPANY'S STAGE ROUTE. As detailed in the description of lot 560, this type of three-line "Overland Mail via Los Angeles" imprint is found on 3c and 10c Nesbitt entires used from April 1859 thru mid-1860 (our census counts 9 on the 3c, and 8 on the 10c, plus one plain envelope). The census data indicate that the 10c entires were imprinted before the 3c. Of the 8 recorded 10c entires, 3 are imprinted in black (none of these have additional franks) and 5 in red (4 with additional red franks, one without frank -- see previous lot). An interesting feature of this cover is that it entered the United States mail at St. Louis, Missouri. We know of only four postmarked at St. Louis (three with the Type I imprint, one with Type II). The others are: Type I illustrated in Letters of Gold (p. 249), Type I dated July 24, 1859, addressed to the same person as the cover offered here (ex Knapp), and the Type II imprint, offered as lot 562 in this sale. Ex Brown and Metkin. With 1999 P.S.E. certificate (Image)	E. 2,000-3,000	3,500.00
562		Overland Mail via Los Angeles. Three-line imprint in black on 10c Pale Green on Buff Nesbitt entire (U18a) to Raccoon Ford Va. with Wells, Fargo & Co. red frank, cancelled in transit by "Saint Louis Mo. Sep. 19, 1860" circular datestamp, accompanying certificate notes "small repair" in cover at right, which is nothing more than a tiny sealed edge nick barely worthy of mention VERY FINE. ONE OF TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS TYPE II "OVERLAND MAIL VIA LOS ANGELES" IMPRINT AND THE ONLY ONE WITH THE WELLS, FARGO & COMPANY FRANK. ALSO SIGNFICANT AS ONE OF FOUR SUCH "OVERLAND MAIL" IMPRINT COVERS WITH THE SAINT LOUIS TRANSIT DATESTAMP. This imprint, smaller yet obviously related to the Type I (offered in lots 560 and 561), is found on only two covers we record: the Wells, Fargo & Co. red frank entire offered here (Sep. 19, 1860) and a defective 10c Nesbitt entire (without frank) in our Levi records, postmarked at Bear Valley Cal., May 5 (1860), to PMG Montgomery Blair. The cover offered here comes from the same correspondence as the Type I cover with St. Louis transit pictured in Letters of Gold (p. 249). It is apparent to us that Wells, Fargo & Co. must have had postal entires (with or without their frank) imprinted with the "Overland Mail" route designation and supplied them to their patrons. Ex Metkin. With 1991 P.F. certificate. (Image)	E. 2,000-3,000	4,000.00
563		10c Green, Ty. V (35). Horizontal pair, choice centering, rich color, small faults, tied by "Sacramento City Cal. Oct. 4, 1859" circular datestamp on cover with illustrated "By the Overland Mail Stage via Los Angeles! Hurrah!" railroad propaganda design, to New York City, top backflap partly missing and minor edgewear, otherwise Very Fine, a great piece of Western Americana (Image)	E. 1,000-1,500	1,900.00
564		10c Green, Ty. IV (16). Position 74L1, recut at top, full margins to well clear at left, double-rate usage with 10c Green, Ty. III (15), three large margins, cut in at left, tieds by two strikes of "San Francisco Cal. 16 Jul." circular datestamp on brown cover to Brunswick Me., beautiful bold strike of green "From Noisy Carriers. Mail. 77 Long Wharf S.F. Cal." in ornamental framed handstamp, small piece of backflap missing and minor wrinkles VERY FINE. A MAGNIFICENT STRIKE OF THE SCARCE NOISY CARRIERS HANDSTAMP IN GREEN AND VERY RARE USE WITH THE 1855 10-CENT TYPE IV. This is one of two examples of the 1855 10c Type IV on a cover with the Noisy Carrier handstamp in our Levi records. Noisy Carriers Publishing Hall was operated by Charles P. Kimball. One of its services was the delivery of letter bags to steamers departing for Nicaragua or Panama. The "Noisy Carriers" marking was applied to indicate (or advertise) the source of the mail. Ex Pearce and Grunin. (Image)	E. 3,000-4,000	5,250.00

