The William H. Gross Collection: Important Hawaii Postage Stamps and Postal History continued...

VERY FINE. A REMARKABLE MIXED FRANKING, PRECISELY PREPAYING THE HAWAIIAN 5-CENT RATE, THE UNITED STATES 20-CENT DOUBLE RATE, AND THE 2-CENT SHIP CAPTAIN’S FEE.

There is evidence on this cover indicating that when it left the post office at Hilo, there was additional Hawaiian postage affixed, which was removed at Honolulu, and, in its place, the two United States stamps were affixed. Beneath the 10c and 12c stamps are scuffs in the envelope, of the size and shape that would result if other stamps were peeled off. The scuffs were not there when the address was written (the letter n” of Munson” is affected), but were there before the U.S. stamps were affixed and then cancelled at the San Francisco post office (the datestamps are impressed over the scuffs). The Honolulu U.S. Postage Paid” marking confirms that the letter was fully prepaid at Hilo, probably with two 13c Kamehameha stamps, which, together with the 5c, would nearly cover the 32c postage (underpaid 1c or charged to sender). The use of 10c and 12c 1851-55 Issues on the same cover from Hawaii is rare -- in this case, they precisely paid the 22c U.S. postage (2 x 10c postage plus 2c ship captain’s fee).

This cover was carried on the American bark Yankee, which cleared Honolulu on May 3, 1856, and arrived in San Francisco on May 20. It was carried by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company’s John L. Stephens, departing on May 21 and arriving at Panama City on June 4. The mail was carried across the isthmus to Aspinwall, and from there it left on the U.S. Mail Steamship Company’s George Law, departing June 4, 1853, and arriving in New York on June 13. The George Law was renamed Central America in 1857, the year that she sank in a hurricane, claiming hundreds of lives and tons of gold.

Ex Atherton, Honolulu Academy of Arts and Honolulu Advertiser. Illustrated in Gregory book (page II- 81). With 1995 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED COVER BEARING A PAIR OR ANY MULTIPLE OF THE 1853 5-CENT KAMEHAMEHA III FIRST PRINTING. AN OUTSTANDING UNITED STATES AND HAWAII MIXED-FRANKING COVER.

This cover comes from the Archer correspondence, which includes the unique Missionary/Kamehameha mixed franking from our Honolulu Advertiser sale (now part of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum collection). The small red pencil 32c”, a Hawaiian post office notation, accurately reflects the necessary postage for a double-rate letter (2 x 5c Hawaiian and 2 x 10c U.S. plus the 2c ship captain’s fee). The pair of U.S. 12c 1851 stamps involved a 2c overpayment, but overpayments were not unusual.

This cover was carried on the American bark Yankee, which cleared Honolulu on September 4, 1856, and arrived in San Francisco on September 21. It was carried by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company’s Golden Gate, departing on October 6 and arriving at Panama City on October 20. The mail was carried across the isthmus to Aspinwall, and from there it probably caught the October 20 sailing of the U.S. Mail Steamship Company’s George Law, which arrived in New York on October 30. The George Law was renamed Central America in 1857, the year that she sank in a hurricane, claiming hundreds of lives and tons of gold.

Ex Gibson, Admiral Harris, Ostheimer, Honolulu Advertiser and Sevenoaks”. Weill backstamp. Illustrated and discussed in Meyer-Harris (pages 36-37) (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING AND VERY RARE PASTE-OVER” MIXED FRANKING WITH THE 13-CENT KAMEHAMEHA III ISSUE PREPAYING POSTAGE AND THE 3-CENT 1851 ISSUE PAIR APPLIED BY THE HONOLULU POST OFFICE TO CREDIT THE UNITED STATES FOR ITS SHARE OF POSTAGE.

This cover was carried on the American schooner Restless, which cleared Honolulu on July 13, 1854, and arrived in San Francisco on August 9. From there it was carried by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company’s Oregon, departing on August 16 and arriving at Panama City on August 31 after a stop at Acapulco. The mail was carried across the isthmus to Aspinwall, and from there it was carried by U.S. Mail Steamship Company’s Empire City, departing on September 2 and arriving in New York on September 12.

The 13c stamp prepaid the 5c Hawaiian postage, 2c ship captain’s fee and 6c transcontinental rate. The short-lived practice of applying United States stamps (6c postage) over the 13c Hawaiian stamp was likely intended to avoid confusion over whether or not U.S. postage had been prepaid. The postmaster in Honolulu affixed the U.S. stamps to cover up the Hawaiian postage, and the letter was postmarked in San Francisco without applying a Ship” or rate mark. The 2c ship captain’s fee was paid by the Honolulu post office.

Fred Gregory records eight such paste-over frankings (plus one earlier Missionary cover). There are two other covers from the Moore correspondence, one with a similar paste-up (Honolulu July 29) and the other with a 13c stamp (Honolulu July 12) and Ship 22” double-rate due marking applied at San Francisco. All three were carried on the same vessels from San Francisco to New York via Panama.

