Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

California Mails and Western Expresses, Carriers, Locals and Independent Mails continued...

**Western Expresses (Adams thru Langton) continued...**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description
4097		Todd & Co. Perfectly clear "Todd & Co's Express Stockton" double-line oval handstamp and ms. "Free" on folded cover to Gov. John McDougall in San Jose, sender's routing "Per Todd & Co. & Berford's Express" and notation "Stockton Journal", conjunctive usage with "Berford & Cos. Express San Francisco Cal." double-oval handstamp and matching "Free" handstamp, pencil notation "Jan. 20/51" presumably referring to contents which are no longer present, part of one flap removed, light file folds, Very Fine, carried by Todd & Co. from the Stockton mining region to San Francisco, then by Berford & Co. south to San Jose, it appears that Todd carried mail free for the Stockton Journal and other publishers, a virtually identical cover is pictured on Nathan (p. 24), ex W. Parker Lyons and Dale-Lichtenstein, with 2004 P.F. certificate (Image)	E. 1,000-1,500
4098		F. W. Blake & Cos. Express, Weaverville. Blue double-line oval handstamp on 3c Red Nesbitt entire (U9) with Wells, Fargo & Co. printed frank, to Yreka Cal., few horizontal folds, slightly toning, otherwise Very Fine, genuine examples of Blake's Express oval are rare, ex Hawley (Image)	E. 750-1,000
4099		F. W. Blake & Cos. Express, Weaverville. Blue double-line oval handstamp on 3c Red Nesbitt entire (U10) with Wells, Fargo & Co. printed frank, to Yreka Cal., slightly age toned and minor edgewear, Fine, pencil "1857", accompanied by a newspaper ad from the Trinity Journal Jul. 25, 1857, which shows Blake was still operating his Shasta-Weaverville express (connecting with Wells Fargo) after 1855, the year that Nathan claims the express ceased to exist, genuine examples of this express marking are rare, ex Haas and Kramer (Image)	E. 750-1,000
4100		F. W. Blake & Co. Printed frank (Haller FB7) on 3c Red Nesbitt entire (U10), paste-up usage with other side addressed to San Jose, Very Fine, this short-lived express ran between Shasta and Weaverville, genuine usages of its frank are extremely scarce (Image)	E. 1,000-1,500
4101		Forwarded by Bowers Express. Full clear strike of oval handstamp on brown cover to Windsor Vt., red "San Francisco 40 15 Nov." integral-rate circular datestamp, minor edgewear, Very Fine, the Bowers brothers were among the first expressmen to serve the California gold mining camps, ex Wiltsee, Parker and Haas (Image)	E. 400-500
4102		Forwarded by Browns Express. Blue double-line oval handstamp and "50 Cts" rate handstamp used in conjunction with "Adams & Co.'s Express, San Francisco" blue oval handstamp on light blue cover to Pillsbury "Chips" Hodgkins at "Jackass Gulch, Southern Mines" near Stockton, pencil "Nickerson Jun. 1852", backflap removed, some minor cover faults, still Fine, a rare example of Browns Express, the "50 Cts" rate handstamp is exceedingly rare, and the added attractions of a conjunctive Adams usage and address to the famous Pony Express rider "Chips" make this a most desirable express cover, ex Clifford (Image)	E. 500-750
4103		Brown's Express, Murphy's (Cal.). Blue double-line oval handstamp on legal-size brown cover to courthouse at Stockton Cal., ms. notations indicating contents were depositions, docketed Jan. 14, 1854, reduced at right, slight toning along file fold, otherwise Very Fine, William A. Brown started an express between Stockton and the Southern Mines in 1850 (Nathan), accompanying this cover is an original newspaper announcement for "Brown's Express in connection with the well known Express and Banking House of Adams & Co." (ms. July 1852 date), Brown was murdered in April 1853 but the express continued under his name until Feb. 1855 when Adams & Co. collapsed, Brown's large oval handstamp is much rarer than the smaller double-line oval, ex Haas and Edwards (Image)	E. 400-500
4104		Buckley's Express Paid. Blue framed handstamped frank on 3c Green entire (U82), usual conjunctive usage with black printed Wells, Fargo & Co. frank (Hallet WF-E) to San Francisco, minor opening fault at top left, otherwise Very Fine, scarce frank from this small express that ran between Bakersfield and Kernsville Cal. (connecting with Wells Fargo), examples in Dale-Lichtenstein realized $850 and $1,100 hammer each (Image)	E. 500-750
4105		California Penny Post Co., San Francisco, 7c Black on 3c Red on Buff Entire (34LU11B). Instructions for mailing and list of towns on back, "Penny Post Co. Stockton" double-line circular handstamp, "Stockton Cal. Nov. 8" (1855) circular datestamp, to local San Francisco street address, couple small stain spots, Extremely Fine example of this rare California Penny Post Co. entire, delivered to the post office (for 2c) in Stockton, carried by government mail to San Francisco where delivered by the Penny Post Co. (for 5c, total 7c), very rare with the Penny Post Co. handstamp, ex Haas (Image)	E. 2,000-3,000
4106		The Central Overland, California & Pikes Peak Express Company, St. Joseph, Mo. Nov. 15. Partly clear oval datestamp on cover to Denver City "Kans." (as part of Kansas Territory), 3c Dull Red (26) tied by "Pacific City Ioa. Nov. 12" circular datestamp, sender's manuscript routing "Via COC and PP Express St. J. Mo.", express company agent's notation "Collect 15cts.", redirected to Mountain City with instructions "Have your Letters Directed to Mountain City & we will send them on. P.M. at Denver City.", certificate notes trivial small crease and rounded corner on stamp and a small stain at top EXTREMELY FINE. A REMARKABLE, IF NOT UNIQUE, EXPRESS COVER FROM IOWA TO DENVER CITY, CARRIED ACROSS THE CENTRAL ROUTE BY THE CENTRAL OVERLAND, CALIFORNIA & PIKE'S PEAK EXPRESS COMPANY, CREATORS OF THE LEGENDARY PONY EXPRESS OVER THE SAME ROUTE. Ex Dale-Lichtenstein. With 2004 P.F. certificate (Image)	E. 3,000-4,000
4107		The Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Company, Denver City K.T., Feb. 12 (1860). Mostly bold strike of oval datestamp, two 3c Dull Red (26) tied by green grids, matching "Saint Joseph Mo. Feb. 21" double-circle datestamp on buff cover to Webster Station Mo., sender's route notation "Via COC & P.P. Express", backflap partly removed, small tear at right, otherwise Very Fine, an attractive double-rate express usage over the Central Route (the same company ran the Pony Express) (Image)	E. 750-1,000