Western Mails

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

Est/Cat

Realized

556

Grass Valley Cal. Dec. 18, 1860. Mostly clear circular datestamp with red ms. "Paid 58" rate on illustrated six-horse stagecoach cover to Wetter, Prussia, "From San Francisco via Los Angeles" banner and Wm. K. Spencer imprint, red "N. York Brem. Pkt. 24 Paid Feb. 23" (1861) credit datestamp and blue Bremen transit, backstamped with German transits (Mar. 11-13), backflap slightly refolded (originally folded over thick contents) and some minor edge wear

VERY FINE. A REMARKABLE AND EXTREMELY RARE TRANSATLANTIC USE OF AN "OVERLAND MAIL" ILLUSTRATED STAGECOACH ENVELOPE.

The 58c prepayment marked on this cover by the Grass Valley postmaster does not correspond to any prevailing rate to the German States at this time. It was probably an error based on the 29c rate to England (24c plus 5c for West Coast origin), which was doubled for this letter weighing between one-half and one ounce. The New York foreign-mail exchange office treated it as a double 15c rate Bremen Packet letter, applying a 2 x 12c credit (24c) and sending it on the North German Lloyd's New York, departing on Feb. 23, 1861, and arriving in Southampton on Mar. 7 (the steamer was docked there for repairs and did not carry mail any further eastward, thus the delayed Mar. 11 arrival backstamp). Our Levi records and other sources consulted contain only six examples of an illustrated stagecoach cover (of any design) addressed to a foreign country. A similar stampless cover from San Francisco to Germany is illustrated in Letters of Gold (p. 136).

Ex Dale-Lichtenstein. With 2004 P.F. certificate. (Image)

E. 3,000-4,000

3,750.00

557

1c Blue, Ty. V (24). Vertical strip of three with straddle-pane margin at right showing full guideline, tied by three strikes of blue "Petaluma Cal. Dec. 31" double-circle datestamp on yellow cover to Jacksonville Cal. with blue illustrated four-horse stagecoach design and "The Star of the Union--California" imprint, "Overland via Los Angeles U.S. Mail" on coach, arithmetic notations, minor toning on stamps, still Very Fine, extremely rare intra-California usage of stageoach envelope with 1c 1857 Issue (Image)

E. 1,000-1,500

750.00

558

3c Rose (65). Beautiful bright early shade and choice centering, tied by sharp strike of "Visalia Cal. Dec. 13" (1861) circular datestamp on yellow cover to San Francisco with illustrated four-horse stagecoach cover with "Via Visalia & Los Angeles" banner, neatly docketed mostly clear of design, light diagonal fold clear of stamp

EXTREMELY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE USE OF THE 1861 ISSUE ON AN OVERLAND MAIL STAGECOACH COVER. PROBABLY THE FINEST OF THE FEW USED WITHIN CALIFORNIA.

The outbreak of the Civil War caused the United States Post Office to relocate its overland mail route from the Southern Route to the Central Route. As a result, the illustrated "Overland Mail" covers that became popular from 1859 to 1861 were practically meaningless by late 1861. The consequence of this circumstance for collectors is that the 1861 issue is considerably scarcer than its 1857 Issue counterpart on illustrated "Overland Mail" covers. The example offered here is one of the few intra-California usages we have seen with either issue. As explained, the use of a 3c 1861 is very unusual. Further, the design with the Visalia route designation is a rarity in its own right. All elements considered, this cover is a truly extraordinary piece of Western postal history. (Image)

E. 2,000-3,000

4,750.00

559

10c Green on Buff entire (U18). Addressed to Burlington Vt. with marvelous illustrated four-horse stagecoach "Overland" design, coach and horses labelled "San Francisco, St. Louis, New York via Los Angeles, U.S. Mail", bold "San Francisco Cal. 5 Dec." (ms. "1858") circular datestamp, Very Fine, this outstanding woodcut and other similar designs are almost always printed on plain envelopes, only a handful of 10c entires exist with any form of horse-drawn stagecoach design, ex Wiltsee and Barkhausen (realized $240 in 1955), with 2001 P.S.E. certificate (Image)

