The David Golden Collection of Hawaiian Stamps and Postal History continued...

VERY FINE. AN IMPORTANT AND OBVIOUSLY UNIQUE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT SIGNED BY KING KAMEHAMEHA III, ESTABLISHING THE HAWAIIAN KINGDOM'S POST OFFICE AT HONOLULU AND AUTHORIZING THE FIRST HAWAIIAN STAMPS.

The first Hawaiian postal service was The Polynesian letter bag, which was handled by Henry M. Whitney from Nov. 2, 1850, to Dec. 20, 1850. The first royal decree establishing a "regular post office" and "regular postal rates" was signed by King Kamehameha III on Dec. 20, 1850, and published in The Polynesian on Dec. 21. Whitney continued to serve as postmaster. On June 18, 1851, a modified postal act was passed by the House of Representatives, its terms becoming effective with publication in The Polynesian on Sep. 13, 1851. The document offered here is the English/Hawaiian original Sessions Laws act signed by the Speaker of the House, the representative of the House of Nobles and King Kamehameha III. It is accompanied by a 1961 typed letter from the director of the Bishop Museum, who states that as far as they know the document is unique, and that it formed part of the Session Laws of 1851, all of which were in manuscript form. The letter also notes that the entire manuscript Session Laws were probably removed from the Hawaiian government archives at the time of the 1893 revolution and were now in collectors' hands. (Image)

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VERY FINE. ONLY EIGHT EXAMPLES OF THE HONOLULU STRAIGHTLINE CANCEL ARE RECORDED STRUCK IN BLUE. A GREAT RARITY.

This cover was carried on the bark Connecticut, which departed Honolulu on Dec. 7, 1850, and arrived in San Francisco on Dec. 31. It was carried to Panama on the Carolina, which departed on Jan. 1 (1851) and arrived on Jan. 19. After crossing the isthmus by mulepack and riverboat, it left Chagres on the Georgia, which departed on Jan. 28 and arrived in New York on Feb. 8 after stopping at Havana.

Fred Gregory records a total of 34 examples of this straightline marking. Of these, the first eight are struck in blue. The change from blue to black seems to have occurred after Dec. 7, 1850.

Gregory Census No. 6. Ex Adm. Harris and Ishikawa. (Image)

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VERY FINE. ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE HONOLULU STRAIGHTLINE HANDSTAMP USED ON A COVER TO A FOREIGN DESTINATION. WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING AND SIGNIFICANT HAWAIIAN POSTAL HISTORY ARTIFACTS, PARTICULARLY AMONG THOSE WITHOUT ADHESIVE STAMPS.

This letter was carried from Honolulu on the British bark Duchess of Clarence, which departed on Jan. 7, 1851, and arrived in San Francisco on Feb. 7. It was then carried to Panama by the Oregon, which departed on Feb. 16 and arrived on Mar. 5. It crossed the isthmus to Chagres by mulepack and riverboat, and from there it was carried to Havana on the Falcon, which departed on Mar. 12 and arrived on Mar. 16. The letter travelled to New York on the Ohio, which departed Havana on Mar. 17 and arrived on Mar. 22. From there it was carried on the Cunarder Asia, which departed New York on Mar. 26 and arrived in Liverpool on April 5.

The prepaid 74c rate was based (incorrectly) on the following: 10c Hawaiian postage, 40c U.S. transcontinental postage via Panama and 24c U.S.-G.B. treaty rate from New York to England. The correct rate was 10c Hawaiian plus 59c to England from the West Coast and the 2c ship fee, for a total of 71c. The other recorded use of the Honolulu straightline on a letter to a foreign destination is also addressed to England and is offered as lot 69 in this sale.

Gregory Census No. 11 (Image)

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VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL CLEAR STRIKE OF THE HONOLULU STRAIGHTLINE DATESTAMP ON A 42-CENT RATE COVER TO THE EAST COAST.

This cover was carried to San Francisco on the British clipper ship John Calvin, which departed Honolulu on Apr. 30, 1851, and arrived on May 24. It was carried to Panama on the Constitution, which departed on Jun. 1 and arrived on Jun. 23. After crossing the isthmus by mulepack and riverboat, it left Chagres on the Empire City, which departed on Jun. 26 and arrived in New York on Jul. 6 after stopping at Kingston, Jamaica.

