The David Golden Collection of Hawaiian Stamps and Postal History continued...

VERY FINE. A RARE SINGLE FRANKING OF THE 13-CENT 1853 ISSUE. ONLY SIX COVERS ARE RECORDED WITH THE 1853 13-CENT KAMEHAMEHA III STAMP USED BY ITSELF PRIOR TO APRIL 1855, PAYING THE SHORT-LIVED RATE FOR WHICH IT WAS CREATED. OF THESE, ONLY TWO STAMPS ARE TIED.

This cover was carried on the schooner Vaquero, which departed Honolulu on Dec. 13, 1854, and arrived in San Francisco on Dec. 30. From there it was sent to Panama on the Golden Age, which departed on Jan. 1 (1855) and arrived on Jan. 14.

The Gregory census contains just six examples of the 13c Kamehameha III stamp used by itself -- without any secondary franking -- on covers dated prior to the United States April 1855 rate change. This rate change effectively increased the Hawaiian rate to the U.S. East Coast from 13c to 17c, thereby destroying the purpose for which this stamp was originally created, which was to pay the 5c internal Hawaiian rate, 2c ship's fee and 6c of United States postage. During the period from May 1853 until April 1855, the practice of affixing United States stamps to Hawaiian mail became more regular.

Gregory Census No. 13-12. Ex Gibson, Adm. Harris and Krug (Image)

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VERY FINE. A RARE SINGLE FRANKING OF THE 13-CENT 1853 ISSUE. ONLY FIVE COVERS ARE RECORDED WITH THE 1853 13-CENT KAMEHAMEHA III STAMP USED BY ITSELF PRIOR TO APRIL 1855, PAYING THE SHORT-LIVED RATE FOR WHICH IT WAS CREATED.

This cover was carried on the schooner E. L. Frost, which departed Honolulu on Oct. 4, 1854, and arrived in San Francisco on Oct. 28. From there it was sent to Panama on the John L. Stephens, which departed on Nov. 1 and arrived on Nov. 13.

The Gregory census contains just five examples of the 13c Kamehameha III stamp used by itself -- without any secondary franking -- on covers dated prior to the United States April 1855 rate change. This rate change effectively increased the Hawaiian rate to the U.S. East Coast from 13c to 17c, thereby destroying the purpose for which this stamp was originally created, which was to pay the 5c internal Hawaiian rate, 2c ship's fee and 6c of United States postage. During the period from May 1853 until April 1855, the practice of affixing United States stamps to Hawaiian mail became more regular.

Gregory Census No. 13-8. Ex Tows, Jessup, Krug, Rust and Pietsch. With 1960 Friedl and 1987 P.F. certificates. (Image)

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FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE PASTE-OVER COMBINATION OF 1853 13-CENT KAMEHAMEHA III ISSUE AND UNITED STATES 3-CENT 1851 ISSUE. VERY DESIRABLE WITH THE HONOLULU POSTMARK AND SAN FRANCISCO "PAID".

This cover was carried on the bark Wavelet, which departed Honolulu on May 16, 1854, and arrived in San Francisco on June 8. From there it was sent to Panama on the Sonora, which departed on June 16 and arrived on June 29.

The 13c stamp prepaid the 5c Hawaiian postage, 2c ship captain's fee and 6c transcontinental rate. The short-lived practice of applying United States stamps (6c postage) over the 13c Hawaiian stamp was likely intended to avoid confusion over whether or not U.S. postage had been prepaid. The postmaster in Honolulu affixed the U.S. stamps to cover up the Hawaiian postage, and the letter was postmarked in San Francisco without applying a "Ship" or rate mark (although in this case it was marked "Paid"). The 2c ship fee was credited to San Francisco in the regular accounting.

Fred Gregory records eight such paste-over frankings (plus one earlier Missionary cover). Gregory Census No. 13-2. With 1978 P.F. certificate. (Image)

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FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE PASTE-OVER COMBINATION OF THE 1853 13-CENT KAMEHAMEHA III ISSUE AND UNITED STATES 3-CENT 1851 ISSUE.

