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The Larry Lyons Collection: All Roads Lead to San Francisco continued...

California Penny Post
Lot Sym. Lot Description  
1509   ImageCalifornia Penny Post Company. Single-page printed notice from "Office of the Penny Post Co.", with H. L. Goodwin's name at bottom, discusses the ability to bring letters to the Penny Post Co. for cheaper rates than the expresses, "notwithstanding the numerous obstacles the Postmaster of San Francisco has thrown in our way...", tear thru top third of notice, otherwise Very Fine, the California Penny Post Company was established on June 25, 1855, by Henry L. Goodwin and advertised service in several larger California towns and cities, offering to carry letters to and from the local post office, to bring letters to one post office and deliver them to the addressee from the receiving office, and to run an express service between towns after the government mails were closed for the day, almost immediately the Penny Post incurred the wrath of the San Francisco postmaster, and Goodwin became involved in protracted litigation trying to fight the government. (Image)

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 E. $ 200-300

SOLD for $475.00
Will close during Public Auction
1510 c ImagePenny Post Co. San Francisco. Double-line circular handstamp clearly struck on blue folded cover to San Francisco with sender's directive "pr Northern Light", oval "Nicaragua Line/In Advance/of the Mail" handstamp applied in New York City, 1c Blue, Ty. IV (9) and three 3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A), irregular margins large to cutting in, properly prepaying 10c transcontinental rate but uncancelled since this never entered the post office, docketed Aug. 20, 1855 on back (origin date), file fold thru 1c

FINE. A REMARKABLE USE COMBINING 1851 ISSUE STAMPS WITH THE RARE "NICARAGUA LINE" OVAL HANDSTAMP AND CALIFORNIA PENNY POST COMPANY CIRCLE FOR LOCAL DELIVERY IN SAN FRANCISCO.

This was carried by the Vanderbilt Line's Northern Light from New York to San Juan del Sud, then carried across Nicaragua to meet with a connecting vessel for passage to San Francisco. Upon arrival the letter was picked up by the Penny Post Co. and delivered locally.

Ex Kramer and Golden (Image)

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 E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $2,800.00
Will close during Public Auction
1511 c ImageCalifornia Penny Post Co., San Francisco, 5c Blue (34L4). Usual close-cut margins to slightly in at top, uncancelled, used on 10c Green on Buff Nesbitt entire (U18) to Duxbury Mass., Fine, very scarce, this cover is not listed in the recent Frajola census of California "Ocean" Penny Post covers (it appears to be a valid use of the stamp, but offered on its own merits), ex Barkhausen and Kuphal (Image)

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 E. $ 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $1,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
1512 c ImageCalifornia Penny Post Co., San Francisco, 5c Black Entire (unlisted; Frajola Type 6B). "City Delivery. Penny Postage Paid. 5" printed frank across top, "Copy-Right Sccured" in small print below frank with misspelling of "Secured", San Francisco street address, manuscript "No. 6", Very Fine and extremely rare, an important California local-post use, this is the only example recorded in Frajola census, with 2009 P.F. certificate, unlisted in Scott (Image)

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 E. $ 1,500-2,000

SOLD for $3,250.00
Will close during Public Auction
1513 c ImageCalifornia Penny Post Co., San Francisco (unlisted; Frajola Type 6C). Interior envelope, "Penny Post Co. San Francisco" double-line circle handstamp lightly but legibly struck on printed entire with printed instructions at top and "Care of the Penny-Post Co." directive at bottom, San Francisco street address, 50mm sealed tear at right, otherwise Fine, this is the only recorded example in Frajola census, ex Knapp, Hertz and Golden (Image)

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 E. $ 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $1,300.00
Will close during Public Auction
1514 c ImageCalifornia Penny Post Co., San Francisco, 5c Black on Yellow entire (34LU3 var; Frajola Type 1D). "City Delivery Care of the 'Penny Post Co.' Paid. 5" frank, mailing instructions at left, similar to No. 34LU3 but that listed entire with "From the Post Office" in the franking, no U.S. postage or postmark, addressed to San Francisco, possibly unused, some slight wear

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THIS CALIFORNIA PENNY POST COMPANY ENTIRE.

This is the only recorded example of the Paid 5 "City Delivery" entire (without postage) in the Frajola census, where it is noted as unused. (Image)

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 E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $2,800.00
Will close during Public Auction
1515 c ImageCalifornia Penny Post Co., San Francisco, 7c Black on 3c Red on Buff entire (34LU4a; Frajola Type 1C). Cancelled by clear "Benecia Cal. Oct. 8" (1855) circular datestamp to Sacramento, minor water staining top left corner

VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THIS STYLE OF CALIFORNIA PENNY POST COMPANY 7-CENT "TO AND FROM THE POST OFFICE" ENTIRE.

