Four collections of Western expresses, California mails highlight Nov. 4-5 Siegel auction

By Charles Snee

An impressive selection of Western expresses and California mails will be up for bids during Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries’ Nov. 4-5 sale in New York City.

The 600 lots on offer during the two-day sale include the James Blaine collection of Western expresses, the Dennis Hassler collection of Western expresses and California mails, the John Birkinbine II collection of California 10¢ rates, and further selections from the Penguin collection.

Among the eye-catching lots that will cross the Siegel auction block during the first day of the sale is a G.H. Wines & Co.’s California Express cover showing a triple conjunctive use with the Pacific Express Co. and Rhodes & Whitney’s Express.

(The term “conjunctive” describes a system where multiple separate mail carriers work together to transport a single letter, with each carrier affixing their own stamps or markings to document their part of the service.)

The cover features the distinctive illustrated eagle and shield printed frank of G.H. Wines & Co.’s California Express in the upper left corner. The indicium of the 3¢ red Washington stamped envelope on buff paper (Scott U10) is tied by a bold strike of the Rhodes & Whitney’s Express Weaverville handstamp.

At left, below the G.H. Wines & Co.’s California Express printed frank, is a faint strike of the Pacific Express Co. Shasta handstamp.

Siegel describes the cover as “magnificent example of the G.H. Wines & Co.’s eagle and shield printed frank, with triple conjunctive service between Weaverville and San Francisco.”

Siegel’s detailed lot description provides useful background about the three express companies that transported the cover from Shasta to San Francisco:

“The initial ad of G. H. Wines & Co.’s Express in September 17, 1855, indicated that they would operate a daily express from San Francisco to Sacramento, connecting there with Rhodes & Whitney’s Express for various points north, including Shasta and Weaverville. By the time this cover was carried, Pacific Express Co. had started service over part of the route between Shasta and Weaverville. Nearly all the Wines & Co.’s Express printed franks are accompanied by a Rhodes & Whitney’s Weaverville handstamp; thus, they must have had a very close relationship, apparently including a stock of the Wines eagle and shield franked entires in their office in Weaverville. This cover originated at Weaverville with the Rhodes & Whitney’s Weaverville handstamp. They carried it as far as Shasta, where it was given to the Pacific Express Co. for transport to Sacramento. Finally, the cover was given to Wines & Co. for completion of the journey to San Francisco.”

Siegel last offered the cover in its 2009 sale of the David L. Jarrett collection of propaganda covers, where it sold for $5,175 (including the 15 percent buyer’s premium).

Siegel lists this G.H. Wines & Co.’s California Express cover showing a triple conjunctive use with the Pacific Express Co. and Rhodes & Whitney’s Express with an estimate of $5,000 to $7,500.

Another scarce cover that will tempt bidders is one of the two recorded examples of the Spargur’s Honey Lake Express printed frank featuring four different fonts surrounded by an ornate border.

“H. L. Spargur operated an express service from Oroville to Quincy, California, that extended to the Honey Lake area,” Siegel said.

The cover was mailed from Quincy, Calif., to Montrose, Pa. A manuscript “Paid 7” near the top indicates the 3¢ stamped envelope (Scott U10) was uprated to the 10¢ transcontinental rate.

In the catalog description, Siegel points out that the cover is missing one side flap and has a small, sealed tear and slight edge soiling. These faults are “immaterial for the rarity of this frank,” Siegel said.

Siegel notes that the cover is the sole example of the Spargur’s Honey Lake Express frank on a postal entire. “The other is on a plain envelope with handstamped ‘PAID’ markings,” Siegel said.

According to Siegel, the plain envelope was mailed from Quincy to Boston, Mass., and bears a July 6 circular datestamp and a manuscript “Paid 10” marking. That cover was last offered during Schuyler Rumsey Philatelic Auctions’ 2018 sale of the George J. Kramer collection of Western trails and routes, where it sold for $4,887.50 (including the 15 percent buyer’s premium).

The Spargur’s Honey Lake Express cover in the Nov. 4-5 auction was offered in Siegel’s 1975 Rarities of the World sale. It sold for $3,080 (including the 10 percent buyer’s premium).

Siegel is offering the only recorded example of the Spargur’s Honey Lake Express frank on a postal entire with an estimate of $7,500 to $10,000.

Full details of the Nov. 4-5 auction of Western expresses and California mails, including a downloadable version of the 190-page catalog and online bidding options, are available on the Siegel website at www.siegelauctions.com.

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