usa - west coast - Stamp Auctions
 Lot 237 - wreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast - Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal HistoryMV "Ocean Mail". 1955 Cover (letter enclosed) franked Canada 2c tied by Sanitarium P.O Ontario machine cancel, addressed to Penang, Malaya, the edges fire damaged, with the red cachet "DAMAGED IN SHIP FIRE / AT SEATTLE". The MV "Ocean Mail" collided with the MV "Arizona" on November 22nd, in the Colombia River. Whilst undergoing repairs on the 30th a fire broke out in the mail room, which was quickly extinguished, and the vessel resumed its voyage on December 1st. The Canadian fire damaged mail was off-loaded before it sailed and returned to Vancouver where the Post Office sorted it during the following week and applied the explanatory cachet. Photo on Page 44. Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal Historywreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast |
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 Lot 232 - wreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast - Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal HistoryS.S "Pomona". 1908 (Mar 16) Cover from San Francisco to Eureka, Cal., the stamp washed off and some rust staining, explained by the violet cachet "FROM WRECK OF S.S POMONA / MARCH 17 1908". The "Pomona" sailed from San Francisco to Eureka on March 17th but struck Monterey Rock 60 miles north of San Francisco that evening. The Captain got her off the rock and decided to beach on the shore, but struck another submerged rock and stranded, the passengers and crew all being saved. An unusually clear example of this wreck cachet, most of the very few recorded examples being faint or incomplete, apparently having been applied whilst the covers were still damp. Also postcards showing the ship at sea and the 1908 wreck. (3). Photo on Page 42. Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal Historywreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast |
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 Lot 233 - wreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast - Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal HistoryS.S "Pomona". 1908 (Mar 16) 2c Postal stationery envelope from Los Angeles to Arcatra, Cal., edge wear and further stamps washed off, with the violet cachet "FROM WRECK OF S.S. POMONA / MARCH 17 1908", the second line of the cachet incomplete as is the case of most of the few recorded covers. Very scarce. Photo on Page 42. Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal Historywreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast |
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 Lot 234 - wreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast - Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal History1908 (June 23) Picture postcard franked 2c from Oakland to France, the left edge burnt, bearing a green typed explanatory label "Damaged by / Fire & Water" and initialled in red ink. One other example of this label is recorded on another card posted at Oakland on June 30th, the incident unknown. Photo on Page 42. Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal Historywreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast |
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 Lot 229 - wreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast - Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal History P.S "Winfield Scott". 1853 (Nov 23) Cover to Freeport, Illinois, with "NEVADA CITY CAL / 3 PAID" c.d.s, curved "PAID / 3" and red "STEAMER / WINFIELD SCOTT", traces of water staining and a repaired hole to the address panel. The Pacific Mail Steamship Co. Paddle Steamer "Winfield Scott" stranded in thick fog on December 2nd on Anacapa Island in the Santa Barbara Channel off California whilst en route from San Francisco to Panama, the mail and cargo all being salvaged. This was the only P.M.S. Co Steamer to use a named cachet on mail. A very scarce and attractive cover, ex Lichtenstein collection. Photo on Page 42. Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal Historywreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast |
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 Lot 235 - wreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast - Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal HistoryS.S "Cuba". 1923 (Aug 23) Cover from San Salvador to San Francisco, the stamp washed off, with violet cachet "RECOVERED FROM WRECKED / S.S. CUBA", the reverse with two U.S Officially Sealed labels and a Santa Barbara c.d.s (Sep 26). The S.S "Cuba", sailed from Panama to San Francisco, but struck a reef on San Miguel Island, Santa Barbara, on September 8th. Most crew and passengers were saved but nine crew were reported missing in an open boat. Very scarce, few recorded. Photo on Page 42. Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal Historywreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast |
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 Lot 230 - wreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast - Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal HistoryS.S "Laurelbank". 1898 (Oct 15) Cover from Glasgow franked 21⁄2d to a crew member on the ship "Laurelbank", c/o Portland Flour Mill Co, Oregon, handstamped violet "Ship Letter No. (21) / Ship lost at sea", backstamped at New York, Astoria, Oregon (Jun. 12) and the Dead Letter Office (June 22). The "Laurelbank" left Shanghai on August 31st bound for Portland, Oregon, but disappeared without trace. A scarce and attractive cover, very few recorded. Photo on Page 42. Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal Historywreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast |
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 Lot 236 - wreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast - Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal HistoryMV "San Juan II". 1929 (Dec 24) Cover with Friday Harbor Wash. c.d.s, to Los Angeles, stained and the stamp washed off, bearing the explanatory label "Damaged in wreck of mail boat / San Juan II, on December 26, 1929. / HUGH ELDRIDGE, Postmaster / Bellingham, Wash. / Seattle P.O - 12-30-29-500". The MV "San Juan II" operated out of Bellingham, supplying the communities around Puget Sound and carrying their mail. The ship sailed from Friday Harbor to Bellingham on Christmas eve, taking shelter from gales at Olga, and was moved to a safer anchorage at Obstruction Pass on Christmas day; however the ships propeller fouled the anchor chain of an old mooring buoy during this manoeuvre and strong winds dashed the vessel onto rocks at Blakely Island. The ship disintegrated but all passengers and crew scrambled ashore. The only cover recorded from this wreck. Photo on Page 42. Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal Historywreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast |
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 Lot 231 - wreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast - Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal HistoryS.S. "Mariposa". 1889 (Apr 16) Registered cover from Waterloo, New South Wales to Riverside, California franked 1888-89 2d pair + 6d each cancelled by the numeral "194" with oval framed "PAID ALL" below, backstamped at Waterloo, Redfern and Sydney (all Apr. 16) and upon arrival at San Francisco (May 13). Some damage, mainly to the lower edge and lower right corner, explained by the bright orange label "San Francisco, Cal. / May 13, 1889. / Registered mail damaged by fire and / water on board "Steamship Mariposa" on / passage from Auckland, N.Z., to San Fran- / cisco, Cal. / Wm. J BRYAN. / Postmaster.". The "Mariposa" left Auckland on April 22nd with a cargo including mail and flax; the following day when 200 miles north of Auckland smoke was seen coming from the fore hatch and was thought to be from the mailroom so the hose was turned on that part of the ship. It was subsequently found only the flax was on fire, the mail only being damaged by the water. The "Mariposa" returned to Auckland, discharged the flax, and again sailed for San Francisco. The only recorded cover from this wreck, one other example of the label known on small piece only. An exceptional cover. Photo on Page 42. Argyll Etkin Ltd Worldwide Stamps and Postal Historywreck mail of the americas and west indies usa - west coast |
