Western Overland Routes



 



13 August 2018 Update - The sale is over. Any unsold items have been moved to regular inventory on the census site. Page is here.

Section 10. The "Daily Mail" Route, 1861 to 1869


From 1 July 1861 the first contract "Daily Mail" was sent by the Overland Mail Company (OMC) over the Central Overland route between California and Missouri. The route varied somewhat but was generally the same as the Pony Express route shown below.

A short article, Defaults, Delays and Vibrations on the Overland Mail Route, is here



 

click to enlarge

 

Ordering Information - Items that have grayed-out stock numbers and prices have been sold but prices will remain online as a value guide and reference. Please email me to confirm availability and order by stock number.


return to table of contents
 


click image to enlarge

#4185
 
price $2,000

now
$1,000

[First Trip Eastbound Overland Mail Company], Long Bar Cal Jun 28 (1861) postmark, "Paid" handstamp and manuscript "30" rate on double rate cover to France, carried on first OMC trip catching the 1 July 1861 departure from Placerville, departed New York on 23 July (unreadable faint exchange backstamp) and with French entry datestamp of Calais on 6 August

ex Noel and Walske

#4186
 
sold
$3,000

[First Eastbound Trip Overland Mail Company], San Francisco Cal Jun 29 1861 postmark on unpaid double rate cover to France, "30" due handstamp, New York 23 July exchange datestamp, carried by Cunard Line steamer Canada from Boston on 24 July, red French entry at Calais 6 August datestamp, "16" decimes due, carried on the first OMC contract trip that departed Placerville 1 July and Atchison, Kansas on 20 July

ex Noel and Walske

#4187
 
sold
$3,500

[From Argentina Fourth Westbound OMC], small cover from Argentina to Milpitas, California, posted prepaid in Buenos Ayres on April 27, 1861, sent via Spain to London on June 14, Inman steamer Etna left Liverpool June 19 and arrived in New  York on July 1, carried on fourth OMC stagecoach from Atchison on July 4,- postmarked on July 23 1861 in San Francisco with the "Paid" postmark arrival

ex Noel and Walske

#4188
 
sold
$10,000

[OMC - Altered Text Stagecoach Directive], cover to Oswego, New York with blue "The Star of The Union- California" illustrated imprint, the "Overland Via Los Angeles" text has been altered by removal of the "Los Angeles" (compare with cover #4123 listed in Butterfield route section), 10c green (#35) tied by bold Georgetown Cal Jul 18 1861 postmark, a gem

ex Haas, Jarrett and Walske

#4190
 
sold
$3,000

[OMC - Altered Text Stagecoach Directive], cover to Charlotte Centre, New York with hand colored four horse stage illustration, the text below the coach has been altered by manuscript cross-through of the words "Via Los Angeles", 10c green (#35) tied by San Francisco Dec 16 1861 postmark, minute cover corner repair at bottom right

ex Rohloff, Haas and Walske

#4192
 
price $1,200

now
$1,000

[CSA Through The Lines to California], Crittenden correspondence cover to San Francisco, cover contained a letter of James Chittenden (a Captain in CSA Army), letter addressed in his hand smuggled from Richmond to Baltimore where it entered the mails with 10c Green (#68) tied by blue Baltimore 6 January postmark, reverse with San Francisco Cal Advertised Feb 18 backstamp, cover with long tears and faults, the letter was sold in Frajola auction #2, lot #52 and was purchased by Clements Library

ex Walske

#3492
 
price
$750

now
$600

[Sacramento Valley Railroad], Office of / Sacramento Valley Railroad / Sacramento - framed corner card and matching "FREE" in negative octagon on ca. 1862 express cover to (Senator) John Conness, San Francisco, carried by Wells Fargo with their blue Sacramento double circle datesatmp, addressed to the Ross House and with pencil box "110" notation, cover restored with parts of reverse added, the only reported example from this important railroad that operated between Sacramento & Folsom, CA until it was sold to the Central Pacific RR in August 1865

Conness had the honor of being a pallbearer at Lincoln's funeral on April 19, 1865.

ex Kramer

#3384
 
sold
$950

[Fort Laramie, DT, 1866], Fort Laramie Dakota Territory September 5 1866 Dakota Territory period postmark on "Head Quarters District of the Plains" imprint cover to New York, two copies 3c rose (#65) with matching target cancels, light edge age spot

ex Kramer

#3386
 
price
$350

now
$300

[Fort Abercrombie, DT], Fort Abercrombie Dakota Territory Jul 8 ostmark trying 3c rose (#65) to ca. 1865 cover to Minnesota, additional strike below, very fine

ex Kramer

#4201
 
price $30,000

now
$25,000

[Hawaii via California and OMC Route in 1865], cover to Illinois, franked with pair Hawaii "Inter Island" stamps (#22, Plate 12-A, positions 1-2), Honolulu US Postage Paid May 19 datestamp, carried on the Cambridge to San Francisco,  US 5c Brown (#76) affixed over the Hawaii and cancelled by San Francisco Cal Jun 11 cogwheel duplex, cover and right stamp in pair with nick at top right, the only known multiple of the Hawaii Inter-Island 5c stamp