Ex West, Admiral Harris, Rust and Pietsch. Illustrated in Meyer-Harris book (page 39). With 1988 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN EXCEEDINGLY RARE COVER BEARING THE 5-CENT AND 13-CENT 1853 KAMEHAMEHA III FIRST PRINTING AND UNITED STATES 1851 ISSUE, SENT FROM HILO TO CONNECTICUT AFTER THE APRIL 1855 RATE CHANGE RENDERED THE 13-CENT INSUFFICIENT FOR ITS ORIGINAL PURPOSE.

This and another cover were mailed at Hilo and postmarked at Honolulu on the same day. Both covers are illustrated in the Gregory book. Each has the same combination of Hawaiian and U.S. stamps. They were carried on the American bark Fanny Major, which cleared Honolulu on May 27, 1856, and arrived in San Francisco on June 16. From there the mail was carried on the Pacific Mail Steamship Company’s Sonora, which departed June 20 and arrived in Panama City on July 4. After crossing the isthmus to Aspinwall, it was carried on the U.S. Mail Steamship Company’s George Law, which departed on July 5 and arrived in New York on July 14. The George Law was renamed Central America in 1857, the year that she sank in a hurricane, claiming hundreds of lives and tons of gold.

Following the United States rate change, effective April 1, 1855, the 13c Kamehameha III stamp could no longer prepay the full rate from Hawaii to the U.S. East Coast, which increased from 13c to 17c. In consequence, the patrons of Hawaii’s postal system began using 5c stamps plus 12c U.S. stamps, or 13c stamps plus 4c cash, or, in this case, 5c and 13c stamps together, incurring a one-cent overpayment. During the period starting in April 1855, it was already a regular practice to affix U.S. postage stamps to outbound letters on which the U.S. rate had been prepaid.

Ex Rust and Honolulu Advertiser. Illustrated in Gregory book (page II-50). With 1995 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. A PETITE AND REMARKABLY ATTRACTIVE DECORATIVE COVER WITH THE HAWAIIAN 5-CENT AND 13-CENT 1853 KAMEHAMEHA III FIRST PRINTING AND UNITED STATES 12-CENT 1851 ISSUE, WHICH WAS AFFIXED AT HONOLULU OVER THE 13-CENT HAWAIIAN STAMP.

This cover was carried on the American bark Fanny Major, which cleared Honolulu on July 26, 1856, and arrived in San Francisco on August 25. From there it was carried on the Pacific Mail Steamship Company’s Golden Age, which departed September 5 and arrived in Panama City on September 18. After crossing the isthmus to Aspinwall, it was carried on the U.S. Mail Steamship Company’s Illinois, which departed on September 19 and arrived in New York on September 27.

Following the United States rate change, effective April 1, 1855, the 13c Kamehameha III stamp could no longer prepay the full rate from Hawaii to the U.S. East Coast, which increased from 13c to 17c. In consequence, the patrons of Hawaii’s postal system began using 5c stamps plus 12c U.S. stamps, or 13c stamps plus 4c cash, or, in this case, 5c and 13c stamps together, incurring a one-cent overpayment. During the period starting in April 1855, it was already a regular practice to affix U.S. postage stamps to outbound letters on which the U.S. rate had been prepaid.

Ex Krug, Middendorf, Rust and Pietsch. Illustrated in Gregory book (page II-49). Signed Ashbrook (Image)

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VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL SIDE-BY-SIDE MIXED FRANKING FROM HILO DURING THE PERIOD IN WHICH USE OF THE 13-CENT KAMEHAMEHA III STAMP TOOK MANY VARIED FORMS.

This cover was carried on the American schooner Long Island, which cleared Honolulu on April 5, 1856, and arrived in San Francisco on May 1. From there it was carried on the Pacific Mail Steamship Company’s Golden Gate, which departed May 5 and arrived in Panama City on May 19. After crossing the isthmus to Aspinwall, it was carried on the U.S. Mail Steamship Company’s Illinois, which departed on May 20 and arrived in New York on May 29 after a stop at Havana.

Among the methods of prepayment available to patrons after the April 1855 rate change was the use of a single 13c Kamehameha III stamp plus 4c in cash. At Honolulu, the way bill informed the clerk that the full postage had been prepaid, and a United States 12c 1851 stamp was affixed to ensure that San Francisco treated the letter as prepaid.

A pencil note on the letter inside states: This wonderful cover was purchased from old John W. Scott at John St. N.Y.” Illustrated and discussed in Meyer-Harris (pages 33-34). Also illustrated in Gregory book (page II-47). With 1995 P.F. certificate. Ex Emerson, Admiral Harris, Burrus, Ostheimer and Honolulu Advertiser (Image)

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