cover 10c Brown (150), natural s.e. at L., used with 2c Red Brown (146), each cancelled by bold 'H' of Hiogo, Japan handstamp on 1873 oversize cover to Boston, with confirming original contents datelined 'Hiogo 13th August 1873', ms. 'U.S. Mail' at L., large portion of S.F. Sep 11 backstamp (backflap tear, causing part of marking to be lacking), piece out of cover at T.R. probably due to the removal of another stamp (most likely another high denomination Bank Note), some edge tears on all corners, very fine strikes of this extremely rare cancel used by the U.S. Post Office in Hiogo, only three other covers have been recorded bearing the 11 x 13mm. cancel, from the recently discovered Blake correspondence

Details

cover 10c Brown (150), natural s.e. at L., used with 2c Red Brown (146), each cancelled by bold 'H' of Hiogo, Japan handstamp on 1873 oversize cover to Boston, with confirming original contents datelined 'Hiogo 13th August 1873', ms. 'U.S. Mail' at L., large portion of S.F. Sep 11 backstamp (backflap tear, causing part of marking to be lacking), piece out of cover at T.R. probably due to the removal of another stamp (most likely another high denomination Bank Note), some edge tears on all corners, very fine strikes of this extremely rare cancel used by the U.S. Post Office in Hiogo, only three other covers have been recorded bearing the 11 x 13mm. cancel, from the recently discovered Blake correspondence

Lot Essay

Note: this cover was carried by the Pacific Mail steamer MacGregor, which arrived in San Francisco on September 10, 1873. This ship was only in service in 1873.

For two additional covers bearing strikes of this same cancel, see lots 4168 and 4169 in Christie's New York auction of Important United States Stamps and Covers, September 27, 1995. photo