United States and Confederate States Postal History continued...

VERY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL EASTBOUND PONY EXPRESS COVER WITH THE $1.00 RED HORSE & RIDER ISSUE. A RARE USE VIA THE ATCHISON POST OFFICE.

This cover to Ellen F. Cooper was probably sent by her future husband, E.W. Chapin. Commencing July 1, 1861, the Pony Express was authorized by Congress to carry mail at the rate of $1.00 per half ounce. An additional fee was charged by Wells, Fargo & Co. to carry mail from San Francisco to the western terminus at Placerville, which is represented by their printed frank on this entire. The contract also stipulated the mandatory U.S. postage charge of 10c per half ounce. This cover nicely combines all three postage elements and was carried on the October 5, 1861 eastbound Pony Express trip, arriving Atchison, Kansas, on October 19. By September 1861 the transcontinental railroad had reached Atchison, which became the post-office entry point for Pony Express mail.

Although the Scott Catalogue lists the July 1861 issue Pony Express stamps (143L3-143L6) with other private post issues, we wish to emphasize that these stamps were issued under the terms of a government mail contract; therefore, they have semi-official status.

FKW Census E171. Trip ET-141. Ex Walske. With 2006 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED USE OF A WELLS, FARGO & CO. 1861 $1.00 TRANSCONTINENTAL PONY EXPRESS STAMP ON A VIRGINIA CITY PONY EXPRESS COVER. A FASCINATING POSTAL HISTORY RARITY.

Following the termination of the transcontinental Pony Express in October 1861, Wells, Fargo & Co., in August 1862, established a supplemental service to their normal express business between San Francisco and Virginia City, Nevada Territory (in the Washoe mining area). The Virginia City Pony Express used horses to carry mail from Virginia City to Placerville, where it was put on a train to Sacramento and then on a steamboat to San Francisco. The service significantly cut the time for carriage of letters by this route. Wells, Fargo & Co. issued adhesive stamps for the service, which at first cost 10c per letter and then 25c beginning in February 1863 (Scott Nos. 143L7-143L9). The stamps were of the same Horse & Rider design as the dollar-value stamps used for the earlier transcontinental Pony Express service.

When the cover offered here was sent, the single rate via Virginia City Pony Express was 25c. Gold Hill was on the Virginia City route and that office's datestamp was used to cancel the $1.00 stamp. The most logical explanation is that this 3c entire was pasted to a larger plain envelope with heavy contents. The blurred Gold Hill oval datestamp is consistent with being struck on something softer than a single letter. The larger cover would have had the address and an additional 9c in U.S. postage for the quadruple rate. In order to pay the quadruple Virginia City Pony Express rate, the sender (or agent at Gold Hill) affixed a leftover 1861 $1.00 Pony Express stamp, rather than four Virginia City 25c stamps. In theory, remainders in the hands of Wells, Fargo & Co. agents could have been used for multiple rates on the Virginia City route. Theory has become reality with the emergence of this Virginia City cover. It is the only known cover franked with the 1861 $1.00 Pony Express stamp paying the 1862-65 Virginia City express rate. It is also the only cover recorded with a dollar-value Pony Express stamp that was not used on the transcontinental Pony Express route. We are grateful to Richard Frajola for his assistance in interpreting this cover.

With 2018 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. ONE OF 21 RECORDED TYPE II EAST-TO-WEST PONY EXPRESS ENTIRES AND ONE OF THE LAST TRIPS BEFORE THE END OF THE PONY EXPRESS ERA.

In Rate Period 3, Wells Fargo & Co. introduced a special franked envelope for westbound mail, but its use was extremely limited. On July 1, 1861, the new contract rate went into effect. On August 12, 1861, Wells Fargo & Co. announced in the New York papers that Pony Express Envelopes” were Now ready and for sale at our office.” Although this announcement refers only to envelopes,” in fact both the franked entires and $1.00 adhesive stamps were put on sale in August 1861. The 1861 10c Pumpkin” entire with the Type II printed frank was ordered from George F. Nesbitt & Co. (New York) by the Overland Mail Company after they obtained approval for the design and imprint from the Postmaster General’s office. The earliest recorded Type II envelope is dated August 14, 1861, according to the FKW census.

