Lot
658 
Reynolds & Co.'s Express (Forwarded By), small oval handstamp (REY-100) on ca. 1850-51 incoming cover to Stockton with "Per Express to Mormon Gulch" endorsement by sender, manuscript "Brookline, N.H., Feby 13" origin postmark with "40" rate, pencil 2.00 express rate, Very Fine and choice, an exceptional early Reynolds & Co. usage. Estimate $400 - 600.
Realized: $300
Lot
659
River Express, green printed frank on 2¢ green entire to San Francisco, canceled by "River Express, Stockton, Cal., Sep 1, 1893" oval date stamp; cover slightly reduced at right, Very Fine. Scott No. U307 Estimate $300 - 400.
Lot
660
Singer & Co.'s Express, Care of, manuscript endorsement with "Singer" misspelled "Stringer", on incoming cover to "Meeker Flats, N. Fork Feather River", franked with 1851, 1¢ blue, type IV + 3¢ dull red, three singles tied by "Bath, N.Y., Apr 3" origin cds's, missent to Mountain Springs, Cal. with balloon cds and manuscript "Missent" at left, pencil "$1.00" express fee at bottom; cover slightly reduced at left, Very Fine, an usual missent usage sent out-of-the-mails by express to its destination. Estimate $300 - 400.
Realized: $230
Lot
661
W.E. Singer & Co.'s Feather River Express, Connecting With Wells, Fargo & Co., clear full strike of blue oval handstamp (SIN-100) on cover to Bidwells Bar, with blue "Wells, Fargo & Co. Express, Steamboat" box handstamp, 1855 docketing on reverse, Very Fine and choice, an attractive Singer & Wells Fargo combination express usage. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Sent by Wells, Fargo & Co. to either Sacramento or Marysville and transferred to Singer for delivery at Bidwells Bar in Butte county.
Realized: $1,350
Lot
662
Singer & Morrow's Feather River Express, ornate boxed frank (SMO-001) on 1855, 10¢ Nesbitt entire to Bloomville, Ill., canceled by "Bidwells Bar, Cal., Jun 14" cds; some edge flaws and backflap reattached, otherwise Very Fine, a rare frank with only nine examples recorded. Estimate $300 - 400.
The Singer & Morrow Feather River Express was one of five expresses operated by colorful Capt. William E. Singer over a seven-year period. All of Singer's expresses carried mail between the Feather River mining camps and the base town of Marysville. In late 1855 Singer became partners with Thomas H. Morrow, forming the Singer & Morrow company, but in 1857 the partnership dissolved after Morrow proved to be an unreliable, if not crooked, partner.
Realized: $200
Lot
663
Swart & Co.'s Express, Oakland, red oval handstamp (SWA-100) on 1854 cover addressed to the express proprietor in Marysville, connecting with Adams & Co. in San Francisco with blue "Adams & Co., San Francisco, Jul 31"cds (ADA-100), handed over again in Marysville with manuscript "To be forwarded by Everts, Snell & Co. Express to Onion Valley" endorsement and pencil "OV 100" destination and rate placed on by F.D. Everts & Co. express agent; partial backflap, Very Fine, one of four recorded Swart & Co. usages with one residing in the Wiltsee collection. Estimate $4,000 - 6,000.
A WONDERFUL AND UNIQUE EARLY TRIPLE COMBINATION EXPRESS USAGE BETWEEN SWART, ADAMS & EVERTS.
In May of 1854, Jesse H. Swarts purchased Almy's Oakland and San Francisco Express and ran a daily service over the same route. By steamer he went between Oakland and San Francisco and from Oakland running south to San Jose and north to Martinez. By December of 1854, he sold out to Swift & Co. Express.
Realized: $6,250
Lot
664
Swift & Co.'s Express, printed shield frank on 1853, 3¢ Nesbitt entire to San Francisco, blue "Wells, Fargo & Co. Express, Petaluma" oval handstamp canceling, Santa Rosa House corner card at lower left; few minor tone spots and missing backflap, F.-V.F., a scarce conjunctive usage. Estimate $500 - 750.
Lot
665
Swift & Co.'s Express, fancy shield frank (SWI-001) at top left of center on unused 1855, 10¢ Nesbitt entire, Very Fine and choice, very scarce with only a few known. Estimate $150 - 200.
Lot
666
Thompson & Co.'s Express, Santa Rosa, clear blue oval handstamp (THM-100) on 1853, 3¢ Nesbitt entire to Petaluma, with printed box "Paid Over Thompson & Co's & Wells, Fargo & Co's, California Routes" frank; trivial edge wear, Very Fine, one of five examples known from this express and the only example carried entirely by Thompson. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
E.B. Thompson ran from Petaluma and Santa Rose then on to Healdsburg. He connected with Wells, Fargo & Co. in Santa Rose and acted as a feeder route for them into that location.
Realized: $650
Lot
667
Todd & Co. Express, shield handstamp on cover from Boston with red cds & matching "40" rate handstamp, addressed to "Sutters Mines/Calaveras County" with manuscript endorsement "Todd & Co. Express from San Francisco" & light "2.00" pencil express rate, some minor wear & wrinkles, Very Fine, ex Jessup, Pearce, Walske & Schaefer. Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
Alex H. Todd operated an express service between San Francisco and Stockton and the Southern Mines from July 1850 until October 1851, with a brief extension of service to Oregon. After briefly being in other hands, the business was sold to C. A. Todd (Queen Victoria), who was not related.