Camptonville, Cal., May 26, 1863 (Yuba). Two strikes of cds (YUB-280) on cover to Leeds, England, franked with manuscript canceled 1861, 10¢ yellow green, three singles overpaying the 29¢ rate, with townmark tying one stamp, light red "New York, Am. Pkt., 20, Jun 3" exchange cds and London entry; right stamp with minor margin flaws at top, still Very Fine.
Scott No. 68; Estimate $200 - 300.

Sent overland and then carried on the first trip of North German Lloyd line steamer "America". Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

Centreville, Cal., Mr 25. (Alameda). Manuscript cancel (Williams ALA-1230) on fresh buff cover franked with manuscript canceled 1851, 10¢ green, type II (large margins), to Iriswold, Ct., Extremely Fine and attractive.
Scott No. 32; Estimate $300 - 400. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

Diamond Springs, Cal. (El Dorado). Double-circle postmark (Williams ELD-720) with manuscript "Feb 19" date at center on cover bearing 10¢ green, type II (14), four full to large margins, cancelled by matching manuscript squiggle, to Hampton Conn.; some edge wear, Very Fine and scarce use.
Estimate; $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

Downieville, Cal., May 18, 1861 (Sierra). Cds on cover to Kenosha, Wis., franked with 1859, 10¢ green, type V tied by bold socked-on-the-nose strike of fancy Star handstamp, manuscript "Due 10" alongside; couple tiny stamp flaws and partial backflap, otherwise Very Fine, with 2016 P.F. certificate.
Scott No. 35; Estimate $500 - 750. Est. $500-750 (Image)

Est. $500-750

(Pasadena) 1911 Tournament of Roses. 3 1910 covers each with a different colored ornate advertising (green, blue, purple), fresh & Very Fine, Beautiful.
Estimate; $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

Roberts Landing, Cal. 5/7 (San Joaquin). Manuscript postmark (SAJ-2200) on 3¢ green entire to Stockton, with "1880" year date postmark canceling indicia; reduced at left, Very Fine, scarce with postmarks known only during a year and a half period.
Estimate; $150 - 200. Est. $150-200 (Image)

Est. $150-200

"off the coast of California 27 Jany 1830". Dateline on folded letter from Scottish trader Stephen Anderson to Messrs. Fredk. Huth & Co. at London, England, carried around Cape Horn by the Funchal, ship's captain John Hart added a note upon his June 4 arrival at Rio de Janeiro: "I have to inform you of the Funchal putting into this port after a fine passage of 121 days from California. The hides are in excellent condition as far as can be seen under the deck where they have settled. We shall leave this in 8 days for London and hope to have a quick passage.", letter then sent by Falmouth packet Calypso from Rio de Janeiro that departed Jun. 18th 1830 to Falmouth so that it would arrive before the Funchal, London F.P.O. (8.5) arrival backstamp and manuscript "3/6" rating for 2s7d packet rate plus 11d inland postage; fold wear and large tear, light staining, Fine.
Estimate; $1,500 - 2,000.

AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE EARLY MEXICAN CALIFORNIA LETTER TO ENGLAND.

Stephen Anderson, who remained in California from 1828 to 1832, was writing about a shipment of 16,400 hides that he was sending to London on the "Funchal", and asked Huth & Co. to obtain insurance for the shipment.

Illustrated: "Mails of the Westward Expansion, 1803 to 1861" by Walske and Frajola as fig. 4-9 on p. 58. Est. $1,500-2,000 (Image)

Est. $1,500-2,000

1844-45 Schooner "California" Accounting. Four blue pages, includes entry of "1844 July 18, To Cost of the Ship at Auction, $12,230", and section with "Sales of Hides etc., received pr. ship California" with 5,001 hides purchased Oct. 31st by Geo. Bowen alone, total net due on Feb. 5, 1845 was $45,946.81, etc., Very Fine.
Estimate; $1,000 - 1,500.

