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The David Golden Collection of Hawaiian Stamps and Postal History continued...

Mail from Tahiti and Polynesia
Lot Sym. Lot Description  
97° c ImageHonolulu*U.S. Postage Paid*Feb. 24 (1855). Clear strike of red circular datestamp on cover originating in Tahiti and sent to Rochefort, France, addressed to Madame Levegne, clear strike of "Poste Aux Lettres (Tahiti) 27 Janv. 55" double-circle datestamp with date in manuscript, "San Francisco Cal. 31 Mar." circular datestamp, manuscript "31" rate at right (29c postage plus 2c ship fee), red "New-York Am. Pkt. May 2" circular datestamp, Calais transit datestamp (May 15), bold "8" decimes due handstamp, Paris and Rochefort backstamps, receipt docketing indicates the letter was written on Jan. 24, some wear and minor flap tear

VERY FINE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED COVERS FROM TAHITI THAT WERE SENT VIA THE HONOLULU POST OFFICE, OF WHICH ONLY TWO HAVE BOTH TAHITI AND HONOLULU POSTAL MARKINGS.

This cover and another to Cognac with similar markings were carried in the same mail packet, so we shall describe their travels together. They were brought from Tahiti to Honolulu on the steamship City of Norfolk en route from Melbourne to San Francisco via Tasmania, Tahiti and Honolulu. The City of Norfolk left Tahiti on Jan. 28 and arrived in Honolulu on Feb. 16, where she docked until continuing her trip to San Francisco on Feb. 24. The mail from Tahiti entered the Honolulu post office and the covers were datestamped on Feb. 24. The City of Norfolk arrived in San Francisco on Mar. 19, and from there the mail was carried to Panama on the John L. Stephens, which departed Mar. 31 and arrived Apr. 13. After crossing the isthmus on the new Panama railroad, the covers were carried to New York on the George Law, which departed Apr. 15 and arrived Apr. 24. At New York they were placed on the Collins Line's Pacific, which departed on May 2 and arrived at Liverpool on May 13. After the channel crossing to Calais, they entered the French mail system and were delivered to their addressees, each of whom paid 8 decimes for ship-letter postage. The correct U.S. postage should have been 28c on each cover (26c for the American Packet rate to France from the West Coast and the 2c ship fee). The "31" cent on this cover incorrectly included 29c postage (the West Coast rate to England).

Mail between Tahiti and Hawaii was exchanged in accordance with a postal treaty signed on Nov. 24, 1853, and printed in The Polynesian on Dec. 10. The impetus for negotiating a postal treaty between Tahiti and Hawaii was Honolulu Postmaster Whitney's desire to be reimbursed for U.S. postage he paid to San Francisco on letters and newspapers sent between the U.S. and Tahiti via Honolulu. Accounts were maintained between the three postal entities which facilitated reimbursement.

Three covers from Tahiti to Honolulu are recorded. One is a newspaper wrapper from Tahiti to R. C. Wyllie in Honolulu, which he forwarded to the United States outside the mails, probably by diplomatic pouch (ex Pietsch). Only the two covers to France dated Jan. 27 have both Tahiti and Honolulu postmarks. The cover offered in this sale as lot 98 is from the Levegne correspondence, but it is dated two years earlier and, without any indication of origin, it cannot be traced to Tahiti.

Ex Adm. Harris (Image)

Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com

 E. 7,500-10,000

SOLD for $15,500.00
Will close during Public Auction
98° c ImageHonolulu*U.S. Postage Paid*Apr. 5 (1853). Bold strike of red circular datestamp on cover to Rochefort, France, addressed to Madame Levegne but without any indication of origin, "San Francisco Cal. Apr. 29" circular datestamp, "Paid" and "26" rate handstamp (26c rate to France by American Packet from the West Coast, without ship fee), red "N. York Am. Pkt. May 28" circular datestamp, red Liverpool transit backstamp (Jun. 8), red "Etats-Unis Paq. Am. Paris 9 Juin 53" receiving datestamp, Paris and Rochefort backstamp, bold "8" decimes due handstamp, cover torn in half and repaired, other edge repairs, otherwise Fine, carried on the brig Zoe, which departed Honolulu Apr. 7 and arrived in San Francisco Apr. 25, sent to New York via Panama then by Collins Line Baltic, which departed May 28 and arrived in Liverpool Jun. 7 (Image)

