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California Penny Post, 1855 (29 June) PAID 2 Type I frank, intended to be deposited into a San Francisco street letter box, variant with "CIRCULAR” imprint at upper right corner, additionally franked with four 1851 3 c. red, from San Francisco, with August 23 despatch c.d.s. on reverse, to the Post Master at Mount Ophir, backstamped "HELD FOR POSTAGE” in black, "care of” in printed instructions crossed-out, docketed as received 17 October, some creasing, adhesion marks at corners, a rare cover, one of only six Type I franks recorded in the Frajola census, and the only one showing the "CIRCULAR” variant; with 1976 Philatelic Foundation certificate.

Note: J.B. Goodwin founded the California Penny Post in June, 1885, for the conveyance of mail between San Francisco, Sacramento, Stockton, and Marysville. In the case of the PAID 2 type frank, these envelopes were intended to be deposited into a Penny Post street letter box, from which the company would convey the mail to the Post Office, the government postage for which was to be prepaid by adhesive stamps.

Provenance: Marc Haas Collection.

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California Central Rail Road, Engineering Department, neatly-struck on cover franked with 1857 10c. Green, tied by Folsom City Cal c.d.s. (4 Aug), to Greenfield, Massachusetts, sent by Theodore Judah, Surveyor and Engineer of the California Central Railroad, to his wife, a choice example of this rare railway cancellation; throughout the 1850s, Judah was known as "Crazy Judah" for his desire to build a railroad through and over the Sierra Nevada mountains, considered by many at the time to be impossible. 

Central Overland California & Pikes Peak Express Company, Denver City K.T., oval datestamp on 3c. red postal stationery cover, further undated strike on back flap, to Stockton, Maine, neatly-struck oval Express transit datestamp of St. Joseph on front (17 Dec) with next-day Saint Joseph MO c.d.s. overtop indicia, neatly-repaired tears to back flap and front, but an uncommon usage with dual Express strikes, of very fine appearance.

Central Overland & Pike's Peak Express, 1861 (April 21), cover to Denver City, franked with 3 c. dull red, tied by circular grid cancel, Chicago c.d.s. (22 Apr) alongside, endorsed "Central Overland and P. Peak Express Company” in manuscript and struck with corresponding oval datestamp of St. Joseph, Missouri, with enclosure, slightly reduced at left, clear of Express notation, else fine.

Central Overland Pony Express Company, Paid, printed frank on 10c green stationery entire to New Castle, Main, with manuscript "2.50" Pony Express rate notation alongside imprint, manuscript "Carson City Oct 24/60” (Utah Territory) origin notation in the same hand, fair strike of black oval "Central Overland California  & Pikes Peak / Express Company / St. Joseph, Mo. / Nov 5” datestamp, with Saint Joseph double-circle c.d.s. struck overtop indicia, a few minor spots of age discoloration, otherwise very fine and of little importance given the rarity of this cover, one of only a small number of examples of this printed frank, and one of the few recorded from what is now Nevada, as well as one of only two recorded covers from this eastbound trip of the Pony Express, the other originating in San Francisco. (Frajola-Kramer-Walske Census E30).

Coast Line San Juan & Los Angeles, U.S. Mail Stage Company, via Paso Robles Hot Springs, San Luis Obispo, imprint in blue on 1868 cover to San Juan, California, franked with two 1867 3c. Grills, tied by geometric cork cancels, New York c.d.s. alongside, to the firm of Flint, Bixby & Co, with their blue handstamp (17 Jul), endorsed "per Steamer", cover fault at upper right, else remarkably fresh, an attractive example of this scarce stage company envelope. 

Provenance: Howard Mader Collection, Harmer-Schau Auctions, 2010.

Coast Line San Juan & Los Angeles, U.S. Mail Stage Company, via Paso Robles Hot Springs, San Luis Obispo, imprint in black on cover to San Francisco, franked with 3c. Rose, tied by black cork cancel and the only recorded "San Juan, Cal" (25 May) first type c.d.s. (MOT-3090), cover reduced at left, skillfully repaired and missing text painted-in, yet a cover of tremendous scarcity and visual appeal.

Coast Line Stage Company, six horse drawn stagecoach design, on cover franked with 3c green Bank Note, tied by cork cancel, postmarked San Jose (1 Apr), with original enclosure on matching illutrated letterhead,  (aside from the removal of "Coast Line Stage Co / F.B. & C." on the coach), datelined "San Jose, Mch 31, 1874", written by William Buckley, Superintendent of the company, to Dr. Thomas Flint, one of the firm's owners, roughly opened at left, but a rare cover, particularly desirable with the enclosure sent between two principal figures in the firm.

Eagle City Post, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (2c) black on grayish paper,  without "WS" initials, cut to shape and affixed to cover, cancelled in manuscript, red handstamped "5" alongside, postmarked "Norristown Pa / Aug / 7" c.d.s., to Nathan R. Potts of Philadelphia, some wrinkling, small tear and ink stain affecting adhesive, the odd spot of discoloration, yet an immensely rare local stamp, one of only four examples recorded; with 2024 Philatelic Foundation certificate.