The San Francisco Nov. 16 (1854) postmark date coincides with the preparation of the mail carried to Panama on the Golden Age, which departed on Nov. 16 and arrived on Nov. 28. Without any indication of the origin date in Honolulu, we cannot pinpoint one of the various ship sailings that arrived in San Francisco before Nov. 16 and after the prior sailing for Panama in November.

The 13c stamp prepaid the 5c Hawaiian postage, 2c ship captain's fee and 6c transcontinental rate. The short-lived practice of applying United States stamps (6c postage) over the 13c Hawaiian stamp was likely intended to avoid confusion over whether or not U.S. postage had been prepaid. The postmaster in Honolulu affixed the U.S. stamps to cover up the Hawaiian postage, and the letter was postmarked in San Francisco without applying a "Ship" or rate mark. The 2c ship fee was credited to San Francisco in the regular accounting.

Fred Gregory records eight such paste-overs (plus one earlier Missionary cover). Gregory Census No. 13-10. Ex Krug. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. AN EXCEEDNGLY RARE FRANKING COMBINING BOTH KAMEHAMEHA III ISSUES AFTER THE APRIL 1855 RATE CHANGE RENDERED OBSOLETE THE 13-CENT'S ORIGINAL PURPOSE. ONLY TWO COVERS FRANKED SOLELY BY THE TWO 1853 KAMEHAMEHA III STAMPS ARE RECORDED BY FRED GREGORY.

Following the United States rate change, effective April 1, 1855, the 13c Kamehameha III stamp could no longer prepay the full rate from Hawaii to the U.S. East Coast, which increased from 13c to 17c. In consequence the patrons of Hawaii's postal system began using 5c stamps plus 12c U.S. stamps, or 13c stamps plus 4c cash, or, in this case, 5c and 13c stamps together. Although 13c stamps were sold for reduced rates in 1861 (the so-called "mute surcharge"), post office correspondence confirms that in 1855 and 1856 the 13c stamps were sold for 13c. If combined with a 5c for 18c Hawaiian postage, the sender incurred a loss of 1c. Surviving covers with such 5c/13c combinations -- at least six of which are recorded (including two without any other stamps) -- originate at Hilo, but other outlying offices might also have forwarded letters to Honolulu with similar frankings.

During the period starting in April 1855 it was already a regular practice to affix U.S. postage stamps to outbound letters on which the U.S. rate had been prepaid. This is a remarkable example of a fully-prepaid letter, to which no U.S. stamps were affixed. The San Francisco "PAID 12" handstamp confirms that the letter was prepaid without U.S. adhesive stamps. The other recorded cover, which is of lesser quality, was offered in our sale of the Twigg-Smith collection (Siegel Sale 931, lot 4022).

Gregory Census No. 5-18. Ex Caspary and Krug. Signed Ashbrook. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED COVERS FROM HILO TO THIS ADDRESSEE, MAILED IN SEQUENCE WITH MIXED FRANKINGS, DEMONSTRATING THE IMPROVISED USE OF THE 1853 13-CENT KAMEHAMEHA III ISSUE AFTER THE APRIL 1855 RATE CHANGE.

This letter was carried on the bark Yankee, which departed Honolulu on Jan. 3, 1856, and arrived in San Francisco on Jan. 17. From there it was carried to Panama on the John L. Stephens, which departed on Jan. 21 and arrived on Feb. 5.

Based on the content of the three letters from this correspondence, we know that the Hilo postmaster, B. Pitman, mailed three sequential letters to the same addressee, each containing installment bills of exchange for proceeds from the ship Ontario. This Dec. 13, 1855, folded letter, the subsequent Dec. 23 folded letter (Honolulu Advertiser sale, lot 90) and an earlier Dec. 7 letter (ex Rust and sold in our Sale 681, lot 591) comprise the three letters. In addition, Pitman also wrote from Hilo to Mrs. Sally Pitman in Boston on May 13, 1856.

