Sacramento Cal, Aug 1st. Manuscript postmark and manuscript "10" rate marking on folded letter sheet (no contents) to pioneer physician Dr. John Townsend in San Francisco "Upper California," purple manuscript "12½" rate correction applied in San Francisco, necessarily an 1849 use given the manuscript postmark and so the earliest known Sacramento postmark, small arithmetic doodle, minor edge wear and light edge toning, Very Fine.
Estimate; $500 - 750.

The 10¢ rate was the 1845 rate for a half ounce letter sent over 300 miles or a one ounce letter sent under 300 miles. The basic 1847-1848 Pacific Coast rates were 40¢ per half ounce between the West and the East and the peculiar amount of 12½¢ per half ounce between points in the West. Perhaps the newly appointed postmaster at Sacramento was familiar with the old rates and found the new ones confusing.

Sacramento manuscript postmarks are known used from August 1 (this cover) to October 18, 1849, with 12 examples recorded.

Dr. John Townsend came overland to California in 1844 and eventually settled in San Francisco where he practiced medicine. Townsend Street in San Francisco is named for him. Est. $500-750 (Image)

Est. $500-750

Sacramento City, August 1st 1849. Heading on folded letter mailed a month later with "San Francisco, Cal., Sep 1" large cds and purple manuscript "40" rate marking, also with "Sacramento City" endorsement in the sender's handwriting, letter (2 pages) is from a man newly arrived "at the Dry Diggings" to his brother in Belleville, Illinois, the body of the letter is comprised of an account of hardships on the overland trail to California along with a list of prices current, the writer mentions in between "I am going to work tomorrow and will make 15 dollars a day. Gold is plenty everywhere and I am going to make it and save it… write to me at San Francisco," minor edge wear, bleach spots, stamp hinge reinforcements on the back of the address panel, F.-V.F., ex-Newton.
Estimate; $200 - 300.

Dry Diggings was an early name for Placerville as well as some other towns where late summer water levels dropped too low for placer mining. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

Sacramento Sep 5 - Paid 80. Manuscript postmark and rate marking on turned cover to Perrysburg, Ohio, cover originally sent from there with red cds and manuscript "40" rate marking to "Port San Francisco, Upper California", some wear & flaws, Fine and rare, the only recorded Sacramento manuscript postmark showing the 80¢ double rate.
Estimate; $400 - 600. Est. $400-600 (Image)

Est. $400-600

Sacramento Sep 24, Paid 40. Manuscript postmark and rate marking on folded letter to New York City, also "Paid" sender's endorsement, letter (1-½ pages) is headed "Sacramento City Sept 24th 1849" and from a man to his brother, letter notes "the Steamer Oregon has arrived at San F. but brings no mail, she waited three weeks for it," the writer also states he is a partner in a "hole" at Smith's Bar that yielded four hundred dollars worth of gold dust after a few days of work, Extremely Fine, one of the finest examples of the Sacramento, Cal. manuscript postmarks.
Estimate; $750 - 1,000. Est. $750-1,000 (Image)

Est. $750-1,000

Sacramento / Oct 23 1849 / Paid / 40. Straightline postmark with integral rate marking on folded letter sheet (incomplete contents) to High Creek, Missouri, with red Paris, Missouri, transit postmark, edge faults and fragile with tape reinforcements, some extraneous writing, soiled, Fine, Sacramento straightline postmarks were used intermittently for only three weeks.
Estimate; $750 - 1,000.

Sacramento straightline postmarks are known used from October 21 to November 10, 1849, with 8 examples recorded. Sacramento oval postmarks were used concurrently. Est. $750-1,000 (Image)

Est. $750-1,000

Sacramento / Oct 24 1849 / Paid / 40. Straightline postmark with integral rate marking on folded letter to Yellow Spring, Iowa, "family" pencil docket, letter (3-1/2 pages) is from a 49er to his brother back home and datelined "Cold Spring, Weaver Creek, Cal. Oct. 21st '49", letter reads in part "I have not received an answer to any of the letters that I have written… The fault is in the mail I know… is said the two last steamers failed to bring letters on account of the mail not having arrived at the Isthmus… after digging some three or four hundred dol. where we first stopped, we packed up our mules and went to the Middle Fork…Spent three weeks damming the river, was lost labor there was no gold in the channel of any consequence… Came back to the same bar that we left and went to work, the water having raised some, have worked about one month made four hundred dol. each and expenses… intend going south in a few days thinking it will be pleasanter wintering there…I wish you could see… Gallowstown … with its thousand men at work digging up what had been streets to the depth of 10ft scooping the gold from the surface of the permanent rock… men don't generally dig on Sunday, they only build houses", Extremely Fine and choice, a choice strike of a rare postmark, ex-Parker and Kramer, with 1981 P.F. certificate.
Estimate; $1,500 - 2,000.

