Sale 6

Spring 2015 Sale

Western Express Covers

Lot	Photo	Description	Bidding
Lot 162		Adams & Co Express, Marysville (Cal), clear red oval express company Aug. 14 datestamp, red "Paid" in double octagon, on brown cover addressed to Stockton. Scarce., with auction notations Bright (1902), Doane (1937). ASCC $150 (1987). Estimate $100 - 150 The Adams Express Company is one of the oldest companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ADX). In 1849 the New England based company moved Daniel Hall Haskell to San Francisco as a resident partner. November 6, 1849 they started Adams & Co. Express with close ties but different directors. When the Adams Express incorporated in July 1854, California was not included. The 1855 collapse of Bacon & Company, Bankers brought about the March 1, 1855 close of the company. The employees and agents of Adams & Co. formed the Pacific Express Company. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $65
Lot 163		1850's Adams & Co. Express, San Francisco, red embossed shield design corner card, uncancelled on brown cover (some soiling), bearing manuscript "please deliver immediately", to Stockton (Mass). Rare. Estimate $500 - 750. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $325
Lot 164		Used to Chile: Adams & Co Express, J.M. Freeman Agent, Panama, fine, clear red forwarder's marking in a oval on a manila cover, scarce. Estimate $250 - 300 Freeman's operated under their own name after the Adams & Co ceased operations in 1855 . View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $170
Lot 165		1851 Adams & Co Express; forwarded to San Francisco, fine, red oval on East-West folded letter date-lined New York April 1st 1851, to San Francisco. ASCC $350 (1987). Estimate $200 - 250. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $65
Lot 166		1859 Adams & Co's Express Coloma Used From Great Britain to "Alta" (California), large light blue oval on reverse of 1852 folded reinforced letter sheet bearing Great Britain red PAID 19 AUG 1852 c.d.s. London marking, black PAID and manuscript, "1/?"; quite wrinkled but an early usage from a rare origin. Estimate $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $270
Lot 167		J. Bamber & Co's Express, Bacon & Hardy, Oakland (Cal) Office Paid frank, printed frank in elaborate rectangular design (Haller FB2 type 5), black oval "Wells, Fargo & Co. Express Grass Valley" Mar. 8 datestamps on 3¢ pink on buff entire (U35) to San Francisco, very scarce and attractive frank from this company, entire with small repair, still very fine. Estimate $500 - 600. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $325
Lot 168		Group of three local covers, Bamber & Co's scroll with blue San Francisco cancel; red Freeman & Co's scroll with blue Stockton cancel to San Francisco; and unused Holladay Company over PAID. All on 3¢ entires. Estimate $400 - 600. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $270
Lot 169		Eureka Express Co Paid frank, on 3¢ green entire to San Francisco, cancelled by blue WELLS, FARGO & CO EXPRESS NEVADA CAL oval, very fine. Estimate $200 - 250. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $135
Lot 170		Used from Panama: Freeman & Co's Express San Francisco, red oval handstamp on folded letter bearing manuscript "J.L. Stephens", contents datelined 30 Junio 1855 on COVA & Co embossed and printed stationery, Ex Barkhausen, with Calvet Hahn description. Estimate $150 - 200. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $100
Lot 171		Freeman & Co.'s Express, Paid, green printed frank in scroll design over two Wells, Fargo & Co. Paid red printed franks on 10¢ green entire paste-up (hole at left), cancelled by Freeman & Co. Express Jacksonville Cal. attached 1861 addressing envelope bears blue Wells Fargo 1 Jul double line c.d.s. and matching blue oval PAID To New York. A very rare origin. Estimate $400 - 500 Jacksonville is now at the bottom of the Don Pecho Reservoir, but was originally one of the largest mining towns in the Mother Lode just north of Sonora. Later it became a tourist town before it was sunk. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $270
Lot 172		Freeman & Co.'s Express, Paid, three red franked 3¢ red stationery envelopes cancelled Express Coulterville, Marysville and Sacramento, all to San Francisco, very fine. Estimate $100 - 150 One cover is addressed to Reverend John E. Benton, one of the most prominent pioneer pastors; the other is addressed to Fretz & Raleston, the predecessor of the Bank of California, from James Wilson in the Gold Rush town of Coulterville; the last is to a Mrs. A.J. Walsh . View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $65
