1130° |
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Langton's Humboldt
Express, 25c Brown (86L1). Large margins except clear at lower right,
beautiful sharp impression on bright fresh paper, tied by heavily impressed
red "Paid" in double-line oval, affixed slightly overlapping matching red
"Langton's Pioneer Express Unionville" oval handstamp on 3c Pink entire
(U34) to Charles L. Lott in Oroville Cal., conjunctive use with Wells,
Fargo & Co. black printed frank and blue "Wells, Fargo & Co. Carson City
May 11" oval datestamp VERY FINE. ONLY SIX INTACT COVERS ARE KNOWN
WITH LANGTON'S HUMBOLDT EXPRESS STAMP. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF WESTERN
POSTAL HISTORY. The Humboldt Express was the last of seven successive
Western express services operated by Samuel W. Langton, who has been
described by historians as the most energetic and persevering of the
numerous expressmen of the period. Langton launched the Humboldt Express in
February 1860 and oversaw its operation until his accidental death in 1864.
Service was provided between the Humboldt mines in Nevada to Carson City,
the state capital. For transportation across this difficult route, 25c was
charged in addition to the $2.00 per letter fee. To facilitate prepayment
of this surcharge, Langton issued the 25c Brown adhesive stamp. The stamp,
with its exceptionally detailed depiction of a stagecoach drawn by a
four-horse team, is widely regarded as the finest example of a pictorial
stamp issued by the numerous local posts operating in the United States
between 1842 and the 1870's. The style, lettering, color and lithographic
technique used to print Langton's stamp are identical to those of the
Wells, Fargo & Co. Pony Express stamps of the same period, and it is
accepted, though unproven, that the issues of both companies were made by
the same printer (Britton & Rey of San Francisco). We record the
following Humboldt Express 25c Brown covers: 1) Unionville (blue oval) to
J. S. Bendle, Bidwell's Bar Cal., "Care of Capt. Singer", U34 with Langton
frank, ex Brown, Moody, Simpson, Hertz, Siegel Sale 896, lot 660, realized
$42,500 hammer), 2) Star City (blue oval) to J. S. Bendle, Bidwell's Bar
Cal., "Care of Capt. Singer", U35 with Langton frank, repaired, PFC, ex
Dale-Lichtenstein, 3) Unionville (blue oval) to J. S. Bendle, Bidwell's Bar
Cal., "Care of Capt. Singer", U34 with Langton frank, ex Caspary, Nathan,
4) Star City (blue oval) to G. Borzo, Placerville Cal., U34 with Langton
frank, WF Nevada Jun. 10 oval, ex Jessup, Hawley, Polland, Jacobitz, 5)
Unionville (red oval) and "Paid" in oval tying 25c, to Charles Lott,
Oroville Cal., U34 with WF frank and WF Carson City May 11 oval, the cover
offered here, PFC, ex Haas, Edwards (Siegel Sale 764, lot 2131, realized
$75,000 hammer), and 6) Star City (blue oval) to S. W. Holladay, San
Francisco, U34 with Langton frank, 3c 1861 tied by "Paid" and WF Nevada
Jul. 11 (1863) oval, with enclosure, PFC, ex Hall, Kapiloff. In addition to
these six intact covers, there are two restored fronts or pieces and a few
faked examples. Our census has been compiled independently of the Gamett
census and more recent Lyons census, which contain incorrect sale history
data for #1 and #2 above. The placement of the stamp over the Langton
red oval handstamp and the use of the "Paid" oval are indicative of an
unusual method of franking. The reverse of the top of the stamp, when
gently lifted away from the cover, shows red ink offset on the gum,
indicating the oval marking was freshly applied when the stamp was affixed.
The "Paid" is heavily impressed, and its outline can be seen on the back.
The same Paid is found in blue on an off-cover 25c stamp in the Hall sale
(Siegel Sale 830, lot 676), and overlays confirm that the red and blue
strikes were made from the same device. In our opinion, this cover
represents a genuine use of a prepared Langton's Humboldt Express and
Wells, Fargo & Co. conjunctive frank. The Unionville office handstamped the
Wells, Fargo & Co. entire with its oval marking, then applied the 25c stamp
(partly over the oval) and cancelled it with the matching red "Paid". The
combination frank was sold by the Unionville office with the stamp affixed
and precancelled. Langton's Humboldt Express carried it from Unionville to
Carson City in Nevada (about 185 miles), and Wells, Fargo & Co. carried it
from Carson City to Oroville, California (another 175 miles). The fact that
the stamp is affixed over the red oval and has offset on back are strong
indications the stamp was used on the cover in the manner described. It is
also likely that many Pony Express and Virginia City Pony Express stamps
were affixed by the offices, not the sender. Illustrated in Letters
of Gold (p. 200). Ex Haas and Edwards. With 1971 P.F. certificate (Image) |
40,000.00
SOLD for $42,500.00
Will close during Public Auction |