Western Expresses (Adams thru Langton) continued...

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

4097

Todd & Co. Perfectly clear "Todd & Co's Express Stockton" double-line oval handstamp and ms. "Free" on folded cover to Gov. John McDougall in San Jose, sender's routing "Per Todd & Co. & Berford's Express" and notation "Stockton Journal", conjunctive usage with "Berford & Cos. Express San Francisco Cal." double-oval handstamp and matching "Free" handstamp, pencil notation "Jan. 20/51" presumably referring to contents which are no longer present, part of one flap removed, light file folds, Very Fine, carried by Todd & Co. from the Stockton mining region to San Francisco, then by Berford & Co. south to San Jose, it appears that Todd carried mail free for the Stockton Journal and other publishers, a virtually identical cover is pictured on Nathan (p. 24), ex W. Parker Lyons and Dale-Lichtenstein, with 2004 P.F. certificate (Image)

E. 1,000-1,500

4098

F. W. Blake & Cos. Express, Weaverville. Blue double-line oval handstamp on 3c Red Nesbitt entire (U9) with Wells, Fargo & Co. printed frank, to Yreka Cal., few horizontal folds, slightly toning, otherwise Very Fine, genuine examples of Blake's Express oval are rare, ex Hawley (Image)

E. 750-1,000

4099

F. W. Blake & Cos. Express, Weaverville. Blue double-line oval handstamp on 3c Red Nesbitt entire (U10) with Wells, Fargo & Co. printed frank, to Yreka Cal., slightly age toned and minor edgewear, Fine, pencil "1857", accompanied by a newspaper ad from the Trinity Journal Jul. 25, 1857, which shows Blake was still operating his Shasta-Weaverville express (connecting with Wells Fargo) after 1855, the year that Nathan claims the express ceased to exist, genuine examples of this express marking are rare, ex Haas and Kramer (Image)

E. 750-1,000

4100

F. W. Blake & Co. Printed frank (Haller FB7) on 3c Red Nesbitt entire (U10), paste-up usage with other side addressed to San Jose, Very Fine, this short-lived express ran between Shasta and Weaverville, genuine usages of its frank are extremely scarce (Image)