Gregory Census No. 24. Ex Van Dyke and Ishikawa. (Image)

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VERY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE HONOLULU STRAIGHTLINE ON A PRINTED CIRCULAR. IT IS POSTMARKED IN SAN FRANCISCO ON JULY 1, 1851, THE FIRST DAY OF THE NEW UNITED STATES DOMESTIC RATES.

This circular was carried on the American schooner Loo Choo, which departed Honolulu on May 24, 1851, and arrived in San Francisco on June 26. It was then carried to Panama on the steamer Panama, which departed San Francisco on July 1. It crossed the isthmus by mulepack and riverboat to Chagres, and was carried to New York on the Empire City, which departed on July 25 and arrived on Aug. 6 after stopping in Kingston, Jamaica.

Five of the recorded covers with the Honolulu straightline have the same June 4 date and were carried in the same mail to San Francisco and Panama. All five were datestamped in San Francisco on July 1, 1851, the day of departure and the first day of the new 1851 rates. The "12" on this cover can be interpreted in two ways: "12" cents prepayment at twice the new 5c rate for printed matter sent over 3,000 miles plus the 2c ship fee, or "12" cents postage due for the new 10c collect rate plus 2c ship fee. Either way, the facts are this was clearly marked as printed matter and the "12" handstamp represents the new July 1851 rates.

The printed report comments on the state of trade, which appears to be slow despite "the conflagration at San Francisco on the 3rd and 4th inst.". It also reports the loss of the American brig Fortunio from Sydney, which was wrecked on the reef in the harbor and a total loss.

Gregory Census No. 32. Ex Ishikawa. (Image)

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VERY FINE. ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE HONOLULU STRAIGHTLINE HANDSTAMP USED ON A COVER TO A FOREIGN DESTINATION. WITHOUT QUESTION ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING AND SIGNIFICANT HAWAIIAN POSTAL HISTORY ARTIFACTS, PARTICULARLY AMONG THOSE WITHOUT ADHESIVE STAMPS. ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE WITH SUCH FASCINATING CONTENTS AND THE 25-CENT ERROR RATE. THIS IS ALSO THE LATEST RECORDED USE OF THE HONOLULU STRAIGHTLINE MARKING.

The letter, dated May 6, 1851, was held for the June 16 sailing of the schooner J. K. S. Mansfield, which arrived in San Francisco on July 14. It was then carried to Panama on the Northerner, which departed San Francisco on July 15 and arrived around August 1. It crossed the isthmus by mulepack and riverboat to Chagres, where it was carried on the Falcon to Havana (departed Aug. 11, arrived Aug. 16) and then on the Cherokee to New York (departed Aug. 17, arrived Aug. 21). At New York it was put on the Havre Line's Humboldt, which left New York on Aug. 23 and arrived in Southampton on Sep. 4.

The rates on this letter reflect the transition (and confusion) before and after July 1, 1851. The "Paid 59" was applied in Honolulu and was based on the pre-July 1 rate components: 40c U.S. transcontinental postage and 19c for transatlantic postage (the 59c rate from the West Coast to England was in effect up to July 1). Once the letter reached San Francisco, the new July 1851 rates were in effect. San Francisco applied the "Paid" and "25" handstamps to reflect the new 6c prepaid transcontinental rate plus 19c transatlantic postage, but this was an error. The San Francisco postmaster was advised in August 1851 that the correct rate was 29c (see Chronicle 173). The sender paid the Honolulu post office 10c, which is not indicated on the letter.

The letter has some some interesting comments, such as "the young Princes from this island when they were in London, they have returned here finished fools, after having visited England, France and America. They are sons of the governor of Oahu, the King 'Kamehameha' the 3rd having no family.". The writer continues: "The French were here just before I came, and destroyed the Fort, Guns, Governor's House &c., and which affair is not yet settled... I hardly think the French would resort to take the place as there are continually American Men of War calling here... There are immense quantities of people arriving here from Sydney, going on their way to California the great gold country."

The other recorded use of the Honolulu straightline on a letter to a foreign destination is also addressed to England and is offered as lot 66 in this sale.

Gregory Census No. 11 (Image)

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