Lot 173		Greenhood & Newbauer Northern Express, Paid frank, printed express company frank (Haller FG6, type 1a) imitative of Wells, Fargo, with correct "Newbauer" spelling on 3¢ (U10) on buff entire cancelled by blue oval, also bearing blue Wells Fargo & Company Aug 13 oval, to San Francisco. This is a great example of the Greenhood & Newbauer Northern Express company connection with Wells, Fargo & Co at Marysville on the rarer correctly spelled "Newbauer" stationery. Interestingly the known error in the frank spelled "Newbaner" (see our next lot) is more common than the scarcer correct spelling of Newbauer. Estimate $300 - 350 The Greenhood & Newbauer Northern Express company was founded in 1856 by Herman Greenhood and Joseph Newbauer in Weaverville. In 1858, they purchased the W. F. Rowe Express company which connected with Wells Fargo at Marysville (1856 - Aug 1867). The company experienced financial difficulties in August 1867 and their routes were assumed by G. I. Taggart�s. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $170
Lot 174		Greenhood & Newbauer Northern Express, Paid frank, printed express company frank (Haller, FG6, type 1a) imitative of Wells, Fargo, with "Newbaner" misspelling, on 3c red on buff entire (U10) cancelled by clear blue double-line oval "Greenhood & Newbauer Express, Weaverville Cal" also manuscript Febr 7, to San Francisco, fresh, extremely fine. Estimate $200 - 300 Compare this to the correct Newbauer spelling in the prior lot for an interesting pair. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $135
Lot 175		Gregory's Express: Pocket Letter Book, gilded edged pages for notions, elaborate cover with gilt printing. Great for an exhibition. Estimate $100 - 125. View details and enlarged photo/bid on this lot	Current Bid $65
Lot 176		Hopkinson's Express, Paid frank, printed express company frank (Haller FH13, type 2) in a fancy rectangular frame 3¢ pink on white entire (U58, slightly reduced), indicia uncancelled, to Nevada City Cal. Quite fresh, very scarce, very fine, Herman Toaspern & Ross O�Shaughnessy handstamps. Estimate $400 - 500. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $270
Lot 177		Hopkinson's Express, Paid frank, printed express company frank (Haller FH13, type 2) in a fancy rectangular frame 3¢ pink on white entire (U58) (repaired corner), cancelled by manuscript "WF(?) �" and bearing manuscript "March 22/?" to Nevada City, Cal., quite fresh, very scarce, fine, Ex Hackett with his handstamp. Estimate $300 - 400 This small company managed to use a number of printed franks during the brief periods of operations. Emerson Hopkinson purchased a route from Nevada City to the Dutch Flat area. He sold the route to A.J. Stone and then bought it back from Stone in February 1865 . View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $200
Lot 178		Langton's Pioneer Express, Downieville (Cal), clear oval express company markings (Haller FL3, type 6), used with scarcer Langtons' Pioneer Express Paid printed frank printed in ornate frame on 3¢ pink on white entire (U58), also blue double oval datestamp "Wells, Fargo & Co., Marysville (Cal) July 3", believed to be 1865, to San Francisco, fresh and fine. Scarce and attractive double express company use from the Daneri correspondence. Estimate $300 - 400 Langton Express was founded and operated by Samuel W. Langton in February 1850. His route was Marysville up the Yuba River to Downieville. In February 1855, he sold out to Adams and Company. Two days later, the sale fell through (reportedly because Adams did not pay him). He then formed Langton's Pioneer Express, which he ran personally until 1864. Following his death, his family unsuccessfully continued the business until 1866 when they sold the business to Lamping and Company. Later that year, Lamping and Company sold the company to Wells Fargo and Company. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $200
Lot 179		Langton's Pioneer Express, Downiesville, on 3¢ pink entire to Folson, carried to Marysville & exchanged with Wells, Fargo & Co. with their blue double oval handstamp of Oct 29 Marysville applied, very deep impression. Estimate $150 - 200. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $100
Lot 180		Langton's Pioneer Express, Downiesville, on 3¢ pink entire to San Francisco, carried to Marysville & exchanged with Wells, Fargo & Co. with their blue double oval handstamp of Sept 4 Marysville applied, attractive, very fine, from the well-known Danier correspondence. Estimate $150 - 200 The Gold Hill (N.T.) of Tuesday, 16 August 1864 reports "SAD ACCIDENT - The Gold Hill (N.T.) 'News' of August 13th: Samuel LANGTON, well known in connection with Langton's Express Company, met with a terrible accident last night near Silver City. In endeavoring to pass with his sulky, an ox team heavily loaded with lumber, he was caught against the bank, his sulky crushed and himself thrown beneath the wheels of the wagon. His right leg was crushed so terribly that amputation was necessary and the operation was performed by Dr. TJADER, of Carson. LANGTON lies at the Golden Gate in great suffering." . View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $100
