• Login (enter your user name) and Password
    Please Login. You are NOT Logged in.

    Quick Search:

  • To see new sales and other StampAuctionNetwork® news in your Facebook newsfeed then Like us on Facebook!

Login to Use StampAuctionNetwork®.
New Member? Click "Register".

StampAuctionNetwork® Extended Features


More Useful Information:
 
You are not logged in. Please Login so that we can determine your registration status with this firm. If you have never registered, please register by pressing the [Quick Signup (New to StampAuctionNetwork)] button. Then Login.      Listen to Live Audio!
 
Quick Navigation by Category  The Dr. James Milgram Collection of Western Postal (204)   |  United States (550)   | 
 

logo

The Dr. James Milgram Collection of Western Postal History continued...

Gold Rush Era Illustrated Lettersheets continued...
LotNo. Symbol CatNo. Lot Description
561       imageHow the California Mines Are Worked. Used lettersheet (Baird 104) finely executed 3.75x7.25" wood engraving on a folded 10.75x17" bluish-gray double sheet, shows Placer Miners Using the Pan, Rocker, Long Tom, and Sluice; Anthony & Baker engravers and The San Francisco Wide West newspaper publisher, with lengthy 4-page letter (plus added page inserted, original to contents) datelined "Don Pedro's August 27th 1854" with newsy contents, family questions, domestic chores, etc. with some interesting content, including, "…Adams & Co have put an Express office and Banking house here. A stage has been running all the summer.there is a Fandango House in full operation here. We hear the music and dancing evenings and see the ladys out often during the day perhaps you will not understand the term Fandango it is so familar here. It is a Spanish bad house…", signed "Helen"; accompanied by original stampless mailing envelope manuscript postmarked "Don Pedros Bar Sept 27 Cal" with matching "Paid 6" addressed to Falmouth, Mass., minor cover creasing at left, Very Fine.
Estimate; $750 - 1,000.

A WONDERFUL LETTERSHEET WITH ORIGINAL POSTALLY USED ENVELOPE.

Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (3.4MB). (Image1) (Image2)

image

Est. $750-1,000
Selling for...$375.00
Will close during Public Auction
562       imageHutchings' California Scenes - The Mammoth Trees. Unused lettersheet (Baird 106) illustration of "Mammoth Trees" with Horses, Riders, People Below and Several Stumps of Harvested Trees, "Anthony & Baker SC" at bottom of lithograph, "Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854, by James M. Hutchings, in the Clerks' Office of the U.S. District Court, for Northern District of California.", black on cream paper, four-page illustrated lettersheet, with front page measuring 8.75x10.5", Extremely Fine.
Estimate; $400 - 600. (Image1)

Est. $400-600
Selling for...$280.00
Will close during Public Auction
563       imageHutching's California Scenes, The California Indians. Used folded lettersheet (Baird 105, Kruska 5b), Anthony & Baker Sc. in various illustrated blocks, Excelsior Print on blue laid, three-page letter written in German (with transcription in English) datelined "Goodyears Bar, May 14th, 1855" and signed by J. Meister to his brother talking about his brother becoming a plumber and, "I think next winter when our luck wills it, our financial difficulties will ease up and we will be able to move more freely. Together with some other men, I will built a dam (Wingdam) in the Yuba river. I had intention to let you come to California later on but I decided against it because it would be too hard a life for you.", entered mails with red "Goodyears Bar Cal. May 28" cds with matching "Paid" and "10" rating handstamp to Herman Mo., Very Fine, a rare folded and mailed lettersheet.
Estimate; $1,000 - 1,500.

Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (5.9MB). (Image1) (Image2)

image

Est. $1,000-1,500
Selling for...$500.00
Will close during Public Auction
564       imageHutchings' Panoramic Scenes. - Crossing the Plains. Unused lettersheet (Baird 109) front of 8.5x11.5" lettersheet showing thirteen vignettes with imprint at lower right "Views Drawn from Nature in 1853, by George H. Baker" on bluish paper, minor toning on verso at folds, Very Fine.
Estimate; $300 - 400. (Image1)

Est. $300-400
Selling for...$150.00
Will close during Public Auction
565       imageLife Among the Miners. Used lettersheet (Baird 138) copyright and published by Hutchings & Rosenfeld, 146 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, printed by S.H. Wade, Era Building, with "No. 2" at upper right of "Life Among The Miners" 10.5x16.5" illustrated lettersheet with additional 12 smaller views of various aspects of mining life; datelined "San Francisco March 13 1868" with two-page letter internal, reading in part "we made a very long trip of one hundred and thirty days…sail from here for Callao next week…I could not leave the ship not even for a single day San Francisco is the worst place in the world for keeping a ship" signed "Affectionate Brother, C. St. Croix Olivier, Care US Consul, Callao, Peru" with notation "Ship Harry Bluff", original envelope accompanies, postmarked San Francisco Cal Mar 16 with stamp missing addressed to Philadelphia; defective & portions of lettersheet chewed and missing at corners and folds, V.G., a rare lettersheet with one other known (Princeton University Library).
Estimate; $200 - 300.

Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (8.1MB). (Image1)

Est. $200-300
Selling for...$100.00
Will close during Public Auction
566       imageThe Lumber Merchant. Humorous illustrated lettersheet (Baird 139) showing obviously frustrated merchant looking over his Account of Sales, etc., dated "San Francisco Jan 24th, 1851", lithographed and published by E.F. Butler, sold by Atwill & Co., San Francisco; lettersheet with some faults glued onto brown paper stock with various newspaper clipping (detailing Chronology of the Civil War) glued to verso along with a handwritten recipe for "Currant Wine", Fine.
Estimate; $200 - 300.

Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (2.3MB). (Image1)

Est. $200-300
Selling for...$100.00
Will close during Public Auction
567       imageMariposa City. Lettersheet (Baird 151) published by Quirot and Company, San Francisco, ca1851, bluish 8x10.5" engraved illustration of Mariposa City; a similar example (also with much of the imprint trimmed) sold in a 2008 auction in which it was noted that the publisher was Quirot, "located at the address given in the imprint between 1851 and 1852" (per Peters, "California on Stone", pp. 132-38), slightly trimmed & minor hinge reinforcement of fold on verso, Fine, a rare lettersheet.
Estimate; $300 - 400.

Mariposa, county seat of Mariposa County, has the state's oldest courthouse (1854), which is not yet shown in this view. In 1847, Frémont acquired the claim for Mariposa Rancho at the foothills of Yosemite, and on this grant, the first quartz vein in California was discovered. The town came to life when gold was discovered on Mariposa Creek in 1849. Between December 1849 and May 1851, the Mariposa Battalion, a deputized body of the state militia, conducted a punitive expedition against Mariposa and other tribes who attacked white miners invading their lands. In their reconnoitering, the Battalion, under the leadership of James D. Savage (the "Blond King of Tulare"), named and explored Yosemite Valley. (Image1)

Est. $300-400
Selling for...$150.00
Will close during Public Auction
568       imageMerry Christmas and Happy New Year. Used illustrated lettersheet (Baird 154) of Bearded Gentleman Tipping His Hat With Season's Greetings, published by Hutchings & Rosenfeld, San Francisco; brief letter on front page of four-page lettersheet datelined "Napa City, Cal December 20th 1856", accompanied by original mailing envelope postmarked with black circular datestamp "Napa City Cal Dec 19" with matching "PAID" and "10" rate handstamps on yellow corner card cover to Illinois from Wells, Fargo & Co., Banking, etc., backflap missing from cover, overall, Very Fine.
Estimate; $750 - 1,000.

A VERY RARE LETTERSHEET, PARTICULARLY USED WITH ORIGINAL ENVELOPE WITH WELLS, FARGO & CO. CORNER CARD. (Image1) (Image2)

image

Est. $750-1,000
Selling for...$375.00
Will close during Public Auction
569       imageMiners at Work with Long Toms. Unused lettersheet (Baird 159) no printers mark but originated with an 1852 Quirot lithograph taken from a daguerreotype, 10 miners are at work, while along the left edge stands a miner with pick, shovel, and pan, and below him, an Indian from the Eastern United States, light gray folded double letter sheet 10.5x16.5", small corner repair at bottom right, still Very Fine.
Estimate; $300 - 400. (Image1)