Provenance: Needham, Gibson, and Middendorf Collections, with Gibson's ownership mark on reverse. 

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Eureka Express Co, Connecting with Wells, Fargo & Co at Nevada, Cal., Paid, 1872 (August 6), printed frank on 3c. Nesbitt postal stationery cover, postmarked with neatly-struck blue North Bloomfield Cal c.d.s., to North Columbia Hill, California, some light stains at edges, else a fine and scarce usage to this California Gold Rush town on the San Juan Ridge.

Everts, Wilson & Co's Express, Paid, 1861, ornamental printed frank on 3c. Nesbitt postal stationery cover, struck with large blue oval "Everts, Davis & Co's Express / Forbestown / Feb 27 1861”, with year in manuscript, alongside blue oval "Wells, Fargo & Co / Marysville / Feb 28” datestamp, or Oroville, California, slightly reduced at left, otherwise quite fresh, a rare Everts & Wells Fargo conjunctive use, illustrating the connection in Marysville, of which only a small number of examples are recorded.

Everts, Wilson & Co's Daily Express, Paid, 1860s (circa) printed frank in red on 10c. Nesbitt postal stationery entire to Middleborough, Massachusetts, postmarked with Gibsonville, California c.d.s. (23 Jun), endorsed in manuscript "Overland via / Los Angeles", reduced slightly at left, just touching the frank, an otherwise fine and scarce cover, ex Barkhausen, with his backstamp.

Freeman & Co's Express, Over Our California & Coast Routes, Paid, printed frank on 3c. stationery entire, struck with bold blue oval "Freeman & Co / Stockton” datestamp, corner card of Bisagno Brothers, opening faults to back flap, an attractive cover.

From Noisy Carrier's Mail, 77 Long Wharf S.F. Cal, fine strike of framed handstamp in green on cover to New Orleans, Louisiana, franked with 1851 10 c. green, Type III, close to large margins, tied by San Francisco c.d.s. (September), small stains in places of little consequence given the scarcity of this marking, 

From San Francisco to Via Los Angeles, Overland Mail to All Parts of the Union, illustrated six horse stagecoach design, with imprint of A. Randall & Co, Marysville, cover to Burnham, Maine, franked with 1857 10 c. green (faulty), cancelled with indistinct blue and black markings, blue Marysville c.d.s. at left, some edge discoloration, but an uncommon and attractive illustrated route directive.

Gregory's Express, two-line handstamp in blue on cover to San Francisco, struck with double-oval 'NOT PAID" in blue, no backstamps, some edge flaws, else fine.

Hinckley & Co's Express, Denver City, 1860 (30 Aug), cover to Johnstown, Fulton County, New York, franked with 3c. dull red, tied by circular grid cancel, struck with Hinckley's Express datestamp and Saint Joseph MO transit c.d.s. (7 Sep), edge flaws, file fold through adhesive, but fine strikes.

Holladay Overland Mail and Express Company, Paid, 1865 (circa), printed frank on 3c. Nesbitt postal stationery cover, postmarked with fancy black cork, Omaha Nebraska (21 Oct) despatch c.d.s. alongside, to Wilmington, Ohio, endorsed "Missent" at top and struck with clear blue Wellington, Ohio c.d.s. (29 Oct), docketed on reverse "Bela M. Hughes about selling lots in Aspinwall..." , slightly reduced at left, clear of frank, stain at top, unusual.

Humboldt Express, 1863, 25c. blue, ample to large margins all around, affixed to legal-sized envelope from Star City to San Francisco, franked with pair of 1861 3c. Washington, cover struck with red PAID and choice strike of red oval "Langton's Pioneer Express / Star City”, reverse with yellow "LANGTON'S / PIONEER EXPRESS / FROM / Star City NT” label with city in manuscript, some small edge flaws, the Humboldt Express stamp not original to this cover, yet the stamp itself is quite scarce, this example being very fine and particularly attractive given its generous margins and fresh appearance, as is the cover with such a fine strike of the Pioneer Express oval, thus a nevertheless desirable piece of Western Express and Nevada postal history.

Note:

Samuel W. Langton established the Humboldt Express to connect the Humboldt mines of northern Nevada with the capital Carson City. As this was a difficult route, Langton added a 25c surcharge to the rate of $2 per letter; to facilitate pre-payment of this fee, the 25c. brown stamps were produced. Owing to the overwhelming similarities between the Humboldt Express stamp and the concurrent Pony Express stamps, it is thought that Langton's stamps were also printed by Britton & Rey in San Francisco. 

J. Bamber & Cos Contra Costa Express, Paid, bold strike of black oval on 3c postal stationery cover to San Francisco, further struck with framed pointing-finer "Answer By / Bamber & Cos Express / Office Davis St / Between Broadway & Vallejo”, manuscript "P” at upper right indicative of Pacheco origin, confirmed by enclosure datelined Pacheco, Aug 19/60, some uniform aging, corner flaw and lower right, but fine strikes.