Independent Carriers and Express Companies - Stamp Auctions
 Lot 106 - Independent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XWells, 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. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XIndependent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses |
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 Lot 101 - Independent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XWells, Fargo & Co, Pony Express, $1.00 red, mostly good to large margins all around, close but clear at right, bright shade, tied to red Wells, Fargo & Co. printed frank 10c green Nesbitt entire (U15) by blue "Pony Express San Francisco / Sep 7" oval, cover further affixed with two 3c dull red Type II and two 10c green Type V, the 3c adhesives tied by blue Running Pony, they and the balance further postmarked by red New York Foreign Mail Office grid cancellations, to Pietro Martinelli in Maggia, Ticino, Switzerland, reverse with red "New-York Br. Pkt. / Sep 25" c.d.s., front with various accountancy markings, violet "12" manuscript credit mark, boxed red "Aachen 8 10 / Franco" and manuscript "f2" and "6", backstamped Basel (9 Oct), Lucerne (10 Oct) and Locarno, accompanying certificate notes the removal of some staining, else a very fine and dramatic entire, one of only six Pony Express covers recorded to foreign destinations, this being the unique example to Switzerland; with 2003 Philatelic Foundation certificate. FKW Census E155.Provenance:Dale-Lichtenstein, H.R. Harmer, May 13, 2004.Thurston Twigg-Smith, R.A Siegel Auction Galleries, December, 2009 Covers of the Pony Express are among the most renowned in philately. The striking appearance of these postal artifacts cannot help but conjure romantic images of America’s westward expansion. The example offered here is, in our view, among the most attractive Pony Express covers extant, the exceptional 36c franking overpaying by 1c the Prussian Closed Mail rate. The exhaustive Frajola – Kramer – Walske Census records six covers to destinations outside of the United States, with one example recorded to each of England, France, Germany, Prince Edward Island, Scotland, and Switzerland. This is furthermore the only Pony Express cover with this particular franking. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XIndependent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses |
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 Lot 107 - Independent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XWells, 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. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XIndependent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses |
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 Lot 102 - Independent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XWells, Fargo & Co, Pony Express, $1.00 red, four mostly large even margins, on red PAID / Wells, Fargo & Co. printed frank 10c green star die stationery cover, postmarked "St. Joseph Mo. / Sep / 14", adhesive tied by faint "Wells, Fargo & Co / Carson City" oval, date indistinct, to Philadelphia, some light uniform wear from use, small gum adhesion on stamp, entire repaired at left, else scarce and fine. (FWK Census E152). This cover, a way letter, was carried on the eastern journey of the Pony Express, departing San Francisco on Saturday, August 31, 1861, arriving in St. Joseph two weeks later on September 14. It is one of only five way letters recorded carried during the Fourth Rate Period, and the only recorded example carried on this trip. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XIndependent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses |
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 Lot 108 - Independent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XWells Fargo & Co, Virginia City Pony Express, 1862-4, 25c red, straddle pane strip of four, plus two singles, these with two large margins at left, all with other margins clear to into frameline, tied to cover by blue circular "Wells, Fargo & Co Express / 20 APR" c.d.s., to the Clerk of the District Court, County of Storey, Virginia City, Nevada Territory, partial notary's embossed seal on reverse, clerk's docketing on back indicates receipt on April 22, 1864, the likely enclosed heavy legal documents accounting for the $1.50 franking which paid for 3 oz, cover reduced at left and right, reverse with significant adhesions, adhesives with various faults including horizontal fold and some tears, among the largest frankings extant, covers with seven and eight 25c red adhesives having been offered in previous "Erivan" sales, a most remarkable Virginia City Pony Express cover. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XIndependent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses |
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 Lot 103 - Independent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XWells, Fargo & Co, Pony Express, $1.00 red, good to large margins, on 10c green star die stationery entire with red Wells, Fargo & Co printed frank, tied by neatly-struck blue oval "Pony Express / Sacramento / Sep 22", both partially overtop manuscript "Pony Express", postmarked with "Atchison Kan / Oct / 5" double-circle c.d.s., to New York City, endorsed at lower left "Please keep at the / N.Y. Office till called for.", oval "New York Post Office / ADVERTISED" in black and "New York / Oct 15" c.d.s. backstamp, not collected as indicated and struck with oval "P.O. Department Dead Letter Office / Mar 11 / 1862" adhesive with some wrinkles, particularly near "Co.", repaired tears, yet a rare late usage of tremendous visual appeal; ex Knapp, Haas. FKW Census E165. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XIndependent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses |
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 Lot 109 - Independent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XWells, 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. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XIndependent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses |
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 Lot 104 - Independent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XWells, Fargo & Co, 1861, 10c green entire (U18), with printed “1/2 Ounce Paid from St. Joseph to Placerville per Pony Express” printed frank in red, script “Agent of Pony Express” alongside, indicia cancelled with black four-ring target, postmarked with “New-York / Oct / 26” double-circle c.d.s., circular “Pony Express / The Central Overland California & Pikes Peak / Express Company / Oct 31 / St. Joseph” datestamp, to De Witt, Kettle & Co in San Francisco, with embossed return address of the company’s New York office on back flap, endorsed “the last kick of the Pony” in manuscript at top, docketed on reverse “the last ‘Pony Express’ received” and dated “Rec’d Nov. 21st 1861”, small piece torn from back corner, some light uniform aging, a striking cover, intended for the final westbound journey of the Pony Express. (FKW Census W70). H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XIndependent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses |
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 Lot 105 - Independent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XWells, Fargo & Co, Virginia City Pony Express, 1862-4, 10c brown, margins clear to large, showing portion of adjoining stamp at foot, tied to Wells Fargo & Co. 3c pink postal stationery cover, with printed frank, adhesive and indicia each cancelled by blue oval "Wells, Fargo & Co / Silver City, Utah / Express" oval, to San Francisco, professionally restored along either side, a most attractive and rare cover, examples from Silver City rather than Virginia City being rarely offered. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XIndependent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses |
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 Lot 86 - Independent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XWells, Fargo, & Co, Newspaper Stamp, (undenominated) blue, tied to wrapper to Poway, California by blue oval "Wells, Fargo & Co / San Diego Cal" datestamp in blue, the odd lightly toned perf, some disturbances to reverse from prior mounting, a rare franking, 1982 Philatelic Foundation certificate no longer accompanies; ex Kuphal. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XIndependent Carriers and Express Companies Western Expresses |