The three December letters were forwarded from Hilo to Honolulu over a two-week period, but they remained at the Honolulu office until the Yankee was cleared for departure on Jan. 3, 1856, arriving in San Francisco on Jan. 17. On this and the earlier letter, the 13c Kamehameha III stamps were used (presumably with cash) to prepay the 17c rate. For the final letter (Dec. 23), the postmaster had a 5c Kamehameha III stamp and used it with the 13c. We can be certain that the U.S. 12c stamps were affixed in Honolulu, because the last cover is a paste-over franking, and the red Honolulu datestamp ties the 12c together with the Hawaiian stamps. Evidently the addressee, W. R. Post, had moved from Sag Harbor to Southampton, and the three letters were forwarded on the same day, February 18, postage due 3c each.

The correspondence was preserved and sold intact to one of the earliest American cover collectors, John F. Seybold. After the Seybold collection was dispersed, the covers went separate ways into the collections of Knapp (Dec. 13), West (Dec. 23) and Tows (Dec. 7). Two of the three (Dec. 13 and 23) were reunited in the Honolulu Advertiser collection. The Dec. 7 cover is now in the Walske exhibit collection, together with the Sally Pitman letter.

Gregory Census No. 13-17. Ex Seybold, Knapp, Middendorf and Honolulu Advertiser. (Image)

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VERY FINE. A RARE LATE USE OF THE 1853 13-CENT KAMEHAMEHA III ISSUE AND UNITED STATES 12-CENT 1851 IMPERFORATE ISSUE ON A FULLY PREPAID COVER FROM HAWAII TO THE EAST COAST VIA BRITISH COLUMBIA, SAN FRANCISCO AND THE OVERLAND BUTTERFIELD STAGECOACH ROUTE.

This cover -- remarkable for its franking and route -- was carried on the schooner Emma Rooke, which departed Honolulu on Aug. 29, 1860, and sailed to Victoria, British Columbia (Sep. 18) before continuing on to San Francisco (arrived on Oct. 4). From there the mail was bagged for the next twice-weekly overland stagecoach run over the Butterfield Route. The San Francisco Oct. 5 postmark coincides with the Friday departure of the Butterfield stagecoach.

The franking on this cover is puzzling. The positions of the two stamps indicate that both were affixed at the point of mailing. The use of a 13c Hawaiian stamp instead of the required 5c seems to be a rather drastic overpayment. Either out of convenience, ignorance or perhaps a special accommodation by the postmaster in Maui, the 13c stamp was used in lieu of a 5c Hawaiian stamp.

Gregory Census No. 13-25. Ex Ackerman, Knapp, Adm. Harris and Krug. (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN IMPRESSIVE AND RARE FOUR-COLOR MIXED FRANKING, COMBINING THE 1857 5-CENT AND 1853 13-CENT KAMEHAMEHA III ISSUES AND TWO UNITED STATES 1857-60 ISSUES. THIS IS ONE OF THREE RECORDED COVERS WITH THE SO-CALLED "MUTE" 12-CENT SURCHARGE ON THE 1853 13-CENT ISSUE. ONE OF THE GREAT POSTAL HSTORY COVERS OF THE UNITED STATES AND HAWAII.

This cover was carried on the bark Yankee, which departed Honolulu on May 20, 1861, and arrived in San Francisco on June 4. From there it was sent to Panama on the Golden Age, which departed on June 11. The addressee, Almira Lucilla Bartow, was the sister of Lahaina postmaster Cornelius S. Bartow.

From the forthcoming Gregory book, we quote his analysis of the 1861 "Mute Surcharge":

"In 1861, supplies of the United States 12c stamp were running low at the Honolulu Post Office and were exhausted at some outlying post offices. A problem arose when the postmaster at Lahaina ordered a supply of 200 United States 12c stamps from Honolulu. Instead of sending United States 12c stamps and risk exhausting the supply at Honolulu, Postmaster General Clark requisitioned more of the 13c stamps from the vault, put them into service at 12c and in a letter dated 16 March 1861, instructed the Lahaina Postmaster to sell them at 12c: 'I also send $24.00 worth thirteen cent stamps, which I have rated at twelve cents & you can sell them at that rate until a supply of twelve cents stamps is rec'd from San Francisco.' Clark's authorization to sell the 13c stamps for 12c amounted to a 'mute' surcharge. Bartow recalled the surcharging of 1857 and was concerned lest the old surcharged stamps be confused. He expressed his thought in a (now lost) letter to Clark on 20 March, and in reply Clark wrote on 21 March: 'Yours of March 20th came to hand this morning. I was much surprised that you did not receive my letter relative to the 13 cent stamps, but find the letter was left in the press after writing & was not forwarded with the stamps as intended. The 13 cent stamps sold as five cent are all devalued with the figure 5, and consequently cannot interfere with the sale at 12 cents."

