Lot 90215 – Hakodate, 1872, 10c brown on loose ship letter before the U.S. post office was established

Hakodate. 1872, 10c brown, on small cover to Mrs. Stephen R. Chase, Berry’s Mills, Maine, originally affixed over blue “Pacific Mail S.S. Co. Hakodate, Japan” two-line handstamp applied by PMSS agent, lifted and hinged back enabling the PMSS cachet to be exhibited, tied by crossroads cancel. Cover clearly struck with “San Francisco Steamship Mar. 24” (1872) cds. Small surface scuff in address at right, otherwise very fine. Illustrated on page 72 of “The United States Post Offices in China and Japan” by Frajola-Perlman-Scamp (Collectors Club, 2006).

An extremely rare loose ship letter from Hakodate before the U.S. post office was established.

Provenance:

Bilden

“Magnolia” (Part 4, Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries sale 1271, 13.12.2022, lot 306)