(Colorado) Fort Garland Colo Apr 15. Partial clear strike of cds with matching quartered corks on 2¢ brown (157) pair and 6¢ dull pink (159) on Col. James Bassel correspondence cover to Hong Kong, China at the 10¢ trans-pacific rate, endorsed "Via San Francisco" at lower left, Hong Kong (6.5.75) arrival backstamp, top part of letter only with "Fort Garland C.T., April 15/75" dateline accompanies; small opening tear lower left, Very Fine and rare use, ex-Beals, with 2016 P.F. certificate.
Estimate; $4,000 - 6,000.

THE ONLY RECORDED COLORADO TERRITORY USE TO HONG KONG, CHINA.

Col. James Bassel was a West Point graduate (class of 1867) who had served at Fort Garland and went to Egypt in 1874 as part of a contingent of American Soldiers and Veterans recruited by Khedive Isma'il in an effort to improve Egypt's army. Apart from their role in training the Egyptian army, the Americans supervised engineering projects and conducted important mapping expeditions in the Nile River region. Bassel was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of Engineers, but served less than a year because "his unfitness for Egyptian service was apparent from the day of his arrival."After leaving Egypt he was employed in China and Japan by an American ship builder. Lieutenant-Colonel Bassel returned to the United States and ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 1878. (see Trepel's article: "The Bassel Correspondence: An American Soldier in Egypt", Chronicle 230, May 2011, pp. 139-145). Est. $4,000-6,000 (Image)

Est. $4,000-6,000

(Connecticut) Schoharie, Court.House. N.Y., August 6. Perfect red strike of large rimless cds with matching "(PAID.)" handstamp and manscript "18½" rating for 150-400 miles on 1821 folded letter to New York N.Y., an Extremely Fine gem, ex-Jarrett.
Estimate; $500 - 750.

The Schoharie Court House is the only stampless device that including the words "Court House". Est. $500-750 (Image)

Est. $500-750

(Maryland) 1775 (Jan. 31) Georgetown Md. to Philadelphia Pa. Mostly clear strikes of "GEORGE*TOWN*S" and "JAN:31" separate town and date straightline handstamps on reverse of folded letter datelined "Georgetown Jany. 31st 1775" to Philadelphia, manuscript "2" dwt rating and magenta "1/-" in local currency (2dwt=6p x 1.67 inflation factor=10p plus 2p carrier fee or or 1sh), Very Fine and rare, ex-Hahn.
Estimate; $4,000 - 6,000.

ONE OF ONLY THREE RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE COLONIAL GEORGETOWN STRAIGHTLINE POSTMARK.

Although the "GEORGE*TOWN*S" straightline was once thought to be from South Carolina, it is now generally accepted that the marking was used at Georgetown, Maryland, shortly before the transition from the British Parliamentary Post system to the Congressional Post. Est. $4,000-6,000 (Image)

Est. $4,000-6,000

(New Jersey) Amboy. New-Jersey. Nov 12. Clear strike of fancy red oval and matching bold "PAID" straightline crossed out and updated correctly with bold "FREE" straightline on folded cover to Hon. T.L. Smith, Register of the Treasury, Washington D.C., endorsed "Collectors Office, Perth Amboy" at bottom left, Extremely Fine and choice.
Estimate; $500 - 750. Est. $500-750 (Image)

Est. $500-750

(Vermont) 1809 (Mar. 24) Windsor Vt. to Boston Mass. Folded letter with double strike of Windsor Vt. / March "24" two-line postmark with manuscript day and matching "Way 13½" rating for 12½¢ postage up to 150 miles plus 1¢ way fee to "Samuel Brown, Rehoboth, Massachusetts, by Post Office Providence"; manuscript spot bottom right, Very Fine.
Estimate; $1,000 - 1,500.

ONE OF APPROXIMATELY FOUR RECORDED 18TH CENTURY VERMONT COVERS WITH A HANDSTAMPED POSTMARK, AND THE EARLIEST VERMONT WAY COVER.

The Windsor post office opened on July 9, 1792. This letter is addressed via Providence to Rehoboth, which is one of the oldest towns in Massachusetts established in 1643. The earliest Windsor handstamp is a 1792 straightline that was from the Siskin and Kramer Collections (Bennett 297, Lot 3003 realized $11,500), and the A.S.C.C. reports Windsor using manuscript markings starting in 1795. This folded letter is believed to fit into the 1793 to 1795 period. Est. $1,000-1,500 (Image)

Est. $1,000-1,500

(Virginia) RICHMOND, May 30 1798. Ornate straightline datestamp and matching "FREE" rating handstamp on 1798 folded cover addressed to Henry Bedinger Esq. at Shepards Town, Va., docketed from "Jno. Tucker, Richmond May 26. 98" on flap, Very Fine and choice.
Estimate; $400 - 600.

Shepards Town was then in Virginia, now in West Virginia on the Potomac. In 1798, the corporate limits were extended and the name was changed to Shepherd's Town. Est. $400-600 (Image)

Est. $400-600