Frajola Current Projects

(includes items wanted for purchase)

Client Projects - On behalf of various clients I am actively buying exhibit quality covers, including rarities, in the following areas:

     United States postal history - Pony Express covers, first Nesbitt issue postal stationery, Provisionals in exceptional quality, exceptional 1851 issue cover with one cent stamp, Western Express, Railroad and waterway uses before 1870, 1857 and 1861 issue uses to exotic destinations, three cent 1861 issue combination franking uses, inbound mail to the U.S. with exceptional frankings (1857-1870), rare New York Foreign Mail cancels on cover, Supplementary mail uses, New Mexico and Colorado Territorial period uses, better US Navy postal history to 1876, 10c green postal stationery and adhesives on cover to 1870, and California uses pre July 1, 1851.

     Foreign Postal History - All China, Hong Kong and better Japan to 1900, US stamps used from abroad, inbound covers with exceptional frankings to 1875, mail sent via San Francisco to 1869, French Intervention in Mexico, French military markings on cover to 1876, plus see second paragraph below.

Personal Projects - I am currently working on a book on the transcontinental mails in the United States before May 10, 1869. This will include precursor routes such as fur trade mails, military routes as well as early contract mail routes to areas west of the Mississippi River. If you own material which you think might be germane to this study, please contact me.

     I am also working on a collection of worldwide postal history that compares the actual cost of postage on domestic mails in different countries. The collection includes imperforate stamps used before 1860 on cover paying single weight, domestic letter rate postage only. The cost of each postal rate is analyzed in relation to the amount of silver it cost. To do this, the absolute silver weight of the crown size silver coin in use is related to the rate. For this project I seek superb covers with unusual and rare additional features. Some pages from the collection may be viewed here. I welcome offers of suitable material.