Rutherford & Co.'s Express. Printed frank in banner, modified from Wheeler, Rutherford & Co. frank by scratching out Wheeler's name after he left the partnership (Haller FR9) on 3¢ Pink entire (U59), paste-up conjunctive usage with blue "Wells, Fargo & Co. Oroville Jun. 2" oval datestamp struck twice on entire, struck again on paste-up cover which is addressed to Saratoga Cal. and has an uncancelled 1861 3¢ Rose (65, faults), pencil "Via Folsom" route notation, franked entire has a few stain spots, address side opened roughly and reduced at right, otherwise Very Fine, rare frank from the Rutherford operation which continued to serve the Marysville and Feather River region after Wheeler left in 1865, ex-Dale-Lichtenstein. Estimate  $1,000 - 1,500. $0 (Image)

Rutherford & Co.'s Express. Printed frank in scroll with "Wheeler" erased (Haller FR9) on 3¢ Pink entire (U59) to Marysville Cal., conjunctive usage with "Wells, Fargo & Co. Oroville Mar. 31" blue oval datestamp (ca. 1867), front and back rejoined around edges, Very Fine appearance, after Samuel Wheeler and R. H. Rutherford dissolved their partnership, Rutherford continued carrying mail to and from the Feather River mining camps (connecting with Wells, Fargo & Co. at Oroville), he erased Wheeler's name from the woodcut and used it to make his own franks, examples are exceedingly rare, ex-Barkhausen. Estimate  $750 - 1,000. $0 (Image)