Lot 181		Langton's Pioneer Express, West to East, printed express company frank in fancy frame (Haller FL3, type 5), on 10¢ green on buff entire (U16), cancelled by blue segmented grid cancel matching, blue Marysville Feb 4 Paid by Stamps c.d.s. to Galway NY, scarce use of an express frank on a 10¢ Die, fine. Estimate $250 - 300 When the company began they had extensive routes from the mining areas. This included a steamboat service from Marysville and Sacramento to San Francisco . View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $170
Lot 182		Langton's Pioneer Express, blue frank on unused 3¢ entire, very rare blue franking on even rarer unused 3¢ entire titled "Express Matters", "Lot 40" probably used for bundling. Estimate $100 - 150 Did you know Langton's was also a passenger transportation company? . View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $65
Lot 183		Langton's Pioneer Express, group of 3 franked covers, comprising entires of 10¢ (2) and (1) 3¢ Star Die cut in. 10¢ to Philadelphia bearing New York transit; 10¢ to Sarusville Wis., with Downieville handstamp with rare faint "Oct ? 18 ?? year"; the 3¢ Star Die bears manuscript "12/6", to Nevada. Interesting grouping. Estimate $350 - 400 When Langton�s began connecting with Wells, Fargo at Marysville in 1857 he discontinued the steamboat route . View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $240
Lot 184		Utah, Louise's Express, manuscript marking on front of folded letter (stain) date-lined "Provo Aug 26th 1860" addressed to Great Salt Lake City. Letter refers to "Louise's Mail" and the content ranges from bears to sugar cane, melon crops to Mormon in Congress. Unlisted company. Estimate $200 - 250. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $135
Lot 185		"From Noisy Carrier's Mail, 77 Long Wharf S.F. Cal.", green local express company marking in fancy frame used with mostly clear "San Francisco Cal. 10 Jan 16" date stamp on envelope to West Dennis Mass. Estimate $200 - 300 The Noisy Carrier was one of the most well-known letter bag operators in San Francisco. The company was founded by Charles Proctor Kimball. Kimball moved from Maine to San Francisco in 1849 and after several failed employment attempts, Kimball became a public crier for the Daily Journal of Commerce, where his exuberance earned him the nickname of "the noisy carrier". He established his first express line as Kimball & Co�s Express. After the great fire on May 4, 1851, Kimball's reformed under Noisy Carrier�s. He opened a periodicals shop where he carried and distributed periodicals from all over the world . View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $135
Lot 186		Pacific Express Co., Jamestown (Cal.), rare bold red oval express company marking used with Pacific Express Co. Paid printed frank (Haller FP1, type 3a) on uncancelled 3¢ entire (U10) with horse and rider, to San Francisco. Quite fresh and neat, scarce and attractive use. Very interestingly sent to Noisy Carriers to the little known 64 and 66 Long Wharf, San Francisco. Estimate $350 - 400 No examples of the handstamp existed in Dale or Knapp, one in Edwards . View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $240
Lot 187		River Express, Stockton & San Francisco Paid frank, printed green express company frank on 2¢ green entire (U312) uncancelled, fresh and very fine, scarce in this condition, as many are to Stockton. Estimate $150 - 200 This company operated by steamboat between San Francisco and Stockton, 1874 to 1895 . View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $100
Lot 188		Singer & Morrow Feather River Express (Cal.), Paid Frank, printed express company frank in large fancy box (Haller FS7) on 3¢ red buff envelope (U10) (top edge a bit rough with small tear in frank) bearing partial blue oval Pacific Express Co. Nov. 9 c.d.s., to Coloma. A vary rare combination express company usage, from the Singer Morrow partnership of 1855-57, fine. Estimate $500 - 600 Captain William E. Singer operated five different express companies all carrying mail between the Feather River mining camps and Marysville. In late 1855 Singer partnered with Thomas H. Morrow and formed the Singer & Morrow Company. The partnership ended in 1857 with the belief that Marrow was an unscrupulous partner. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $325