E. 1,500-2,000

5,500.00

560

Overland via Los Angeles. Three-line imprint in red on 10c Green Nesbitt entire (U16) to Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, clearly struck "San Francisco Cal. May 22, 1859" circular datestamp, faint "U. States 6d" framed cross-border handstamp indicating unpaid rate, blue crayon "9" for 9p rate due from addressee, New Brunswick (Jul. 21) and Nova Scotia transit backstamps, small piece of backflap missing and couple tiny edge tears at top

VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THIS "OVERLAND VIA LOS ANGELES" IMPRINT ON AN ENTIRE TO A FOREIGN DESTINATION.

In September 1858 the Overland Mail Company started regular semi-weekly stagecoach service along the so-called "Butterfield Route" between San Francisco and St. Louis via Los Angeles. A variety of markings, printed and handstamped, were used on mail to designate this route. This "Overland via Los Angeles" three-line imprint is found on 3c and 10c Nesbitt entires, in red or black, with or without the Wells, Fargo & Company's frank, and one plain envelope. A census quickly compiled from our Levi records and other sources counts 17 entires in total (excluding the plain envelope with a 10c adhesive). There are 9 on the 3c and 8 on the 10c. Sorted by date, the data indicate that the 10c entires preceded the 3c. Sorted by color, all of the 3c entires have a black imprint, while the 10c divides into 3 black, 5 red. The additional Wells, Fargo & Co. frank is found on 4 of the 3c (black frank) and 4 of the 10c (red frank). The match in color between the red imprint and red Wells, Fargo & Co. frank on the 10c entires indicates that the two were applied simultaneously.

The cover to Nova Scotia offered here was postmarked at San Francisco on May 22, 1859. If the directions were followed, it travelled by the Overland Mail Co. stage via the Southern Route, rather than by steamer via Panama. Only three of the "Overland Mail" imprint entires have St. Louis transit postmarks, all are addressed to the East Coast and have Wells, Fargo & Co. franks (see lots 561-562). In these three cases the covers entered the U.S. mails at the St. Louis terminus of the stage route. The other covers were postmarked at San Francisco or other California locations. A few are addressed to places within California, so the meaning of the "Overland Mail" imprint is probably moot.

We have provided extensive background information about this fascinating "Overland Mail" imprint to help potential bidders gauge the rarity and importance of the cover offered here. It is one of only eight 10c imprinted entires in our census. Further, it is the only red imprint on an entire without the Wells, Fargo & Co. frank. Finally, and most importantly, it is the only foreign-bound example of the eighteen recorded imprint covers in total.

Ex Dale-Lichtenstein. With 2004 P.F. certificate. (Image)

E. 5,000-7,500

7,000.00

561

Overland via Los Angeles. Three-line imprint in red with matching Wells, Fargo & Co. red frank on 10c Pale Green on White Nesbitt entire (U17a) to Boston Mass., cancelled in transit by "Saint Louis Mo. Jul. 20, 1859" circular datestamp, very minor edge and flap faults, slight crease

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF EIGHT RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE 10-CENT NESBITT ENTIRE WITH THIS "OVERLAND MAIL VIA LOS ANGELES" IMPRINT, OF WHICH ONLY FOUR HAVE THE ADDITIONAL WELLS, FARGO & COMPANY RED FRANK. ONLY FOUR "OVERLAND" IMPRINT COVERS (TYPE I OR II) ARE POSTMARKED AT THE SAINT LOUIS TERMINUS OF THE OVERLAND MAIL COMPANY'S STAGE ROUTE.