The Frajola census contains just one example of ths 7c entire. Illustrated in Letters of Gold. Ex Haas and Weill. With 1966 P.F. certificate (Image)

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 E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $3,750.00
Will close during Public Auction
1516 c ImageCalifornia Penny Post Co., San Francisco, 7c Vermilion on 3c Red on Buff entire (34LU7; Frajola Type 5). Instructions and list of eight offices at left, manuscript "Strawberry Valley Cal. Jan. 17th" (1856) postmark and cancel, to San Francisco street address, slightly reduced at top, fresh and Very Fine, eleven recorded in Frajola census, one of the fascinating aspects of this issue is that both the Penny Post oval and 3c U.S. stamp were embossed in the same color by George F. Nesbitt, ex Barkhausen and Golden (Image)

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 E. $ 1,500-2,000

SOLD for $1,600.00
Will close during Public Auction
1517 c ImageCalifornia Penny Post Co., San Francisco, 5c Black on Buff entire (34LU9; Frajola Type 3A). Printed frank with 10c Green, Ty. I (13) and 3c Dull Red, Ty. II (11A), ample margins to slightly in, both tied by "Saint Louis Mo. Mar. 1" (1856) circular datestamp, addressed to Henry Coad in San Francisco, pencil "Papin Feb 23/56" receipt docketing at left, some minor edgewear and stamps lightly soiled

VERY FINE. A REMARKABLE USE OF THE CALIFORNIA PENNY POST COMPANY FRANKED ENTIRE. EXAMPLES WITH ADHESIVE STAMPS FOR GOVERNMENT POSTAGE ARE RARE. THIS USE FROM ST. LOUIS SENT WESTWARD TO SAN FRANCISCO IS UNIQUE.

The California Penny Post Company was established in June 1855 by Henry L. Goodwin (sometimes reported as "J. P." Goodwin). The Penny Post advertised service in several larger California towns and cities, offering to carry letters to and from the local post office, to bring letters to one post office and deliver them to the addressee from the receiving office, and to run an express service between towns after the government mails were closed for the day. A specific rate was charged for each service, and these rates are reflected in the stamps and entires issued by the Penny Post. For a relatively short-lived operation, the Penny Post produced a large variety of stamps and printed envelopes to facilitate prepayment and collect-on-delivery mail.

Almost immediately the Penny Post incurred the wrath of the San Francisco postmaster, and Goodwin became involved in protracted litigation trying to fight the government. Most writers have reported that the Penny Post closed down after twelve to eighteen months, but we have never seen source documentation to establish exactly when service ended. There is one June 1, 1856, Penny Post entire with the name of the post and "Penny Postage Paid 7" crossed out (Siegel Sale 773, lot 219), which might be evidence that the Penny Post closed before that date.

The printed franks are found on plain envelopes and U.S. 3c stamped envelopes. The rates correspond to the company's advertisements, but the application of these rates, patterns of use and certain enigmatic covers have yet to be fully explained. The most comprehensive study of this company's history and census of covers were recently self-published by Richard C. Frajola and can be found at his website: http://www.rfrajola.com/cpp/CP2.htm

The cover offered here is a very rare use of the 5c frank on a plain envelope (34LU9; Frajola Type 3A) with U.S. postage paid by the 10c 1855 and 3c 1851 Issue. The 5c Penny Post rate covered delivery of the letter from the San Francisco office to the addressee. Very few Penny Post covers originating outside of California are known. The gap between the Feb. 23 origin date (indicated by the docketing) and the St. Louis Mar. 1 postmark date is intriguing. Perhaps the letter was written by someone travelling eastward from California, who carried with him a Penny Post entire and used it to mail the letter at Saint Louis. Another possibility is that the letter originated in the East, the entire (furnished by the California correspondent) was pre-stamped with the 10c for the transcontinental rate, then carried by a westward-bound traveler to Saint Louis and mailed from there. This latter scenario might explain the additional 3c stamp, possibly applied in response to a persnickety postal clerk who questioned the legitimacy of the 10c stamp.

Ex Dale-Lichtenstein. With 2004 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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 E. $ 10,000-15,000

SOLD for $13,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
1518 c ImageCalifornia Penny Post Co., San Francisco, 5c Black on Buff entire (34LU9; Frajola Type 3A). Mailed from Massachusetts with manuscript "Lunenburg Ms. Octo. 22, 1855" postmark and "Paid 10" transcontinental rate on entire to Morgan's Ranch Cal. in care of the San Francisco Penny Post, few small pinholes and wrinkles

VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY EXAMPLE OF A CALIFORNIA PENNY POST COMPANY ENTIRE USED FROM THE EAST COAST RECORDED IN THE FRAJOLA CENSUS.

Illustrated in Nathan book and Coburn's Letters of Gold. Ex Jessup, Pearce, Haas, Edwards and Golden (Image)

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 E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $3,500.00
Will close during Public Auction
1519 c ImageCalifornia Penny Post Co., San Francisco, 7c Black on 3c Red on White entire (34LU10a; Frajola Type 3D). Mostly clear strike of "Oroville/Cal." two-line handstamp with manuscript "June 2" (1856) date, addressed to "Peney Post" with San Francisco street address, expertly cleaned and some minor cosmetic improvements

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A VERY LATE USE OF A CALIFORNIA PENNY POST COMPANY ENTIRE.

The California Penny Post was started on June 25, 1855, and lasted approximately one year. This is the only example of any Penny Post Co. entire in the Frajola census with the Oroville straightline.

With 2002 P.S.E. certificate stating "cleaned and restored" but the are no paper additions or sealed tears except on the backflap (Image)

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 E. $ 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $1,800.00
Will close during Public Auction

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