Lot
617 
"Ft. Whipple, Arizona, Apr. 26, 1864. / By Military Express.}", straightline datestamp on "Territory of Arizona, Governor's Office" corner card cover to Judge William F. Turner at Santa Fe (incorrectly called "California Terr"), carried by Military Express to Tucson, Vedette Mail to Las Cruces, entered mails at Las Cruces with manuscript "Las Cruces N.M. May 14/ 64" postmark and matching "X" cancel on 3¢ rose (65), mail stage to Santa Fe, forwarded from Santa Fe to Mt. Lebanon with "Santa Fe N.M. May 21" cds, manuscript "For" and "3" handstamp for postage due (restated "Due 3" in manuscript); stamp with couple small perf faults and tiny toned speck, cover slightly reduced at right and professionally improved, Very Fine appearance, ex-Longfellow, Birkinbine. Estimate $3,000 - 4,000.
THE ONLY RECORDED BLACK STRIKE OF THE EXTREMELY RARE FORT WHIPPLE TWO-LINE MILITARY EXPRESS DATESTAMP.
One other example of this Fort Whipple Military Express datestamp is reported, incompletely struck in red on a legal-size cover. This example in black is clearly struck and on a more attractive cover.
Realized: $3,250