Est. $300-400
Selling for...$150.00
Will close during Public Auction
570       imageMiners Life - The Honest Miners Songs. (Baird 165), illustrated first page of what is normally a two-page lettersheet (similar examples offered in our Sale #60, Lots #597-598, both of which had 1855 letters accompanying), with the message portion of the lettersheet missing, Printed by Barber and Baker, Sacramento, 13 wood engravings providing the daily life of a miner with "The Honest Miner's Songs" at center; some faults, still Fine and attractive.
Estimate; $200 - 300. (Image1)

Est. $200-300
Selling for...$100.00
Will close during Public Auction
571       imageMiner's Life - Illustrated. used lettersheet (Baird 165) by Barber and Baker, Sacramento, 13 wood engravings providing the daily life of a miner on a bluish folded letter sheet 11x17.5", with "The Honest Miner's Songs" at center, with letter datelined "Sarahsville May 24th/55" with three-page newsy letter enclosed as part of the lettersheet, some wear, particularly at folds, minor hinge reinforcements, F.-V.F.
Estimate; $500 - 750.

Durham's "California Geographic Names" has the following on Sarahsville (Bath, Placer Co.), "After prospectors discovered gold at the site in 1850, the mining camp there was called Volcano for nearby Volcano Canyon; the name of the camp was changed to Sarahsville to honor the first woman at the place, and then changed to Bath when the post office was established." Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (5.8MB). (Image1)

Est. $500-750
Selling for...$250.00
Will close during Public Auction
572       imageThe Miner's Ten Commandments. Used lettersheet (Baird 167) copyrighted by James Mason Hutchings in 1853 and printed by the San Francisco Sun, folded sheet 11.25x18.25", showing 10 illustrated miner scenes and corresponding text at center, used with letter datelined "Cache Creek April the 20/54" with letter to a lady informing her that her brother has "left this morning for rusion [Russian] river (the new mines) about one hundred miles from where he received a letter from you" signed "Hiram D. Smith, direct to Cache Creek, Yolo Co., Cottonwood township, Cal"; some wear along file folds and hinge reinforcements, Fine.
Estimate; $400 - 600.

James M. Hutchings (1820-1902) first published this classic letter sheet in the Placerville Herald on June 4, 1853. The popularity of the Miner's Ten Commandments led him to print and sell 3 editions of 25,000 each. As he traveled around California gathering sketches and material which would appear in his California Magazine, he sold letter sheets, single and double, for 25 and 50 cents. Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (5.1MB). (Image1)

Est. $400-600
Selling for...$725.00
Will close during Public Auction
573       imageMiners' Ten Commandments, A New Verse-ion. Used lettersheet by Cadiz Orion (Baird 169), lithographed by Britton & Rey, light blue folded doublesheet 10.75x16.75, showing three panel miner's scenes at top and text below, with letter datelined "Columbia, California, May 25th 1854" with some interesting miner's content "…I have worked out about a month. The most of the time I have been prospecting. I have had claims where I thought I should get my pile, but they have all turned out minus. The last claim that I had valued it at 250 dollars for my share. In one weak from that time we left the place; couldn't make it pay water and We are going to jump a claim tomorrow if we can. The men that own the claim don't agree & 2 or 3 of them are drunk half of the time. If a claim is left 3 days any body can jump the same.", Very Fine.
Estimate; $750 - 1,000.

Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (3.9MB). (Image1)

Est. $750-1,000
Selling for...$375.00
Will close during Public Auction
574       imageMiners Weighing Their Gold [upper] / The Dream of a Prospecting Miner [lower]. Unused lettersheet (Baird 170), published by Britton & Rey, with two illustrations, first of three miners seated around a crude table, one weighing gold as the others look watch, second of miner sleeping before a fire with weapons nearby and three vignettes above him, depicting his dreams, on single sheet of bluish paper, circa 1856, imprint trimmed away at bottom, Very Fine.
Estimate; $300 - 400. (Image1)