ex Tows, Baker, Risvold and Walske

#4197
 
sold $40,000

[Hawaii via California and OMC Route to Blockading Squadron off Mobile in 1864], cover addressed to U.S. Steamer Sebago, Blockading Squadron, Mobile, Alabama, franked with Hawaii 5c Blue (#9) and two copies US 3c rose (#65), Honolulu US Postage Paid Aug 27 datestamp, on arrival in San Francisco the cover was rated as an unpaid steamship cover and received the "Foreign" handstamp  and "Due 4" markings, stamps cancelled by San Francisco Cal Sep 23 cogwheel duplex, after overland carriage the cover arrived at New Orleans, reverse with "New Orleans Free Nov 18" postmarks and "ADV. 1" advertising handstamp (image here), PF cert, an extraordinary and important use

ex Honolulu Advertiser (1997 sale) and Walske

#4196
 
sold $30,000

[Victoria, via California and OMC Route], cover to New York, blue "Post Office Paid Victoria, Vancouver Island" oval frank for the 5c Colonial postage paid, prepaid US postage 3c rose (#65), treated as unpaid steamship cover at San Francisco with their bold "Foreign" handstamp and "Due 7" rate, stamp cancelled by San Francisco cogwheel, their Sep 3 1864 datestamp, San Francisco applied the 10c incoming steamship rate to mail from British Columbia and Hawaii from August to November 1864 and used the “FOREIGN” handstamp to explain the extra charge, one of two reported uses from British Columbia

ex Wilkinson and Walske

#4191
 
price $17,500

now
$14,000

[Hope, British Columbia via California and OMC Route to Canada], cover to Toronto BC&VI 2˝ pence rose (#2, faults) paid postage from Hope, British Columbia to Victoria, "Post Office Victoria VI" coat of arms frank indicating the Colonial postage had been paid, US 5c Buff (#67, faults) and 10c green (#68, faults) paying the rate from US to Canada tied by target cancels in transit at San Francisco and with their April 14 1862 postmark, red Chicago, Illinois "paid 15" exchange datestamp, cover aged, PF cert, rare combination

ex Carr, Wilkinson and Walske

#4202
 
sold $8,500

[Williams Creek, British Columbia via California and OMC Route to Canada], cover to Aylmer, Canada, BC&VI 5c rose (#5) and 10c blue (#6) pair prepaid postage from Williams Creek tied by barred "10" cancels, blue "GPO British Columbia 10 July 1867" backstamp, the US 10c green (#68) paid the rate from US to Canada tied by cogwheel cancel in transit at San Francisco and with their Jul 19 (1867) postmark, arrival backstamp, some perfs on BC stamps scissors trimmed, image of reverse here, PF cert

ex Dale Lichtenstein and Walske

#4203
 
price $18,500

now
$15,000

[Williams Creek, British Columbia via California and OMC Route], 1867 cover to Maine, BC&VI 2˝ pence dull rose (#5, scissors trimmed perfs at foot) strip of four tied  by barred "10" cancels of Williams Creek, blue "GPO British Columbia 17 August 1867" backstamp, US 10c green (#68) tied by cogwheel cancel in transit at San Francisco and with their Aug 26 (1867), PF cert

ex Carr, Wilkinson and Walske

#4198
 
sold $1,000

[Canada via US and OMC to Victoria, Vancouver Island], 1866 cover to Victoria franked with two copies Canada 5c vermilion (#15) tied by London CW JA 6 postmarks, cover slight soiling

ex Carr, Wilkinson and Walske

#4193
 
sold
$12,000

[Prince Edward Island via OMC to California], 1863 cover from Lott correspondence to Oroville, California, franked with PEI 3 pence blue (#2) and 6 pence green (#3) tied by grill cancels, "Prince Edward Island Jun 12 1863" origin backstamp (image here), very fine

ex Kramer and Walske

#4195
 
price $3,000

now
$2,500

[France via OMC to Utah], 1863 cover from Paris, France to Capt George Wallace at Salt Lake City, 1862 issue 80c (#28) tied, New York Aug 17 transit, upon arrival at Salt Lake it was taken from the post office and re-mailed to San Francisco with 3c red (#65), Salt Lake City Sep 3 postmark, cover slight edge faults, attractive combination

ex Semsrott and Walske

#4199
 
price $3,000

now
$2,500

[France West then East by OMC], 1866 cover from Nice, France to Salem, Mass., prepaid with two copies 1862 issue 40c orange, Boston BR Pkt Paid entry but routed west on overland route in error, "Missent To San Francisco" straightline handstamp and their Mar 26 postmark, then carried overland back to Mass., a rare marking

ex Walske

#4200
 
sold $7,500

[Mexico via New York and OMC], 1866 folded cover from Mexico, via NY Steamship, to San Francisco, Mexico 1864 Eagle issue ˝ real gray, type V (#20d) and 2 real orange (#23) tied by Franco Mexico 1 May 1866 postmark, entered US mails with "N.Y. Steamship 18 May" (10c due) entry, MEPSI cert

ex Rosenthal and Walske

#3453
 
price $4,500

now
$3,500

[Overland to San Francisco & Trans-Pacific to China], #93, 2c Black "F" Grill pair used with two copies 3c Red "F" Grill (#94), on Wingate correspondence cover to Swatow, China, prepaid 10c trans-Pacific rate, "Bristol NH Mar 10" (1869) origin postmark, scarcer New York Paid All exchange, carried on daily mail over central Overland route to San Francisco, Hong Kong transit (May 9 1869) and Swatow arrival backstamps, signed Ashbrook

Carried on PMSS Great Republic from San Francisco, via Yokohama, to Hong Kong (arrived May 9). The P&O steamer Azof from Hong Kong to Swatow (departed May 15, arrived May 16).

 ex Allen and Faust




Richard Frajola (July 29, 2018)