Auction Detail
3070 – ERIVAN X
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Wells, Fargo & Co, Virginia City Pony Express, 1862-4, 25c blue, margins touching on two sides, large at foot, showing frameline of adjoining stamp, tied to 3c pink Wells, Fargo & Co postal stationery cover with printed frank by blue oval "Wells, Fargo & Co / Gold Hill Utah / Express", to Yreka, California, docketing indicates receipt on May 3, 1863, a pleasing and very fine entire of great scarcity; ex Emerson, Knapp.
After the termination of the transcontinental Pony Express, Wells, Fargo & Co. established an express route from San Francisco to Virginia City, Nevada Territory. To denote payment, Wells Fargo issued three new stamps, a 10c brown, 25c blue, and 25c red, similar in design to the earlier issues used on the Pony Express. The docketing of this cover of May 3, 1863, falls in the period in which the 25c adhesive would have paid the single letter rate, which had been increased from 10c in February.
Gold Hill, Utah, was on the Virginia City route, and the "Utah" cancellation continued to be used even after the Gold Hill region became part of the Nevada Territory, which it had two months to the day of this cover was posted.
Wells, Fargo & Co, Virginia City Pony Express, 1862-4, 25c blue, mostly full margins all around, close at right, tied to 3c Wells, Fargo & Co. 3c pink postal stationery cover with printed frank, cancelled by "Wells, Fargo & Co Aurora / Express" oval in blue, from the Crittenden correspondence, to C.C. (Clara Churchill) Crittenden in San Francisco, manuscript notation at left "No 1313. Taylor St / Read & let no one else", the odd trivial light crease, repaired tear at top, torn above adhesive, a rare and attractive cover, written in the hand of her son, Howard.
Wells, Fargo & Co, Virginia City Pony Express, $2.00 red, full to very large margins on three sides, touching frameline at top, tied to Wells, Fargo & Co. 3c pink postal stationery cover with printed frank, cancelled by "Wells, Fargo & Co. Virginia Cty. / Mar 2" oval datestamp, from the Crittenden correspondence, to Clara Crittenden at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in San Francisco, written in the hand of her husband, Alexander Parker Crittenden, a rare franking and rermarkably fresh entire, this from the last day of use of the Virginia City Pony; with 1981 Philatelic Foundation certificate.
Alexander Parker Crittenden, a Kentucky native from an influential family, was a prominent West Coast attorney. He established a legal practice in San Francisco, and served as leader of the southern wing of the California Democratic Party. In 1863, unwilling to swear "true fealty and allegiance" to the government of the United States following a legislative mandate, he relocated Virginia City.
Fish, Waterbury, Connecticut, Rohloff A-12, choice strike ties 3c rose to cover to Saugatuck, Connecticut, further tied by neatly-struck "Waterbury Con / Aug / 20 /66" c.d.s., stamp with shorter perfs at left, roughly opened through back flap, an ideal example of this rare fancy cancel; ex Jackson, Rohloff, Eubanks (Private transactions). Illustrated in Rohloff, fig. 14, page 20).
Large Bee, Waterbury, Connecticut, Rohloff A-13, nearly complete strike on 1c buff, adhesive with corner crease and tiny tear at bottom right, pulled perf at top right corner, yet a remarkably bold example of this famed fancy cancel; with 2023 Philatelic Foundation certificate.
Small Bee, Waterbury, Connecticut, Rohloff A-14, ideal strike on 3c postal stationery cover, postmarked "Waterbury CT / Feb / 4", to Wolcott, cover with some adhesion marks, reduced at right just touching indicia, but a very fine strike of this intricate fancy cancel, with full strikes on cover being extremely rare.
Bridgeport Fireman, Waterbury, Connecticut, Rohloff E-6, complete strike showing "BF’ in hat and most details of face, tying 3c rose to cover to Wurstboro, New York, "Waterbury Con / Apr / 26 / 66" c.d.s. alongside, some very light aging at right, stamp lightly oxidized, not detracting from this rare and attractive fancy cancel, recorded in use only between April 25 and May 8, 1866.
Old Woman in Bonnet, Waterbury, Connecticut, Rohloff E-10, two bold strikes tie 2c black F Grill and 1c buff to cover to West Meriden, Connecticut, postmarked "Waterbury CT / Mar / 14", printed corner card, opened on two sides and slightly reduced at left, a remarkable two-issue usage, and one of the most renowned of the Waterbury fancy cancels.
Provenance:
Katharine Matthies
Ryohei Ishikawa, Christie's New York, September 28-9, lot 606)
Woman in Bonnet Facing Left, Waterbury, Connecticut, Rohloff E-11, exceptional strike on 3c pink postal stationery cover, adjacent ideal strike of "Waterbury Con / Apr / 27 / 66" double-circle c.d.s., to Saugatuck, Ct., printed return address of the Benedict & Burnham Manufacturing Co., extremely fine, and the only recorded example of this fancy cancel, this choice strike showing the intricate detail of this exceptional design; illustrated in Rohloff (Fig. 81A), ex-Sampson, Hauser (Christie's Robson Lowe, December 13, 1990, lot 24).
Chrysanthemum, Waterbury, Connecticut, Rohloff F-3, near-complete strike on 3c ultramarine, tied to cover to Southbury, Connecticut, from the Chase correspondence, postmarked "Waterbury / CT / Jan / 24", reduced at right, barely touching a few perfs and not detracting from the appeal of this rare cancellation, with only a handful of examples recorded on cover, an outstanding fancy cancel; ex Mechin, Hauser (Christie's Robson Lowe, December 13, 1990, lot 27).
Heart With Arrow Pointing Down, Waterbury, Connecticut, Rohloff J-5, ideal strike ties 3c green to locally-addressed cover, adjacent crisp "Waterbury / CT / Feb / 14" datestamp, a choice strike of this fancy cancel, one of ten examples on cover recorded in the Crowe census and arguably the finest example extant, particularly desirable used on Valentine's Day, extremely fine, ex Weiss, 1990 Philatelic Foundation certificate no longer accompanies.
Circle of Hearts Enclosing Six-Point Rosette, Waterbury, Connecticut, Rohloff J-11, near-full strike on 3c rose on cover postmarked "Waterbury Con / Sep / 14 / 1867", to Blackstone, Massachusetts, cover slightly reduced along top, clear of adhesive, slight edge staining, a fine example, one of only five on cover reported in the Crowe census, and the latest reported date of use; ex Rohloff, Eubanks.