AN IMPORTANT ACCOUNTING DOCUMENT OF THE PIONEER SCHOONER "CALIFORNIA" OPERATING ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COAST IN THE 1840S. Est. $1,000-1,500 (Image)

Est. $1,000-1,500

Sacramento Cal. '40' 8 June (Sacramento). Cds on blue folded letter datelined "Bear River, California, May 26, 1850", long 4½ page letter with interesting miner content…Wee are the only ones here that has good clames so for once wee have been fortunate. We are averaging from 10 to 50 dollars each per day & I think will for six weeks now mak an average of 40$ dollars and it has all the appearance to hold out all summer say 3 or 4 months. if it does I think wee will leave here with worth considerable - I think wee will bee able to leave this digins worth 15 hundred and I think wih what I have will bee 4 to 4 thousand but don't think such a place is easy found not so, some men here right allong sides of this cant make more than 5 dollars. And some left here today he cause they could not make wages; cover staining, Fine, excellent gold rush content about the riches or bust of the miners.
Estimate; $300 - 400. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

San Francisco, C./Apr. 9 (1849) (San Francisco). Bold manuscript postmark on folded cover to Connecticut with manuscript "40" rate, letter datelined "South Saleda Bay" (Sausalito), contents include: "At last we are at the entrance of the golden gates, full of sanguine hopes, and glorious anticipations. The many marvelous stories we heard in N.Y. are here more than confirmed and labor has at last found a place where it can assert its superiority to capital.", letter goes on to say "You may wonder at not seeing this letter headed San Francisco, we are 5 miles from town directly across the bay on a spot where it is intended to locate a navy yard and where five Am(erican) men of war are anchored, in fact it is the chief naval station on the Pacific.", Extremely Fine.
Estimate; $2,000 - 3,000.

THIS IS THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLE OF THE VERY RARE SAN FRANCISCO MANUSCRIPT. Est. $2,000-3,000 (Image)

Est. $2,000-3,000

San Francisco. June 20 (Cal.) (San Francisco). Perfectly struck straight line with manuscript magenta date & matching "80" double rate on immaculate 1849 cover to New York, manuscript endorsement "Per Steamer Panama", Extremely Fine and choice, ex-Knapp, Nathan .
Estimate; $1,000 - 1,500.

POSSIBLY THE FINEST KNOWN EXAMPLE OF THIS FIRST DAY OF USAGE OF THE SAN FRANCISCO STRAIGHT LINE. Est. $1,000-1,500 (Image)

Est. $1,000-1,500

San Francisco, Cal. (San Francisco). Small lot of early San Francisco folded covers with 40¢ Transcontinental rates, 7 items which include integral rates, one manuscript $1.20 rate (triple rate) and an 8th cover with the local 12½¢ rate for use in California, some with good letters, F.-V.F.
Estimate; $300 - 400. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

(San Francisco) Easton Md. Feb 19 to San Francisco. Sharp cds on light gray cover address to Dr. J.L. Adkins, U.S. Army, San Francisco Cal. with "Paid" handstamp and manuscript "40" rating for transcontinental rate, forwarded to Sonoma with both "Paid" and rating crossed out and additional manuscript "Ford 12½" due rating, fresh and Very Fine, a scarce combination of forwarding rates.
Estimate; $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

San Francisco - Sonoma Steamboat Mail. Three 1850-51 stampless folded letters from Adler correspondence sent by Sacramento riverboat steamers, each endorsed with one per "Georgina" and other by "Panther", Very Fine, ex-Walske.
Estimate; $150 - 200. Est. $150-200 (Image)

Est. $150-200

San Francisco, Cal., 80, Jun 1 (San Francisco). Red integral rate cds (SAF-300) on cover front to Boston, Mass., matching straight line "Paid" handstamp and "40" rate handstamp applied over "80" integral rate, with original enclosure from San Francisco postmaster J.B. Moore regarding helping women coming California to teach school, Very Fine, postmark one month earlier than the earliest listed in Williams.
Estimate; $150 - 200. Est. $150-200 (Image)

Est. $150-200

San Francisco '40' 1 Aug. Red integral cds for 40¢ transcontinental rate, "40" overstruck with bold "Free" handstamp as folded cover is addressed to A.O. Clayton, Fourth Auditor, Navy Department, Washington D.C., fresh and Very Fine, an unusual rerating use.
Estimate; $150 - 200. Est. $150-200 (Image)