Est. $300-400
Selling for...$150.00
Will close during Public Auction
575       imageThe Revolution of the People, Surrender of James P. Casey & Charles Cora to the Vigilance Committee on Sunday, May 18th, 1856. Used lettersheet (Baird 214) with detailed account of the actions of the vigilance committee and ultimate surrender of Casey & Cora with three-page letter datelined "Downieville Cala June 1st 1856" from Thomas B. Parker to his wife in Philadelphia, in which Parker relates interesting events, including the delay of her letter to him by a week as "the steamer was detained at Panama in consequence of the sad accident on the Rail Road, the particulars of which you heard before I did," Parker goes on to note "We have had one of the most exciting times in San Francisco that has occurred in this country since I have been here, it was the assassination of Jas King the editor of the Evening Bulletin in open day light by Jas P Casey the proprietor of the Sunday Times. The people turned out enmass and went to the county jail demanded Casey and also Chas Cora. who shot Genl. Richardson U.S. Marshall Marshall a few months ago and took them to the Vigilantes Committee's Rooms and give them both a fair trial before the Vig. Comm. and then hung both from a scaffold erected at the windows of the Committee Rooms. The law abiding people unanimously approve the course of the Committee. Cora who shot Genl. Richardson had one trial, and the jury did not agree so people saw that the civil law was a dead letter in the hands of set villains, hence the hanging of Cora and Casey"; some wear at file folds, small spot of erosion in center bottom quarter of text, F.-V.F., very rare.
Estimate; $1,000 - 1,500.

A WONDERFUL ILLUSTRATED LETTERSHEET DESCRIBING IN DETAIL THE FRONTIER JUSTICE IN PLACE IN CALIFORNIA IN 1856.

Also see Lots 506 & 560. Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (6.0MB). (Image1)

Est. $1,000-1,500
Selling for...$500.00
Will close during Public Auction
576       imageThe San Francisco News Letter Business Page. Number 16 used lettersheet "Per Steamer Golden Age" with "Summary of Events from Feb. 20th to March 5th, 1857" on 11x17.5" bluish paper news letter; interesting contents with tremendous detail of the goings-on; advertisements include those for Wells, Fargo & Co., McCombe's, Freeman's Express, including illustrated article of "Mr. [Snoeshoe] Thompson, the Carson Valley Expressman…" with printed illustration showing Thompson on Skis in the Mountains and includes details of his route and efforts in delivering express mail to Carson Valley, letter on message portion of lettersheet datelined "Chinese Camp March 14th 57" reads in part "They are having a great time to Sonoma thear is eleven to be hang[ed] right of[f] some for killing white men and some for killing black men Spaniards and rob[b]ing and so forth, I think I shall go up to see some of them hang.", minor edge splits, Very Fine.
Estimate; $750 - 1,000.

THIS EARLY TYPE OF SAN FRANCISCO NEWS LETTER IS MUCH SCARCER THAN THE LATER ONES WITH ADDRESS PANEL INTEGRAL TO THE LETTERSHEET - UNLISTED IN BAIRD.

Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (26MB). (Image1)

Est. $750-1,000
Selling for...$375.00
Will close during Public Auction
577     1500 image1973, 6¢ Progress in Electronics. Used lettersheet (Baird 251) copyright and published by Barber & Baker of Sacramento in 1854, Morris Ullman was the San Francisco agent and Barber & Baker had it printed at the San Francisco Sun office, contains two large wood-engraved views of San Francisco by George H. Baker, plus a small Bay area map, both views are from Rincon Point, with letter written by George J. Grinwald "San Francisco, August 14, 1855" to his "Dear Wife" and children…"It is with great pleasure I sit down to address these few lines to you, having arrived in San Francisco after a pleasant passage of twenty two days, Grinwald went by Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt's Nicaragua Route. He departed New York on the Northern Light on July 20 and arrived in San Francisco on the Uncle Sam on August 12, 1855, along with 750 other passengers, including 170 women and 86 children, The times are very dull here at present…but I have succeeded in getting employment the day after my arrival at $50 dollars a month to go coasting. Thank gods I am in Good Health", Very Fine, a wonderful used dual view lettersheet in exceptional condition.
Scott No. 1500; Estimate $750 - 1,000.

