(San Francisco) San Francisco, Cal. Cds tying 1851 12¢ Black, Diagonal Bisect on cover to New York, cover edge wear, small cover mount stuck on top left corner, F.-V.F. Scott No. 17a  Estimate $500 - 750. $0 (Image)

(San Francisco) San Francisco, Cal. scarce blue cds tying 1851 12¢ black (slightly cut in with hint of toning) on double rate cover to Ohio, manuscript endorsement "Per Golden Gate", flap torn, F.-V.F., a scarce 12¢ usage on cover, ex-Salzer. Estimate  $200 - 300. $0 (Image)

(San Francisco) San Francisco, Cal. /Aug. 6/2. Red drop rate cds on 1850 folded cover carried by an Argonaut to California & put in the mails at San Francisco, the letter is datelined, "Springfield May 11, 1850" and reads, A young fellow by the name of Davis who is going to start for Cal. on Monday offered to take a letter for me - and this Saturday goes to New York and takes passage on Monday in the "Georgia". Last Tuesday 3 Steamers arrived in New York from the Isthmus - The amount of Gold that came this time was about 2 and ½ million dollars., unable to find the addressee (a miner) in San Francisco, the letter was evidently turned over to an Express Company for delivery to the gold fields, the cover bears manuscript Express charge of ($) 1.25 reduced to 1.00, some edge splitting & small tear at bottom, Very Fine, an unusual early cover. Estimate  $300 - 400. $0 (Image)

(San Francisco) San Francisco, Cal., Aug 5, 1857. Cds ties 1851 10¢ green (cut in, trivial adherence) on printed "San Francisco News Letter" with illustrated address panel showing Spread Eagle, Steamship & Train at bottom, News Letter is "Number 27" to be sent "Per Steamer Golden Age" departing August 5, 1857, and includes articles about the mails and Wells Fargo, also includes advertisements for Freeman and Wells Fargo (the News Letter was "sold by all Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Agents throughout the State of California"), hint of corner wear, Very Fine, one of the truly spectacular items from the West. Estimate  $3,000 - 4,000. $0 (Image)

(San Francisco) San Francisco, Cal., Jul 16. Cds on cover to Philadelphia, Pa., with matching "Pd 12" rate handstamp, endorsed "per J.L. Stephens, Feby 16" at top, F.-V.F., a scarce rate marking. Estimate  $200 - 300. $0 (Image)

(San Francisco) San Francisco, Cal., May 1 1859. Clear cds ties 1857, 10¢ green, type III on cover to Mass., endorsed "By the Overland Mail", stamp has rich color, Very Fine and attractive. Scott No. 33  Estimate $150 - 200. $0 (Image)

(San Francisco) San Francisco, Cal., Sep (21). Cds on printed San Francisco News Letter with illustrated address panel, franked with uncancelled 1851 1¢ blue added to replace the original franking, News Letter is "Number 29" to be sent "Per Steamer J. L. Stephens" departing September 21, 1857, and includes articles about the mails and Wells Fargo, also includes advertisements for Freeman and Wells Fargo (the News Letter was "sold by all Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Agents throughout the State of California"), some splitting at the folds with stamp hinge mends, Fine appearance. Estimate  $200 - 300. $0 (Image)

(San Francisco) San Francisco, Cal./20 Feb./40. Red integral rate cds on 1850 folded cover to Maine with additional manuscript pencil "40" rate at top right, cover with datelined "North Fork Dry Diggins" with excellent contents including, "I have been here upwards of three months. I have dug out five hundred dollars. If I had been here one month sooner, I now should have $1000. There is a small town 1½ mile dist. called Auburnville. There are about 2000 people here in the mines of all professions…", "…some doing well some not. It depends upon a man's perseverance & Economy whether he makes money or not. It is here if a man digs for it. There will be a great rush this Spring for the rivers dry diggins is in between the mountains rising to a tremendous altitude and angle of 45° The gold locates itself in the ravines at the foot of these mountains. It's found in the crevices of rock from 2 to 5 feet from the surface. The dirt that I shove out is washed in a cradle, something similar to a house cradle. In these diggins is found on the river fine scale gold. It likewise is found embedded in quartz. it has been found in the top of these mountains. The earth pays from 12½ to even $100 per pan. Some have been very successful here. Having made $4000 apiece and gone home. I saw a piece of gold picked up near by weighed 16lbs - 12lbs of pure gold, valued at $3000. There is more or less to be found anywhere around these diggins. The largest piece I have found is $17. It is hard work to dig gold, but no more laborious than farming. If a man cannot make his ounce per day he leaves his placer.", etc., F.-V.F., an excellent Miner's letter & the earliest use of this type postmark which is scarcer than the straight line. Estimate  $200 - 300. $0 (Image)

(San Francisco) San Francisco, Cal./Aug. 1. Cds on 1849 folded cover to Massachusetts with straight line "Paid" handstamp & magenta manuscript "Paid 40" rate, cover with excellent gold miner's content, "people are coming every day by the hundreds…", "we shall sail up the river Monday, they say it is hard work, but a man can average about two ounces per day…", which goes on to tell of inflated prices in San Francisco in great detail, Very Fine and attractive; a wonderful 1st day of usage of the 1st Circular Date Stamp used in San Francisco. Estimate  $200 - 300. $0 (Image)