Est. $150-200

San Francisco, Cal. to Manchester, England. 1853 folded letter with blue "Hermann Ernst, San Francisco, Upper California" oval handstamp on front and reverse, endorsed "pr Liverpool steamer" and "Postage prepaid in New York", carried privately to N.Y. and entered the mails with red "New York, 19, Dec 14" exchange cds, Liverpool transit and receiving backstamp, Very Fine, ex-Jessup.
Estimate; $150 - 200. Est. $150-200 (Image)

Est. $150-200

San Francisco, Cal., 7 May (San Francisco). Cds (SAF-420) with matching clamshell "Ship 6" rate handstamp on blue incoming Mar. 17th 1855 folded letter from Valparaiso, Chile, endorsed "p. 'Minna' ", Very Fine.
Estimate; $150 - 200. Est. $150-200 (Image)

Est. $150-200

San Francisco 1906 Earthquake Post Cards. Selection of 43 cards mostly unused; most showing the aftermath of the destruction, one showing dead horse, refugees, etc.; condition a little varied.
Estimate; $150 - 200. Est. $150-200

Est. $150-200

1906 San Francisco Earthquake Picture Postcards. Beautiful lot of 20 used postcards, 1 cover and 18 unused postcards all with pictures of the 1906 Earthquake (most of the used postcards used within the 1st 2 months after the quake), interesting pictures and writings; a rarely found accumulation.
Estimate; $400 - 500. Est. $400-500

Est. $400-500

Sweetland, Cal. (Nevada). Two strikes of cds (NEV-2240) tying 1857, 10¢ green, type II, left margin horizontal strip of three on cover to London, England overpaying the 29¢ rate, unusual as no transit or receiving handstamps, 1850 receiving docketing on reverse; small stamp flaws, F.-V.F.
Scott No. 32; Estimate $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

Woodside, Cal., Feb 18 (San Mateo). Manuscript postmark (SAM-2420) on cover to Meredith, N.Y., franked with manuscript canceled 1857, 3¢ dull red, two singles, reverse with allover illustrated What Cheer House design, with original 1860 enclosure with full page on printed text graphically describing What Cheer House, and letter describing voyage from N.Y. to San Francisco and early experiences in S.F.; cover wear and small stain, F.-V.F.
Scott No. 26; Estimate $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

(Santa Cruz - Branciforte) "Santa Cruz. Cal., Apl. 3". Manuscript postmark on circa 1850 blue folded letter docketed from "A.A. Heecox, Inspector of Elections at Santa Cruz" to Peter H. Burnett, Governor of California; small edge tear, filing fold toning, Fine.
Estimate; $300 - 400.

THE FINEST OF ONLY TWO RECORDED SANTA CRUZ USAGES DURING BRANCIFORTE COUNTY PERIOD.

First named Villa de Branciforte after the Marques de Branciforte, the 53rd Viceroy of Mexico. The pueblo was established July 24, 1797. The Mission Santa Cruz, 12th in the chain of California missions was founded Sept. 24th 1791. Branciforte County was established Feb. 18th 1850 and its name changed to Santa Cruz County when created April 5, 1850.

Peter H. Burnett was elected first Governor of California, November 13, 1849. The state capitol was at San Jose. John McDougal succeed Peter Burnett as Governor on Jan. 9th 1851, dating this cover to 1850. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

(Santa Cruz) "Santa Cruz Cal, May 22". Manuscript postmark (SCR-1400) and matching "40" cent rating on circa 1850 cover to Pine Bluff Ark.; some staining and repaired faults, Fine appearance.
Estimate; $500 - 750.

THE EARLIEST RECORDED SANTA CRUZ POSTMARK AS SANTA CRUZ COUNTY. Est. $500-750 (Image)

Est. $500-750

(Santa Cruz) "Santa Cruz, Cal Jun 27". Manuscript postmark and "Paid 12½" cent rating on blue 1851 folded cover to the Secretary of State at Benecia Cal., forwarded to Vallejo; receipt docketing on reverse, Very Fine.
Estimate; $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300