Summer 2025 | July 18-20, 2025

"COAST/OVERLAND MAIL COMPANY./SANDERSON, PARKER & CO./PROPRIETERS/FRANK CLUGAGE,/SUPERINTENDANT" , addressed to "Div. Agt on the Road." The cover with a tear at right and a small piece missing at top right corner.

"Per Overland Mail via Los Angeles" in an arc above the stagecoach design on cover with blue Vacaville, Cal. Apr. 2 datestamp with matching boxed "PAID" handstamp and large black "DUE 7" rating to Lansing, Michigan. The cover roughly opened and reduced at right.

Included in Stanley Ashbrook Archives, Black Binder 2, Page 107
Cover carried along the Chorpenning Route, addressed to Weaverville. The cover has been cosmetically refolded to an exceptional and very fine appearance.

The cover originating in Leavenworth City, Kansas Territory with "Denver City APR 12 1860" circular company handstamp, addressed to Saint Louis, Missouri. The left stamp with a piece missing in left margin.

After Russell, Majors & Waddell (RMW) assumed control of the Leavenworth & Pike’s Peak Express on October 28, 1859, operations continued under the name Jones & Russell’s Pike’s Peak Express Co. until its absorption by the Central Overland California & Pike’s Peak Express Company (COC&PP) in February 1860.

Despite the transition, Denver continued using Jones & Russell markings into June of 1860, making this April 12, 1860 usage a scarce and desirable example from the short-lived RMW period, just days before the COC&PP began the transcontinental Pony Express in April 1860.

Listed in the Western Covers Society, September 2016 Census.
Design Type D-1, with black "Sacramento City, CA Oct 4 1859" circular datestamp, addressed to Henry Willens in New York, NY. The horizontal pair covering the directive "BY THE OVERLAND MAIL STAGE VIA PLACERVILLE! HURRAH!" The pair with choice centering and rich color, but the right stamp with perf erosion at right and the cover with a repaired tear at top center.

By the Overland Mail Stage via Los Angeles! Hurrah! But we must have the (pointing hand) train, illustrated overland railroad propaganda design cover to Middleburg Ohio. Indistinct cds at top right with "PAID 10". The stamps with manuscript cancels because the Santa Clara handstamp was so light.

Santa Clara SCL-3350 postmark (33mm)
This postmark was from 4 Aug 1856 - 8 Dec 1865.

Figure 8 in Transcontinental Covers with A 10c Green Stamp and A General Issue Stamp paying Carrier Collection Fee By Clifford J. Alexander

Both tied by New York duplex cancel on buff cover dated January 21, 1861, addressed to Alvarado, California. The 1c stamp prepaid the carrier fee in New York City. Cover was missent and forwarded to Alameda with manuscript “Missent” and received there on February 23.

According to Clifford J. Alexander (Penny Post, Oct. 2021), only two recorded covers carried overland to California during this period were addressed to cities other than San Francisco. This is one of them.

Included in Stanley Ashbrook Archives, Black Binder 7, Page 100
Cover originating in San Francisco, addressed to Mrs. David Saville in Lexington, Mass. The cover signed by Ashbrook.

Illustrated as Figure 6 of The Western Express Research Journal of Early Western Mails, Vol. 72 No. 4
The 10c green with manuscript cancel. Cover addressed to Middlefield Centre, NY. The stamp with creases and the cover stained, damaged, and creased.