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VERY FINE. A PHENOMENAL USE OF THIS RARE GREGORY'S EXPRESS HONOLULU HANDSTAMP ON A FOLDED COVER TO NEW YORK. ONLY FIVE EXAMPLES OF THIS GREGORY'S EXPRESS MARKING ARE KNOWN IN TOTAL, AND THIS CONJUNCTIVE USE WITH BOYD'S EXPRESS POST IS UNIQUE.
Gregory's Express operated in Honolulu from January 1850 to May 1853. Fred Gregory records only five examples of the oval handstamp on covers dated from Oct. 1851 to May 1852. In thi case Gregory's Express arranged to have the mail carried to New York City and delivered to the local street address by Boyd's City Express Post.
Illustrated in Letters of Gold. Ex Baker and Haas. (Image)
FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED GREGORY'S HONOLULU EXPRESS COVER FROM HAWAII TO A COUNTRY BEYOND THE UNITED STATES.
Although the writer's name is missing from this letter, it is from the well-known correspondence of Thomas Denman Wright, who served on the HMS Amphritite and wrote to his family in England from his Pacific tour in 1849-55 (much of the correspondence can be found at the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley). This well-written letter includes many interesting references to Hawaii's history, people, features and local events, including: "called by Capt. Cook 'Owhyhie' who mistook the article 'O' for a part of the name, in the same way that 'Tahiti' is called 'Otaheiti'", a less than politically correct description of Hawaiian's physical features, descriptions of their clothing and the landscape, news of an inspection of the local school by missionaries and members of the Royal family, and a humorous story about pole dancing, etc.
The "Paid 3/" rate is either three shillings (72c) or three "bits" (one bit equals 12-1/2c, total 37-1/2c), a commonly used form of currency on express covers. Gregory's Express charged 25c for a letter between the United States and Hawaii, and it advertised service to Europe and an office in Liverpool, but none of the firm's ads list the rates charged. (Image)
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