Lot
1206 
Wells, Fargo & Co. Red Printed Frank on 1855, 10¢ Nesbitt entire to Philadelphia, Pa., locally delivered with Blood's Penny Post cds and matching "Blood's Despatch, 2cts" rate handstamp; barest cover reduction at right and tiny tear at top, otherwise Very Fine, a rare Western Express and Eastern Local combination carried completely outside the mails. Scott No. U15 Estimate $500 - 750.
Realized: $400
Lot
1207
Wells, Fargo & Co. Red Printed Frank a top of fresh 1855, 10¢ Nesbitt entire to Philadelphia, Pa., with "Blood's Penny Post, Sep 29" cds and matching "Blood's Despatch, 2cts" circle rate handstamp at left, Extremely Fine, a wonderfully choice and Extremely Rare Usage of the Wells, Fargo & Co. Red Frank Entire in Combination with Blood's Penny Post carried completely outside of the U.S. mails; with 2007 P.F. certificate. Scott No. U16 Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Realized: $950
Lot
1208
Wells, Fargo & Co./Auburn. Blue oval handstamp with matching "Sept 15th" date stamp below on buff cover to Petersburg, Va., franked with 1851, 3¢ brownish carmine, type II, pair (margins large to shaving frameline at lower left) canceled by blue "Free" in oval handstamp and tied by "New-York, Oct 23" cds, manuscript "Too Late" at top center; small cover tear at upper left and pinhole in each stamp, otherwise Very Fine, a choice and early "Too Late" usage; with 2010 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 11A; $900 Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $170
Lot
1209
Wells, Fargo & Co. Express/Chinese Camp. Black oval handstamp (Leutzinger type 3-1) on 1853-55 3¢ Nesbitt entire with company printed frank, Fretz and Ralston correspondence to San Francisco, "With Package $1450.00" manuscript notation, Extremely Fine. Estimate $100 - 150.
Realized: $145
Lot
1210
Wells, Fargo & Co. Express/Chinese Camp. Black oval handstamp (Leutzinger type 3-1) on 1853-55 3¢ Nesbitt entire with company printed frank, Fretz and Ralston correspondence to San Francisco, Extremely Fine. Estimate $100 - 150.
Realized: $85
Lot
1211
Wells, Fargo & Co.'s Express/Columbia. Blue oval handstamp (Leutzinger type 3-3) and matching blue straight line date handstamp at upper left on 1853-55 3¢ Nesbitt entire without company printed frank, "W. O. Sleeper & Co. Bankers, Columbia, Cal" black handstamped corner card resembling a miniature Wells Fargo town marking at lower left, Fretz and Ralston correspondence to San Francisco, a trifle reduced at left, Very Fine. Estimate $150 - 200.
The banking house of W. O. Sleeper opened in Columbia in June of 1855 and failed ten years later in July of 1865. The bank was sold to William C. Ralston.
The banking house of Ralph S. Fretz and William C. Ralston opened in San Francisco in January of 1856 (there were two additional partners until July of 1857). Fretz and Ralston was the predecessor of the Bank of California, now Union Bank, that was established in 1864.
William C. Ralston's place in California history is legendary, but less known is that his wife, the former Elizabeth Fry, who he married in May of 1858, was the adopted daughter of John D. Fry, who at the time of the wedding was the Special Agent in California for the Post Office Department.
Realized: $115
Lot
1212
Wells, Fargo & Co./Howlands Flat/Dec. 29. Blue oval handstamp (Leutzinger type 11-9) on 1864 3¢ pink entire with Pacific Union red printed frank, to Marysville, likely an 1869 use from after Pacific Union was merged into Wells Fargo, reduced at left, Very Fine and choice. Estimate $100 - 150.
Realized: $250
Lot
1213
Wells, Fargo & Co./Knights Ferry. Black oval handstamp with date omitted (Leutzinger type 11-15) on 2¢ brown entire with company printed frank, Chinese use to San Francisco with the address restated in Chinese writing, reduced at left, Very Fine. Estimate $75 - 100.
Realized: $150
Lot
1214
Wells, Fargo & Co./Mexican Route. Blue oval canceling 1861 40¢ black & red legal size entire used as a paste-back with printed "Mexican Coast and California Express--$1.40" Wells Fargo frank, additional blue "Wells Fargo & Co./Guaymas" oval handstamp, F.-V.F. and rare, one of only a handful of used 40¢ Bicolor Entires. Scott No. U45; $4,500 Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Realized: $4,000
Lot
1215
Wells, Fargo & Co. Express/Nevada. Superb strike of red oval handstamp (Leutzinger type 3-1) and matching "Free" red double-lined oval handstamp as forwarding markings on stampless folded letter to a reverend "Care of Wells Fargo & Co" at Nevada City, originated in San Francisco with "Wells, Fargo & Co. Express/San Francisco" blue oval handstamp (Leutzinger type 3-1) with no indication as to charges, forwarded from Nevada City to Marysville with "free" pencil notation in addition to the red handstamps and then forwarded again from Marysville to Orleans House in Sacramento City where evidently delivered, Very Fine, ex-Kramer, illustrated in Coburn's Letters of Gold (page 163). Estimate $300 - 400.
An unusual Wells Fargo free and forwarded use that suggests the company may have given accommodation to clergymen.
Realized: $400