The cover offered here is a double-rate franking: 2 x 5c Hawaiian postage (10c), 2 x 10c U.S. transcontinental postage (20c) plus 2c ship fee, for a total of 32c. The four stamps affixed at Lahaina at upper left amount to 32c exactly, if we count the 13c as 12c, which Clark's correspondence authorized and the "12" notation below the 13c stamp confirms. The postmaster in Honolulu was careful not to cancel the United States stamps. By the time the letter reached Honolulu from Lahaina, a fresh supply of United States 12c stamps had been received, and so the 12c Plate 3 stamp was affixed before the cover was put onto the next outbound ship to San Francisco. On arrival at the San Francisco post office, all of the stamps were cancelled and tied by the June 11 datestamp.

There are three genuine covers showing the 1861 "Mute Surcharge" on 13c: 1) Honolulu (Apr. 1861), to John A. Foot, Cleveland O., SF May 11, 1861, Hawaii No. 8 pair and No. 6, U.S. No. 35, 36B, ex Knapp, questioned by Dr. Munk but absolutely genuine in our opinion, 2) Honolulu May 20, 1861, to Almira L. Bartow, Brooklyn N.Y., SF Jun. 11, Hawaii No. 8 pair and No. 6, U.S. No. 35, 36B, the cover offered here, ex Seybold, Tows, Adm. Harris, and 3) Honolulu Sep. 7, 1861, to Mrs. Anson G. Chandler, Calais Me., SF Sep. 29, Hawaii No. 8 and 6, ex Hindes, Pietsch, Myers.

Gregory Census No. 13-27. Ex Seybold, Tows and Harris. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE 1853 13-CENT KAMEHAMEHA III ISSUE USED ON MAIL FROM THE UNITED STATES TO HAWAII.

Descendants of the Goodale and Thurston families have been associated with the Hawaiian islands ever since Lucy (Goodale) Thurston and the Revered Asa Thurston arrived with the Pioneer Company of Missionaries in April 1820. The Goodales were prominent residents of Marlborough (Marlboro), Massachusetts. The addressee, Warren Goodale, was the nephew of Lucy Thurston. He was born in Marlborough in 1825 and travelled to Hawaii in 1849. He became a tutor at the Royal School in Honolulu and subsequently was appointed Marshal of the Kingdom and Collector of Customs. He was one of two men present at Fort Honolulu when it was raided by the French in August 1849. Sometime after his wife, Ellen (Whitmore) Goodale, died in 1861 (see lot 365), he moved his family back to Massachusetts and joined the Union Army in the Civil War. He subsequently resettled in Hawaii where he was involved in the sugar industry.

There is no yeardate on this cover, but since it is addressed to Warren Goodale in Honolulu, it must have been mailed prior to his resignation as Collector of Customs in December 1863. The "3" handstamp could be interpreted as 3c U.S. postage, which would mean that the cover was postmarked at Marlborough on Sep. 11, 1863, after the U.S. rate to California was reduced to 3c in July 1863. The 13c Hawaiian stamp would leave a balance of 10c to cover the 7c due in Hawaii (5c plus 2c ship fee). In any case, the absence of San Francisco and Honolulu postmarks is normal for a letter to Hawaii in this period.

The Hawaiian stamp was probably sent to or carried back to Massachusetts by a member of the Goodale family. Its use on mail to Hawaii appears to have been permitted by the Marlborough post office, either due to the "United States 8 Cts." label on the stamp or out of respect to the Goodale family (or both). Once the letter entered the mail stream, it made its way to Honolulu via San Francisco.

Ex Juhring and Ishikawa. With 1979 H.P.S. certificate. (Image)

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