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 HAWAII, 1851, 5c Blue (2). Type II--the righthand
position in the setting of two--close to ample margins with framelines complete on all sides, minute and insignificant sealed tear at bottom and wrinkles at top right, otherwise sound, free of any repair, tied by bold 7-bar grid cancel, red "Honolulu
* Hawaiian-Islands * Sep. 11" (1852) circular datestamp on grayish blue folded letter datelined "Honolulu Oahu H.I. 31st August 1852" from the firm of Porter & Ogden to the firm of Dupuy, Foulkes & Co. in San Francisco, clearly struck red oval
"Forwarded by/Porter & Ogden/Honolulu" handstamp, "San Francisco Cal. 4 Oct." circular datestamp with "Cal." in upper and lower case letters, "Ship 6" clamshell-style handstamp applied at San Francisco, two vertical file folds not affecting
stamp, a few arithmetic notationsONE OF THE FINEST OF THE EIGHT AVAILABLE COVERS BEARING A SINGLE 5-CENT HAWAIIAN MISSIONARY STAMP AND THE EARLIER OF TWO RECORDED MISSIONARY COVERS BEARING A FORWARDER'S HANDSTAMPED MARKING. THIS IS ALSO THE
EARLIEST OF THE THREE RECORDED MISSIONARY COVERS ADDRESSED TO SAN FRANCISCO (ONE OF WHICH IS IN A MUSEUM COLLECTION). Ten 5c Missionary covers are recorded in our census (http://www.siegelauctions.com/dynamic/census/HI2/HI2.pdf ) and the Gregory census. Included in this total are the Dawson 2c/5c cover and the 5c cover acquired by the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in the Honolulu Advertiser
sale, leaving eight 5c covers for collectors. Of the 28 recorded intact Missionary covers, only two were handstamped by forwarders: the Porter & Ogden cover offered here (ex Honolulu Advertiser) and the G. D. Gilman cover offered in the Steven C.
Walske collection (Sale 1045, lot 13). This letter was carried on the Zoe, which departed Honolulu on September 11, 1852, and arrived in San Francisco on October 2. This is one of the few Missionary covers correctly endorsed with the
ship's name, "Per 'Zoe'", reflecting the sender's familiarity with sailing schedules. In this brief letter from Porter & Ogden, they acknowledge the favor of Dupuy & Foulkes in forwarding two letters addressed to them and offer to reciprocate.
The "Ship 6" marking indicates the correct postage due for a ship letter addressed to the port of entry. Porter & Ogden was an English firm of importing and commission merchants. Their Honolulu office was a two-story building, which was the
birth place of Honolulu's first English newspaper, The Sandwich Islands Gazette, in 1836. On August 11, 1854, two years after this letter was mailed, Porter shot himself at his residence over difficulties with a Hawaiian woman. Following
Porter's death the business was continued in the name of Frederick Ogden. Ex Henry J. Crocker, Frank C. Atherton, The Honolulu Academy of Arts and Honolulu Advertiser. Illustrated in Henry J. Crocker's Hawaiian Numerals. Siegel
Census No. 2-II-COV-72. Gregory Census No. 5c-1 (Figure 15-53). With 1995 Philatelic Foundation certificate. (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com |
E. $ 100,000-150,000
SOLD for $170,000.00
Will close during Public Auction |