Lot 189		Truman & Co's Express, S.F. & S.J. R.R. Express, rectangular box frank with railroad line of text above and address below on 3¢ pink on white entire (U58), to San Francisco, cancelled by manuscript "J.G. (?) 27.1.68". Scarce in this condition, this operated between San Francisco and San Jose, Watsonville and Santa Cruz, 1861-1867, very fine, eight reported used examples of this variety of frank. Estimate $300 - 400 James C. Truman began his J.C. Truman Express in January 1864 soon after arriving in San Francisco. He took Chapman as a partner on February 16, 1864 and after Chapman withdrew in 1865, he formed Truman & Co's Express. It operated from San Francisco to San Jose by rail and to Watsonville and Santa Cruz until 1868. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $200
Lot 190		Wells & Co's Moore's Flat and Eureka Express, Paid frank, printed express company frank in fancy frame (Haller FW7), on 3¢ pink on white entire (U58), uncancelled, to Sacramento, very fine and scarce used, one of the L.H. Wells companies. Estimate $500 - 600 Philip and Gregory began running the Nevada City, Emigrant Gap, and Moore�s Flat to Eureka South (Graniteville) route on Sep. 8, 1865. Philip sold his interest out to English on Feb. 28, 1866, and formed Gregory & English. This company lasted through June 3, 1868, when L.H. Wells bought out Gregory. English and Wells operated the company until Nov. 18, 1869, when L.H. Wells bought out English. Wells formed the L.H. Wells� Moore�s Flat and Eureka Express. On Mar. 3, 1870, Wells sold a half interest in his express to A.W. Herring and renamed the company Wells and Herring�s Moore�s Flat and Eureka Express. This configuration ran until 1871-72, when it became L.H. Wells and Co.�s Express started in 1872. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $325
Lot 191		Wells, Fargo & Co., large orange EXPRESS label depicting train and steamship (heavy printing) applied to Wells, Fargo & Co. franked 3¢ green entire, cancelled by blue Wells, Fargo & Co. SAN FRANCISCO oval, to Carson City. Estimate $200 - 300. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $135
Lot 192		Wells, Fargo & Co., small orange EXPRESS label SHASTA, CAL. applied to Wells, Fargo & Co. franked 3¢ red entire, cancelled by weak black Wells, Fargo & Co. EXPRESS SHASTA oval to San Francisco. Estimate $150 - 200. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $100
Lot 193		Wells, Fargo & Co's OVER OUR LINES IN THE UNITED STATES, Double Impression, frank on local 2¢ brown entire cancelled by violet oval W.F. & Co, SAN FRANCISCO OCT 22 1886, duplicate cancel on the reverse, to San Francisco. Estimate $200 - 300 A very late used frank, enhanced by possible unique double impression . View details and enlarged photo/bid on this lot	Current Bid $135
Lot 194		Wheeler's Express, Paid frank, printed in a ribbon design (Haller GW10, type 1) on 3¢ pink on white entire (U34) (some stain spots) cancelled by blue double circle Wells, Fargo & Co. Jan 22 MARYSVILLE oval and faint blue "Wheeler's Express" most likely, La Porta, c.d.s., to Oroville, Cal. Scarce use. Estimate $300 - 400 In 1862, George Morley sold his interest in the Holland, Morley & Company Express Company to Sam Wheeler. Holland and Wheeler serviced the same La Porte and Marysville routes as their predecessor Sam Wheeler was by accounts a feisty man who left the partnership in late 1863 to form The Wheeler's Express Company In 1864 R.H. Rutherford joined the firm and the name was changed to Wheeler, Rutherford & Co. Express. The company operated through 1865. Mr Wheeler gained a bit of local notoriety in 1865 when a political difference led to a quarrel with the Superintendent Cohen of the Alameda Valley Railroad. Mr Wheeler "preferred to patronize the opposition". Cohen ordered the Conductor to put Wheeler off the train, "and on his refusal to do so, Cohen dismissed the Conductor. and called other workmen called to enforce the his "arbitrary order". View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $200
Lot 195		Whiting & Co �s Feather River (Cal.) Express, Paid frank, printed express company frank in double-lined box (Haller FW12, type 2) with large "Paid" on uncancelled 3¢ red on buff Star Die entire (U27) (top back flap replaced), manuscript J Shirer (?) on left side, to Irvine City Cal., fine. Estimate $150 - 300 The Whiting & Co's Feather River Express operated from 1857 to 1868. Fenton B. Whiting, partnered with Henry C. Everts, G. W. Morley, and E. E. Meek to form Whiting & Co's Feather River Express in 1857. They were the leading operators in northern Plumas County. The business was sold to Garland & Company in 1868. View details and enlarged photos/bid on this lot	Current Bid $100