As detailed in the description of lot 560, this type of three-line "Overland Mail via Los Angeles" imprint is found on 3c and 10c Nesbitt entires used from April 1859 thru mid-1860 (our census counts 9 on the 3c, and 8 on the 10c, plus one plain envelope). The census data indicate that the 10c entires were imprinted before the 3c. Of the 8 recorded 10c entires, 3 are imprinted in black (none of these have additional franks) and 5 in red (4 with additional red franks, one without frank -- see previous lot).

An interesting feature of this cover is that it entered the United States mail at St. Louis, Missouri. We know of only four postmarked at St. Louis (three with the Type I imprint, one with Type II). The others are: Type I illustrated in Letters of Gold (p. 249), Type I dated July 24, 1859, addressed to the same person as the cover offered here (ex Knapp), and the Type II imprint, offered as lot 562 in this sale.

Ex Brown and Metkin. With 1999 P.S.E. certificate (Image)

E. 2,000-3,000

3,500.00

562

Overland Mail via Los Angeles. Three-line imprint in black on 10c Pale Green on Buff Nesbitt entire (U18a) to Raccoon Ford Va. with Wells, Fargo & Co. red frank, cancelled in transit by "Saint Louis Mo. Sep. 19, 1860" circular datestamp, accompanying certificate notes "small repair" in cover at right, which is nothing more than a tiny sealed edge nick barely worthy of mention

VERY FINE. ONE OF TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS TYPE II "OVERLAND MAIL VIA LOS ANGELES" IMPRINT AND THE ONLY ONE WITH THE WELLS, FARGO & COMPANY FRANK. ALSO SIGNFICANT AS ONE OF FOUR SUCH "OVERLAND MAIL" IMPRINT COVERS WITH THE SAINT LOUIS TRANSIT DATESTAMP.

This imprint, smaller yet obviously related to the Type I (offered in lots 560 and 561), is found on only two covers we record: the Wells, Fargo & Co. red frank entire offered here (Sep. 19, 1860) and a defective 10c Nesbitt entire (without frank) in our Levi records, postmarked at Bear Valley Cal., May 5 (1860), to PMG Montgomery Blair. The cover offered here comes from the same correspondence as the Type I cover with St. Louis transit pictured in Letters of Gold (p. 249). It is apparent to us that Wells, Fargo & Co. must have had postal entires (with or without their frank) imprinted with the "Overland Mail" route designation and supplied them to their patrons.

Ex Metkin. With 1991 P.F. certificate. (Image)

E. 2,000-3,000

4,000.00

563

10c Green, Ty. V (35). Horizontal pair, choice centering, rich color, small faults, tied by "Sacramento City Cal. Oct. 4, 1859" circular datestamp on cover with illustrated "By the Overland Mail Stage via Los Angeles! Hurrah!" railroad propaganda design, to New York City, top backflap partly missing and minor edgewear, otherwise Very Fine, a great piece of Western Americana (Image)

E. 1,000-1,500

1,900.00

564

10c Green, Ty. IV (16). Position 74L1, recut at top, full margins to well clear at left, double-rate usage with 10c Green, Ty. III (15), three large margins, cut in at left, tieds by two strikes of "San Francisco Cal. 16 Jul." circular datestamp on brown cover to Brunswick Me., beautiful bold strike of green "From Noisy Carriers. Mail. 77 Long Wharf S.F. Cal." in ornamental framed handstamp, small piece of backflap missing and minor wrinkles

VERY FINE. A MAGNIFICENT STRIKE OF THE SCARCE NOISY CARRIERS HANDSTAMP IN GREEN AND VERY RARE USE WITH THE 1855 10-CENT TYPE IV.

This is one of two examples of the 1855 10c Type IV on a cover with the Noisy Carrier handstamp in our Levi records. Noisy Carriers Publishing Hall was operated by Charles P. Kimball. One of its services was the delivery of letter bags to steamers departing for Nicaragua or Panama. The "Noisy Carriers" marking was applied to indicate (or advertise) the source of the mail.

Ex Pearce and Grunin. (Image)

E. 3,000-4,000

5,250.00