拍項 2012 美國富國銀行

1860 (Dec. 1), California Pony Express New-York, earliest recorded use of the 12 known examples, clearly struck oval cancel in greenish-blue on 3¢ red star die entire (#U27) with patent address lines, manuscript "Pony Express" at bottom left and small "2.50" (rate) adjacent to indicia, addressed to "Messrs Crosby & Dibbler" in San Francisco; reverse with well-struck "Pony Express St Joseph Dec 6" oval Running Pony handstamp and manuscript "O.F.G."; very slightly reduced at left, Very Fine, this being the earliest recorded of the only 12 known westbound Pony Express covers with the California Pony Express dated handstamp.


The Pony Express, A Postal History book by Frajola, Kramer & Walske notes this westbound cover is part of the second peiod (July 31, 1860 to March 31, 1861); on page 28, it is written, "The Pony Express rate for a letter carried between San Francisco and St. Joseph was $2.50 per quarter ounce or less. The $2.50 rate…was often written in pencil…on covers carried. Unfortunately, many covers have had these notations erased." Illustrated on page 35 as part of the text and on page 138 as part of the census (#W25).

This cover demonstrates a loophole that allowed westbound mail to be sent in bundles from the East Coast to St. Joseph by mail with only 3¢ domestic postage (rather than 10¢ for over 3,000 miles) prepaid. This loophole was eliminated in the Act of February 27, 1861 and required 10¢ postage on any letter crossing the Rockies.