THIS IS THE FINEST KNOWN STRIKE OF THIS VERY RARE CALIFORNIA STRAIGHT LINE POSTMARK.

Gallowstown may refer to Hangtown, which was an early name for Placerville after three men convicted of robbery and murder were hanged there. Est. $1,500-2,000 (Image)

Est. $1,500-2,000

Sacramento, Cal., 40, Nov 1. Oval postmark with integral rate on folded letter to Tecumseh, Michigan, letter (3 pages) is from a '49er to a friend back home and datelined "Feather River in camp Oct 7th 1849," letter includes a brief account of the writer's overland journey to California and ""every man that comes here and makes money makes it by industry, perseverance and economy… the water passages are all taken for at least 30 days ahead to carry back those that are not needed… We have concluded to stay here for the present and try our fortune among the hundreds that are doing the same. Within 80 rods of us there are men not making even $5.00 per day, and then there is a company of 5 men that are clearing from $800. to $1800. per day, and about the towns there are thousands that are sitting around doing nothing spending what they have earned before… I have worked about 3 days 3 of us and we have got in… $80. worth at $16. per ounce", Extremely Fine and singularly rare, the only Sacramento oval postmark with integral rate available to collectors.
Estimate; $1,500 - 2,000.

Sacramento oval postmarks with integral rate are known used from October 31 to November 10, 1849, with only 3 examples recorded. Sacramento oval postmarks without integral rate were used concurrently. Of the 3 examples with integral rate, 2 reside in institutional holdings that are unlikely to ever be sold. Est. $1,500-2,000 (Image)

Est. $1,500-2,000

Sacramento, Cal., Nov 25. Oval postmark with tall "40" rate handstamp on folded letter to Dorchester, Massachusetts, letter (1 page) is from a man to his parents back home and datelined "California Gold Mines November 20th /49" and mentions the North Fork of the American River, letter reads in part "we have a log house and provisions enough to last us until next May… I have not worked in the mines yet… some are doing better than others they are making from ten to fifty dollars a day. I have been offered twelve dollars a day and board", Very Fine.
Estimate; $300 - 400. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

Sacramento, Cal., Mar 12. Oval postmark with manuscript "40" rate marking in red pencil or possibly ink on folded letter to Cleves (town), Ohio, letter (3 pages) is from a miner to a friend back home and datelined "March the 1, 1850, North Fork of the American River California", letter notes "the steamers is so irregular that there is no telling whether letters comes or goes 'tho they are getting better", the body of the letter describes the sender's overland journey to California and the vagaries of placer mining in the diggings, but the handwriting is difficult to read and the paper has been cleaned leaving several bleach spots including one affecting the rate marking, F.-V.F.
Estimate; $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

Sacramento, Cal., Mar 22. Oval postmark with tall "12½" rate handstamp on cover to San Francisco "Upper California", also odd" "Paid Postage 12½, Wm. M. S."" pencil notation evidently meant to denote prepayment of the one bit rate, "Recd May 26 /50" docket on the back, edge wear and an edge stain, a couple small doodles, card reinforcement affixed inside the cover, Fine.
Estimate; $300 - 400.

Sacramento oval postmarks without integral rate are known used from October 31, 1949, to April 24, 1850, with 51 examples recorded. Within that group, 10 examples of the tall rate handstamp with the 12½c rate are recorded. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

Sacramento, Cal., Apl 11. Oval postmark with large double oval "Paid 40" rate handstamp over "Paid" sender's endorsement, on cover to Pontotoc, Mississippi, "May 29, 1850" pencil date on the back, ink blot on the postmark, minor edge wear, Very Fine, just four examples of the large double oval rate handstamp with the 40c rate are recorded.
Estimate; $400 - 600. Est. $400-600 (Image)

