Housatonic Rail Road (Towle 88-A-1 Rarity VI) red "HRR" with
matching "Bridgeport, CT May 5 (1847)" CDS & matching "5" at right, to Collinsville, CT with file folds and some wear.

Red fancy circled "5" cds

Texas & New Orleans Railroad corner advertising featuring steam locomotive on double track, with black "Beaumont, TX" cds tying 3c Type II on cover to Nashua, NH, a few small mended tears, very fine.

This illustration is also used on many different sources, including Overland Mail Propaganda covers (Type H-1).

Steam Engine Advertising cover with 3c Type III tied with black "Lisbon CT Jan 15" cds on very attractive railroad illustration, reduced at right, to Bristol, CT.

This illustration is used on many different sources, notably used on Overland Mail Railroad Propaganda covers (Type A1-5).

Northern Cross Rail Road, illustrated corner card cover showing locomotive, on cover to Canton, Ill. Nov 13 black cds tying 3c Dull Red. Very attractive cover, very fine.

1851 3c Type I tied by a N.Y. & Boston Steamer & Railroad cds on cover to Boston.

The New York & Boston Steamboat & Railroad handstamp was used on the combination rail and steamer route between N.Y. & Boston via Stonington, Connecticut & Providence, RI.

Railroad route agent handstamp on mail handed to railroad route agents they applied their route agent marking.

Cleveland & Erie Rail Road (Towle 115-F-1 Rarity V) Sep 6 black cds tying US #11 to cover with missing backflap.

New York & New Haven Rail Road Nov 26 black CDS tying US #11, cover with some wrinkles, edge and backflap tears, pencil notations on reverse. Letter dated 1853.

Towle 70-D-1 Rarity VI

Housatonic Rail Road (Towle 88-S-4b Rarity VI) Hawleyville Aug 4 black oval datestamp, complete strike of sans-serif cancel tying US #26 on cover with some edge faults to New York.

Addressed to Culpeper C H, Virginia. Manuscript "Belmead Mills, VA May 17, 1861" and pen cancel.

According to the Confederate States of America Catalog and Handbook of Stamps and Postal History:

“On November 15, 1860, Governor John Letcher called for a Special Session of the General Assembly to consider secession. On January 7, 1861, the legislature authorized a Secession Convention to convene on February 13 in Richmond. On April 17, the convention adopted an Ordinance of Secession on condition of ratification by a statewide referendum. The voters overwhelmingly approved the measure on May 23 thus ratifying the terms stipulating the effective date of secession as of April 17, 1861. Virginia was admitted to the Confederacy on May 7.”

Therefore, this cover represents Confederate usage of U.S. Postage.

Cover Soiled with Faults. Top Left Backflap separating.

Cover Soiled with Faults, Creases

Single with manuscript cancel and matching manuscript "Fredericksburg," on 1862 multicolor flag & globe patriotic cover to San Francisco.

Like Bishcel 4228, W-2220v

Fort Sumter. Red, white & blue patriotic cover with design showing Eagle & Crossed Flags above Fort Sumter used to Canada & franked with 1861 10¢ green (small defect) with grid cancel & indistinct postmark below, light strike of "U. States/10 Paid" exchange handstamp in red and backstamped with arrival postmarks, some minor edge wear & toning on reverse.

Like Bischel 1316, W-760

1c Blue and 10c Green each tied by framed "Paid" cancels, red Boston Apr 14 origin cds and red oval "U.S. 10cts. Paid" handstamp on red white and blue flag patriotic cover to Kentville, Nova Scotia. Partial Kentville (4.23.1862) arrival backstamp, prepaid 1c carrier fee plus 10c cross border postage; cover repaired at lower left, reduced slightly at right.

Red and blue design with blue pointing hand and "TO WASHINGTON VIA BALTIMORE" on sign post (Like Bischel 3657, W·2008va), to Ohio, with blue 'FOREST CITY Cal" cds.

Figure Leaning on Shield small Red, White & Blue Design with Blue "Let our watchword ever be, Country, God, and Liberty" Imprint below, on Ladies Cover, franked with 10c Green with grid cancel. Red "NEW BEDFORD MASS JAN 27 PAID" Pmk, Red "U STATES" Arced Exchange Marking, and 1862 backstamp, addressed to Clyde River, Nova Scotia.

Bischel 3901, W-2225var

Single with black grid cancel on multicolored "The Constitution" patriotic cover, red "New Haven, CT, Nov 14, (1861)" double circle postmark, "San Francisco, Cal. Advertised Dec 25, 1861" marking, and red "Unclaimed" handstamp on reverse. Like Bischel 5068. Addressed to John A. Rockwell Esq. in San Francisco.

"With Large Flag Red" White & Blue Design on Cover, with "SAN FRANCISCO CAL/ APR 7 I 862" Prnk., addressed to Barron NY, slightly reduced at right.

From the Nutmeg sale, Bischel 4395. W-Unlisted

Murphy's, Cal., Feb 4 (Calaveras). Two strikes of blue cds, one tying 1861, 10c green on cover to Pottsville, Pa., with red and blue eagle and shield patriotic design at left; light cover edge wear and small tear at right.

This cover is the Cover Image for the 1988 Western Cover Society Vol 48, No 2 and is discussed on page 6.

10c Green tied by target, with "Oro Fino, Cal." postmark on Multicolor Waving Flag Verse patriotic cover with small staining, otherwise Very Fine.

"Our Flag
And long may it ware, as it ever
has since it
was first unfurled,
unsullied and triumphant."

This rare flag design may have been printed by the firm of Anton Roman, a printing and publishing firm in San Francisco.

Addressed to "Messrs Crawford Brothers, Beith, Ayrshire, Scotland, who operated one of the oldest linen thread manufacturing houses in the United Kingdom.

"Glasgow JUN 8 63" and "Beith JU 9 1863" datestamps on reverse.

Cover, carried out-of-the mails, addressed to the Surgeon of the Fleet G. R. B. Horner at Key West, Florida, board the St. Lawrence.

In late 1862, Horner transferred to the St. Lawrence, berthed at Key West. He remained on the Flag Ship through 1863.

Two covers, carried out-of-the mails, addressed to the Surgeon of the Fleet G. R. B. Horner at Key West, Florida, aboard the USS Niagara.

When the Colorado was decommissioned in 1862, Horner was reassigned to the U.S.S. Niagara, also located at Key West.

1861 3c pink tied on cover and U.S. SHIP Straightline with Feb 11 Phildadelphia cds on cover to Mass. Manuscript "No. 4