Auction Detail
June 2023
"Erivan" Collection Part IX and Canal Zone Stamps and Covers
Our June sales include Part IX of the "Erivan" Collection of United and Confederate States Postal History and a catalogue of Canal Zone stamps and covers featuring the collections of James W. Crumpacker and Paul F. Ammons.
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black oval handstamp on cover to Wilmington, Ohio, franked with 10c Green (35), black "Pony Express St. Joseph Jun 1" Running Pony handstamp, entered the mails with blue "Saint Joseph Mo. Jun 2 1860" datestamp, very fine and attractive, this cover was carried as part of the last eastbound Pony Express trip before depredations by the Paiute Indians in present day Nevada caused a disruption in service lasting from late May through late June, a rare combination of the San Francisco oval and St. Joseph Running Pony (FKW Census #E7)
margins large to just in at left, tied by blue "Pony Express San Francisco Oct 2" Running Pony handstamp to 10c Green entire (U33) with red printed frank at top, entered the mails with "Atchison Kan Oct 16" double circle datestamp, addressed to New York City, small repairs along top edge, very fine and choice (FKW Census #E170)
Provenance: Louis H. Barkhausen (H.R. Harmer Sale 966, 1955)
tied by blue "Wells Fargo & Co. Express Mount Ophir" oval to 10c Green entire (U33) with red printed frank at top, endorsed "Per Pony Express" and addressed to Colchester, Vermont, entered the mails with "Atchison Kan Oct 19" double circle datestamp, opened roughly at right and small tear at top, otherwise very fine, the only Pony Express cover originating at Mount Ophir and the only one to Vermont, this cover was collected by the Pony Express on its October 5 trip, 2023 Philatelic Foundation certificate (FKW Census #E175)
black Running Pony oval handstamp on 3c Nesbitt entire (U10) addressed to "W.A. Carter, Esq, Fort Bridger, Utah", endorsed "Pony Express" at bottom left, manuscript "Free Jno. W. Russell, Sccy", contemporaneous docketing on reverse reads "$477.58, Paid Oct. 6th 1860 to agent COC+PP to clear my p. office accounts to 30th Sepr 1860, W.A.C.", very fine (FKW Census W14)
John W. Russell was the son of Pony Express founder William H. Russell and served as the firm's secretary and minority owner. On January 27, 1860, Russell, Majors, and Waddell sent the younger Russell a telegram that simply read, "Have determined to establish a Pony Express to Sacramento, California, commencing the 3rd of April. Time 10 days."
block of four with partial manuscript "Sample", affixed to black card which conceals light diagonal crease through bottom pair, very fine appearance, one of just three "Sample" blocks recorded, a rejoined pair of blocks was in the Twigg-Smith and Middendorf collections, this block would be positioned at top right of those
Provenance: Hall Collection (R.A. Siegel Sale 830, 2000)
single with full margins, lightened pen cancel, very fine example of this difficult issue (Scott $1,250)
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.
full margins, tied to 3c Pink on white entire by "Wells, Fargo & Co. Virginia City, N.T. May 4" datestamp, black printed frank at top, addressed to Mrs. Lucy Goldman in San Francisco, very fine and attractive (Scott $4,750)