"San Francisco As It Was, 1849" comes from a sketch Baker made on June 1, 1849, a few days after his arrival. He also published it in the New York Tribune on August 28, 1849. Baker shows only a dozen of the 200 abandoned ships in the harbor, while shrubbery covers Rincon Hill. San Francisco, population 2,000, is a small cluster of buildings around Yerba Buena Cove, while tents climb the slope of Telegraph Hill. The waterfront is Montgomery Street. "San Francisco As It Is, 1854" derives from Baker's sketch in December 1854. In the foreground is probably the Union Iron Works at First and Mission Streets. The city has advanced seaward as its population increased 20 times, while houses creep up Telegraph Hill to the semaphore. Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (2.0MB). (Image1) (Image2)

image

Est. $750-1,000
Selling for...$375.00
Will close during Public Auction
578       imageScene at the San Francisco Post-Office Showing How We Get Our Letters. Used lettersheet (similar to Baird 254a) showing view of crowd outside large building, with signs for Leland & McCombe's Crescent City Express, U.S. Mail Stage Office, Central Stage Office, G.H. Leland & Co. Newspaper & Periodical Depot, etc., published by Leland & McCombe, engraved by Anthony & Baker; seller was the Noisy Carrier's Publishing Hall with small blue handstamp at upper right of illustration, with letter datelined "Benicia Jan 23 1855" with business contents; wear and staining on several of the file folds, Fine and rare used example, this example thought to be one of two known and illustrated in The American Philatelist in January, 1965 (page 259).
Estimate; $400 - 500.

Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (5.4MB). (Image1)

Est. $400-500
Selling for...$475.00
Will close during Public Auction
579       imageSonora, Jany 1853. Used lettersheet (Baird 259), lithographed by Britton & Rey, San Francisco; B.R. Sweetland, Publisher, Miner's Book Store; wonderful illustrated lettersheet showing the Fledgling Town of Sonora in January, 1853 on entire first page of four-page 10.5x17" size on bluish paper, with two-page letter datelined "Sonora California April 10th 1853" which reads, in part, "…You know when any of my letters are miscarried for I have written every male so far which has been twice a month…There are many places where they are mineing where we would not either send or recieve letters with any regularity…We have now been here two months and have not struck it yet…You will see the picture of Sonora on the other half of this sheet & it is very correct…J.W.L. Brown"., Extremely Fine and choice, the consignor of this item purports it to be unique. We could not locate record of another and thus agree.
Estimate; $1,000 - 1,500.

FANTASTIC ENGRAVING OF EARLY SONORA.

Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (848KB). (Image1)

Est. $1,000-1,500
Selling for...$500.00
Will close during Public Auction
580       imageSundry Amusements in the Mines. Used lettersheet (Baird 268) four panels with scenes of miners covering the first page of the four-page lettersheet printed on white paper and measuring 10.5x16.5", "Lith. & Published by Britton & Rey" at bottom; with two-page letter enclosed datelined "Yreka August 30th 1856" and reads, in part, "…two weeks ago I assisted Dr. Gatliff to cut off a poor fellows leg. He got along very well for a few days, but then took the lock-jaw and died…It is my intention to return home this winter. I shall make my arrangement, if possible, to get off from here in December or January. I am afraid of again having the Panama fever…W.A. Robertson.", a few minor toned spots, Very Fine.
Estimate; $750 - 1,000.

Complete images:
View gallery or Download PDF (3.1MB). (Image1)

Est. $750-1,000
Selling for...$375.00
Will close during Public Auction

Previous Page, Next Page or Return to Table of Contents

StampAuctionNetwork® is a registered trademark of Droege Computing Services, Inc | StampAuctionCentral and StampAuctionNetwork® are Copyright © 1994-2026 Droege Computing Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. | Mailing Address: 20 West Colony Place, Suite 120, Durham NC 27705 | If you want to talk to me about anything other than selling your stamps, call 919-403-9459 and ask for Tom Droege, or email support@stampauctionnetwork.com We can help you evaluate or sell your collection so... Click here for help selling your Collection. Once you follow the instructions we can talk. But first we have a process. Sign up for a paid or free membership | Lost your Links? Return to StampAuctionNetwork® | Instructional Videos - Master StampAuctionNetwork® | Sign up for our Newsletter | Terms and Conditions.