Est. $400-600

Sacramento, Cal., 20 May / 80. Large cds with integral rate on folded letter to Byron, Illinois, letter (3 pages) is from a persevering 49er to his family and friends back home and headed "Weaverville California Apr 19th 1850", letter reads in part "One year has now passed by since I left you, many have been the letters that has been sent to you by me, yet not one word have I heard from anyone I ever saw before… there is now a new Post Office at Culloma and it is probable that letters directed there will be more certain to arrive here within my reach…Culloma is the place where the gold was first discovered, have been in Mr. Sutter's Mill at that place, it is a thriving town… was out on the last prospecting trip near three weeks and about 70 miles north from this place, found the water too high for mining, sold our ox or butchered and sold him out for 62½cts per pound and made enough to pay our expenses… everyone is now looking for the dry season to commence, but it still continues to rain… in Hangtown… saw two men at work who have dug out of a hole… 18 pounds of gold in 8 days… Society here seems to be on the go down, thieving [and] breaking open cabins and plundering them are matters of frequent occurrence, while we were on the Middle Fork two men were killed in a quarrel about 80$ and but little was said about it… today have been mining [and] made 3.50, a poor days work but it is more than I could have done at home. Have one thing yet to encourage me that is the hope that my claim in the mountains will be rich… it is between the North and Middle Forks of the American River some 70 miles from Sacramento in a deep ravine… the hills upon either side of this are more than one mile high and so steep it is dangerous for a man to attempt to climb them… the water in the stream is a rushing torrent and is from hill to hill rendering it a difficult task to go up or down the stream", edge wear, flyspecked and toned, F.-V.F., just six 80c double rate uses with this postmark type are recorded, ex-Haas.
Estimate; $300 - 400.

Weaverville had a Post Office when this letter was written. The references to Hangtown (Placerville) and the sender's new claim being "70 miles from Sacramento" indicate he may have started this letter in Weaverville and finished it after travelling to Sacramento. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

Sacramento Cal. '40' 19 June. Bold strike of integral-rate (SAC-2490) cds on buff cover from Henry A. Cox to his wife at Fredericktown Mo., original letter datelined "Yuba River Calafornia May 29th 1850" describing his mining operations north of Sacramento and near Marysville: "…Our arrival into the mines was late and soon after the rainly season set in and my operation through the winter only yielded me a net profit of one thousand dollars and at early spring I commence digging a canal in company with a party of men for the purpose of draining the river (which is considered a better business than the uncertainties of health and Indians in the mountains) which will keep us employed at a heavy expense…With all the good luck a man can have (few excepted) he cannot make with the strictest economay and industry more than ten thousand a year and then it requires a great deal of patience and perseverence…", Very Fine and early gold rush letter.
Estimate; $300 - 400. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

Sacramento, Cal., 1 June / 40. Large cds with integral rate on folded letter to South Dartmouth, Massachusetts "USA", red "Too Late" straightline handstamp applied in San Francisco indicating the letter arrived there after contract mail steamer had departed, letter (3 pages) is from a miner to his wife at home and datelined "Yuba River May 27th 1850", letter reads in part "I came to this River… and took up a claim… I cannot do much at present the water is so high… I walked 300 miles to get to his place… I get plenty to eat but… flour & pork, pork & flour we cannot get much else… I am writing this letter on the tin pan I wash gold in", minor tape reinforcements on the folds, Very Fine.
Estimate; $300 - 400. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

Sacramento, Cal., 12 June / 40. Large cds with integral rate on cover to Port Byron, New York, also "40" pencil notation and "per Columbus, U.S." (mail steamer) sender's directive, "July 30 got this" pencil docket on the back, undated but necessarily an 1850 use given the postmark type, corner and edge wear, card reinforcement inside., F.-V.F., ex-Salzer.
Estimate; $200 - 300.

Assuming the sender's directive was followed, this cover was carried on the first departure of the noncontract Law's Line SS Columbus from San Francisco on June 18, 1850. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

Sacramento, Cal., 29 June (?) / 80. Large cds with integral rate and unusual manuscript "40" rate correction on folded letter to James Purdy in Mansfield, Ohio, necessarily an 1850 use given the postmark type, letter (2 pages) is incomplete and undated but on Rhodes, Sturges & Co. Bankers Sacramento City printed letterhead and signed Jno. M. Rhodes who reports "Buildings are going up with astonishing rapidity and many of them very commodious and tasteful. The city has a sort of civilized and half wild appearance that is rather captivating to a stranger's eye… I like the place much… When I get possession of an office, I shall be under the necessity of purchasing a safe. This will probably cost $400 to $500… the expense of getting here will be about $530 each", Very Fine.
Estimate; $300 - 400.

John M. Rhodes (sender of this letter) and Stephen B. Sturges left Ohio in May of 1850 with the intent of entering into the banking business in California. A third partner in their endeavor, James Purdy (recipient of this letter), president of the Farmer's Bank of Mansfield where Rhodes had been cashier, remained in Ohio.

Rhodes and Sturges arrived in San Francisco aboard the Steamer California on June 23, 1850, and promptly left San Francisco (characterized as "cold, dusty, windy, and hilly" in this letter) for Sacramento City ("a paradise compared with it"). The partnership founded their banking house at a location on Second Street "a few doors north of the Post Office" as they put it in their advertisements. This letter was clearly written about that time.