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 E. 750-1,000

SOLD for $550.00
Will close during Public Auction
99° c Image"Nukuhiva Nov. 26 1865". Dateline on folded letter from the Marqueses Islands to Hawaii via Tahiti and San Francisco, written in Hawaiian from James Kekela and to Rev. Dwight Baldwin at Lahaina, light strike of "Tahiti (Oceania), Papeete, 20 Dec. 65" double-circle datestamp, bold "San Francisco Cal. Mar. 14" (1866) double-circle datestamp and "SHIP 6" handstamp, red crayon "13c" Hawaiian postage due marking (6c U.S., 5c Hawaiian and 2c ship fee), receipt docketing "Rev. J. Kekela, Nov. 26/65", light vertical file folds, some minor toning

VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF MAIL FROM THE MISSIONARY SETTLEMENT AT NUKUHIVA TO HAWAII VIA TAHITI AND SAN FRANCISCO WITH POSTMARKS OF THREE DIFFERENT POSTAL SYSTEMS.

Nukuhiva is the largest of the Marqueses Islands in French Polynesia. Herman Melville wrote Typee based on his experiences on the island. In 1853 the Rev. James Kekela went as a pioneer missionary to the Marquesas Islands, where for a half-century he worked to eliminate cannibalism and tribal warfare. In 1864 he was honored by President Abraham Lincoln for rescuing an American seaman from cannibals. (Image)

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 E. 2,000-3,000

SOLD for $2,600.00
Will close during Public Auction
100° c Image"Rev. L. H. Gulick M.D., Ascension Island, Care of Castle & Cook, Honolulu, Sandh. Islands". Address on buff cover with red "New York Paid 10 Dec. 22" (1855) circular datestamp, docketing at left with Dec. 19, 1855 origin and Jan. 21, 1857 receipt dates, some slight wear, Very Fine, carried from New York to Aspinwall on the Empire City (depart Dec. 22, arrive Jan. 1, 1856), from Panama to San Francisco on the Golden Age (depart Jan. 1, arrive Jan. 15), from San Francisco to Honolulu on the Yankee (depart Jan. 28, arrive Feb. 15), and probably by the whaler Waverly on Dec. 12, 1856, if the docketing year is correct (Image)

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 E. 500-750

SOLD for $425.00
Will close during Public Auction
101° c ImageHonolulu*Hawaiian-Islands* Dec. 27 (1854). Bold red circular datestamp on cover to Rev. Luther H. Gulick at Ascension Island, docketing indicates this was sent by Samuel C. Damon and received Feb. 3, cover with toning at right and tiny erosion at bottom right, still Fine, carried from Honolulu to Ascension Island on the whaler Jireh Perry, which departed Jan. 4, 1855, ex Honolulu Advertiser (Image) E. 1,000-1,500

CLOSED
Will close during Public Auction
102° c ImageHonolulu Hawaiian-Islands Jan. 8 (1858). Red circular datestamp on cover to Rev. Luther H. Gulick on Ascension Island, docketing "Mr. Clark - Feb. 7/58" may refer to Alvah Clark, whose sister Ann Eliza married Orramel Hinkley Gulick, carried on the bark Daniel Wood, which departed Honolulu on Jan. 11 with mail for Ascension Island, Fine and rare, ex Honolulu Advertiser (Image) E. 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $1,000.00
Will close during Public Auction
103° c ImageHonolulu Hawaiian-Islands Aug. 7 (1857). Red circular datestamp on cover to Rev. Luther H. Gulick on Ascension Island, receipt docketing "Henry Whitney" (the first postmaster who issued the Missionaries), some edgewear, Fine, very rare, carried on the brig Morning Star, which departed Honolulu on Aug. 7 and arrived at Ascension Island with mail on Sep. 23 (Image) E. 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $850.00
Will close during Public Auction

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