Lot
61 
Alaska Commercial Co., Str. Arctic, Sep 10 1896, purple oval backstamp on north-bound cover to Alaska addressed in care of Alaska Commercial Co. San Francisco bearing 2¢ Bureau issue, faulty, tied by "Middlebury Vt., Jun, 1896" duplex, San Francisco (7.25) receiver backstamp, Very Fine. Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
ONE OF ONLY TWO RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE ALASKA COMMERCIAL CO. STEAMER "ARCTIC" OVAL HANDSTAMP.
This cover reached San Francisco Jul. 25th 1896 and was delivered to the Alaska Commercial Co. building the following day. It was then placed aboard a company steamer destined for St. Michael. It arrived there September 9th but was not struck with the magenta company oval datestamp and placed on board the Yukon River steamer "Arctic" as indicated by the purple oval datestamp struck the following day. Other envelopes from this same correspondence suggest that the "Arctic" carried this letter to Anvik, a village on the lower Yukon.
Realized: $1,250