Two of John M. Rhodes' brothers as well as his uncle followed him to California. Those men were the principals in the four Rhodes expresses. Est. $300-400 (Image)

Est. $300-400

Sacramento, Cal., 19 July / 40. Large cds with integral rate plus semicircular "Paid" handstamp and "Paid 40" manuscript endorsement on folded letter to Bristol, Illinois, letter (3 pages) is headed "Sacramento City 17th July 1850" and from a man to his wife at home, the writer describes his want for letters from her with "I went to the South Fork of the American River but had no luck. Learned that a mail from the States had arrived in the City… I left all and started for the City, travelled on foot… under the hot sun for 56 miles, called at the office and was turned away empty, my very soul sickened as the P.M. said none sir", the writer goes on to say he is going to the Yuba River to try his luck again, a bit soiled, paper reinforcements on the folds on the back of the address panel, Very Fine, ex-Knapp, Polland.
Estimate; $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

Sacramento, Cal., 20 July / 12½. Large cds with integral rate on cover with the rate crossed out and manuscript "25" rate marking appended, to San Francisco, undated but necessarily an 1850 use given the postmark type, cover cleaned and refolded, card reinforcement affixed inside the cover, Fine, a rare 25c double rate use.
Estimate; $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

Sacramento, Cal. Two folded miner's letters, first with "30 July / 40" large cds with integral rate to Fee Fee, Missouri, letter datelined "Dead Man's Hollow July 20th 1850", second with "18 Sep / 40" large cds with integral rate to a town (name unclear) in Wisconsin with manuscript "Miss + Ford" notation and red Watertown, Wisconsin, transit postmark, letter is datelined "California Nathenis (sic) Creek - 19th - 1850", letter is folded smaller than normal, both with some staining & wear, Fine.
Estimate; $150 - 200. Est. $150-200 (Image)

Est. $150-200

Sacramento, Cal., 28 July (?) / 40. Large cds with integral rate (month unclear) plus semicircular "Paid" handstamp on folded letter to Roxbury, Massachusetts, necessarily an 1850 use given the postmark type, mostly indecipherable letter (2 pages) is from a man in Sacramento to his wife or sister and dated June 29, 1845, which is obviously erroneous as to at least the year, some separation at the folds, Very Fine, ex-Tatham, Vogel.
Estimate; $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

Sacramento, Cal., 1 Aug / 12½. Large cds with integral rate on folded letter to San Francisco, letter is written in pencil from a woman to another woman and dated April 24, 1850, which must be erroneous as to at least the month given the postmark date, Very Fine.
Estimate; $200 - 300.

Sacramento large circular date stamps with integral rate are known used from April 26 to November 29, 1850, with 95 examples recorded. Of the total, 14 examples show the 12½c rate, 75 show the 40c rate, and 6 show the 80c double rate. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

Sacramento, Cal., 10 Aug / 12½. Large cds with integral rate plus large oval "Paid" handstamp on cover to Culloma, also "Paid" sender's endorsement, undated but necessarily an 1850 use given the postmark type, Extremely Fine.
Estimate; $400 - 600. Est. $400-600 (Image)

Est. $400-600

Sacramento, Cal., 27 Aug / 40. Large cds with integral rate over manuscript "Paid" endorsement plus large oval "Paid" handstamp on folded letter to Hampden, Maine, letter (3 pages) is from a miner to a woman back home and datelined "North Fork Aug 11th, 1850", letter reads in part "Today is the Sabbath and I have sidled myself in the most convenient position I can get (on a stone) for the purpose of writing… We have our dam in the river nearly completed, but the prospect is that we shall not get much gold from it and will remove the anticipated time of my departure from this country for New England still farther into the future", the writer also comments "You know I have not a Post Office at hand, as at home into which one can drop off a letter whenever one pleases, but have to write when I can and send it to the "City" when I have an opportunity", Very Fine.
Estimate; $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

Sacramento, Cal., 14 Sep / 40. Large cds with integral rate plus straightline "Paid" handstamp on cover to Mystic Bridge, Connecticut, undated but necessarily an 1850 use given the postmark type, corner wear, edge stains, F.-V.F.
Estimate; $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300

Sacramento, Cal., Oct 25 / 40. Large cds with integral rate struck somewhat lightly so with manuscript "40" rate clarification, on cover to Worcester, Massachusetts, undated but necessarily an 1850 use give the postmark type, one light stain, Very Fine.
Estimate; $200 - 300. Est. $200-300 (Image)

Est. $200-300