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Lot 65

large margins, tied by black "Pony Express, Central Overland & Pikes Peak Express Company, St Joseph, Mo, Oct 27" oval in circle handstamp with second strike alongside, on 10c Green entire (U40) with Type 2 Wells Fargo printed frank, uprated with 10c green (62B) tied by "Paid" in lozenge, red "Boston Mass Oct 19" double circle datestamp, addressed to Edward Prindle in San Francisco, cover torn at top left, indicia repaired at top and 10c stamp with clipped perforations due to placement over cover edge, otherwise fine, one of just four covers with the Pony Express "Garter" stamp, an extraordinary and important Pony Express cover documenting the last vestiges of the service (FKW Census #W68)

This cover was in transit at the time Wells Fargo announced the Pony Express would be terminated (October 26) and arrived in St. Joseph too late for the last westbound trip of the Pony Express (departing October 24). Mail such as this that was in transit at the time of the announcement was processed and bagged in St. Joseph by the Express agent as pony mail, however when the bags arrived at Atchison they were put on the daily overland mail stages.