Based on a newspaper article in the San Francisco Bulletin (September 13, 1861, at http://www.siegelauctions.com/2013/1038/20_SFB.jpg ), the Type II franked envelopes were problematic, because eastern post offices were sometimes sending them in the through” mail to San Francisco, instead of directing them to St. Joseph for the Pony Express. As a result, they would arrive by regular mail ten days after the Pony Express for which they were intended. This might explain why some examples of the Type II franks are found without a St. Joseph Pony Express handstamp. The presence of the St. Joseph Pony Express datestamp confirms that this was carried by Pony Express riders.

This October 5, 1861, cover was sent from New York City shortly before Civil War demonetization of the old stamp issue began and the new 1861 Issue was released. It entered the post office and was treated as regular mail until it reached the Wells, Fargo & Co. agent at St. Joseph. From there it made the October 10 westbound Pony trip to California, arriving in San Francisco from Placerville on October 22.

The updated FKW census lists 21 examples of the Type II $1.00 frank, including some that have stamps added or have been extensively repaired.

FKW Census W61. Trip WT-147. Ex Dale-Lichtenstein and Walske (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF 21 RECORDED TYPE II EAST-TO-WEST PONY EXPRESS ENTIRES.

In Rate Period 3, Wells Fargo & Co. introduced a special franked envelope for westbound mail, but its use was extremely limited. On July 1, 1861, the new contract rate went into effect. On August 12, 1861, Wells Fargo & Co. announced in the New York papers that Pony Express Envelopes” were Now ready and for sale at our office.” Although this announcement refers only to envelopes,” in fact both the franked entires and $1.00 adhesive stamps were put on sale in August 1861. The 1861 10c Pumpkin” entire with the Type II printed frank was ordered from George F. Nesbitt & Co. (New York) by the Overland Mail Company after they obtained approval for the design and imprint from the Postmaster General’s office. The earliest recorded Type II envelope is dated August 14, 1861, according to the FKW census (one day earlier than this cover).

Based on a newspaper article in the San Francisco Bulletin (September 13, 1861, at http://www.siegelauctions.com/2013/1038/20_SFB.jpg ), the Type II franked envelopes were problematic, because eastern post offices were sometimes sending them in the through” mail to San Francisco, instead of directing them to St. Joseph for the Pony Express. As a result, they would arrive by regular mail ten days after the Pony Express for which they were intended. This might explain why some examples of the Type II franks are found without a St. Joseph Pony Express handstamp. Assuming this went to St. Joseph, it was carried on the Pony Express trip that left August 18, 1861 and arrived in San Francisco on August 31.

The updated FKW census lists 21 examples of the Type II $1.00 frank, including some that have stamps added or have been extensively repaired.

FKW Census W51. Trip WT-132. Ex Dale-Lichtenstein and Walske (Image)

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VERY FINE. A FASCINATING LETTER FROM LONDON TO SAN FRANCISCO, INTENDED FOR AND DIRECTED TO THE PONY EXPRESS, BUT ARRIVING IN NEW YORK TOO LATE FOR THE LAST PONY TRIP AND CARRIED IN THE REGULAR OVERLAND MAILS. EVEN MORE DESIRABLE WITH THE SCARCE 10-CENT 1861 FIRST DESIGN.

The contents of the letter make it clear that the sender and his addressee were well familiar with and users of the Pony Express. Joseph White mentions a letter he received from James Wilson by Pony Express and directs that this letter (a copy, the other was sent via the West Indies) be forwarded from New York to St. Joseph and carried by the Pony Express. With the completion of the transcontinental telegraph, the Pony Express was shut down, the last trip leaving St. Joseph on October 24, 1861, one week before this letter arrived in New York (via the Cunarder Europa on November 1). Carried via the overland stage, this letter reached San Francisco on December 5, after a 32-day journey from New York -- significantly slower than the typical 15-day journey via the Pony Express.

Ex Walske. With 2004 P.S.E. certificate (Image)

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