E. 1,000-1,500

4101

Forwarded by Bowers Express. Full clear strike of oval handstamp on brown cover to Windsor Vt., red "San Francisco 40 15 Nov." integral-rate circular datestamp, minor edgewear, Very Fine, the Bowers brothers were among the first expressmen to serve the California gold mining camps, ex Wiltsee, Parker and Haas (Image)

E. 400-500

4102

Forwarded by Browns Express. Blue double-line oval handstamp and "50 Cts" rate handstamp used in conjunction with "Adams & Co.'s Express, San Francisco" blue oval handstamp on light blue cover to Pillsbury "Chips" Hodgkins at "Jackass Gulch, Southern Mines" near Stockton, pencil "Nickerson Jun. 1852", backflap removed, some minor cover faults, still Fine, a rare example of Browns Express, the "50 Cts" rate handstamp is exceedingly rare, and the added attractions of a conjunctive Adams usage and address to the famous Pony Express rider "Chips" make this a most desirable express cover, ex Clifford (Image)

E. 500-750

4103

Brown's Express, Murphy's (Cal.). Blue double-line oval handstamp on legal-size brown cover to courthouse at Stockton Cal., ms. notations indicating contents were depositions, docketed Jan. 14, 1854, reduced at right, slight toning along file fold, otherwise Very Fine, William A. Brown started an express between Stockton and the Southern Mines in 1850 (Nathan), accompanying this cover is an original newspaper announcement for "Brown's Express in connection with the well known Express and Banking House of Adams & Co." (ms. July 1852 date), Brown was murdered in April 1853 but the express continued under his name until Feb. 1855 when Adams & Co. collapsed, Brown's large oval handstamp is much rarer than the smaller double-line oval, ex Haas and Edwards (Image)

E. 400-500

4104

Buckley's Express Paid. Blue framed handstamped frank on 3c Green entire (U82), usual conjunctive usage with black printed Wells, Fargo & Co. frank (Hallet WF-E) to San Francisco, minor opening fault at top left, otherwise Very Fine, scarce frank from this small express that ran between Bakersfield and Kernsville Cal. (connecting with Wells Fargo), examples in Dale-Lichtenstein realized $850 and $1,100 hammer each (Image)

E. 500-750

4105

California Penny Post Co., San Francisco, 7c Black on 3c Red on Buff Entire (34LU11B). Instructions for mailing and list of towns on back, "Penny Post Co. Stockton" double-line circular handstamp, "Stockton Cal. Nov. 8" (1855) circular datestamp, to local San Francisco street address, couple small stain spots, Extremely Fine example of this rare California Penny Post Co. entire, delivered to the post office (for 2c) in Stockton, carried by government mail to San Francisco where delivered by the Penny Post Co. (for 5c, total 7c), very rare with the Penny Post Co. handstamp, ex Haas (Image)

E. 2,000-3,000

4106

The Central Overland, California & Pikes Peak Express Company, St. Joseph, Mo. Nov. 15. Partly clear oval datestamp on cover to Denver City "Kans." (as part of Kansas Territory), 3c Dull Red (26) tied by "Pacific City Ioa. Nov. 12" circular datestamp, sender's manuscript routing "Via COC and PP Express St. J. Mo.", express company agent's notation "Collect 15cts.", redirected to Mountain City with instructions "Have your Letters Directed to Mountain City & we will send them on. P.M. at Denver City.", certificate notes trivial small crease and rounded corner on stamp and a small stain at top

EXTREMELY FINE. A REMARKABLE, IF NOT UNIQUE, EXPRESS COVER FROM IOWA TO DENVER CITY, CARRIED ACROSS THE CENTRAL ROUTE BY THE CENTRAL OVERLAND, CALIFORNIA & PIKE'S PEAK EXPRESS COMPANY, CREATORS OF THE LEGENDARY PONY EXPRESS OVER THE SAME ROUTE.

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

E. 3,000-4,000

4107

The Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Company, Denver City K.T., Feb. 12 (1860). Mostly bold strike of oval datestamp, two 3c Dull Red (26) tied by green grids, matching "Saint Joseph Mo. Feb. 21" double-circle datestamp on buff cover to Webster Station Mo., sender's route notation "Via COC & P.P. Express", backflap partly removed, small tear at right, otherwise Very Fine, an attractive double-rate express usage over the Central Route (the same company ran the Pony Express) (Image)

E. 750-1,000