Sale 746
 
Lot 75



U.S.S. Itasca, Unadilla-Class Gunboat, cover with printed endorsement "Naval letter, U.S. Gun Boat 'Itasca,' Executive Officer.", franked with a cork-canceled 3¢ rose (65) tied by an incomplete Key West, Fla. c.d.s. with an illegible date, to Great Falls, N.H.; reduced somewhat at the right, otherwise Very Fine. The printed Executive Officer's endorsement negated the need for postage, but a stamp was used anyway.
Estimate $3,500 - 5,000

A VERY RARE PRINTED NAVAL SHIP'S ENDORSEMENT.

Itasca was assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron with a complement of 114. At New Orleans she served the chain blockading Farragut's fleet. She participated in the Lower Mississippi River Campaign, Galveston Blockade and Mobile Bay.

Realized $3,600


 
Lot 7



U.S.S. Cyane, Sloop of War, small cover addressed to "Lieut. Leonard H. Lyne, U.S.N., U. S. Sloop of War 'Cyane', Aspinwall" and endorsed "Per Steamer 'Illinois' Via Nw. York", franked with a pretty four-margin horizontal pair of 10¢ green type I (13), tied by a light 1857 Petersburg, Va. c.d.s. (month & day not struck up), long docketing notation as received Feb 15, 1857, Very Fine.
Estimate $2,000 - 3,000

A RARE EXAMPLE OF A NICE PAIR PAIR OF TEN-CENT TYPE I ON COVER.

Cyane operated with the Pacific Squadron protecting commerce along the western coast of the Americas. In 1863 she prevented the sloop J. M. Chapman from being used as a Confederate privateer when boarding parties from Cyane took control of the ship as it was preparing to leave San Francisco.

Realized $1,920


 
Lot 85



U.S.S. Mercedita, Screw Steamer Gunboat, illustrated cover with printed endorsement "Ship's Letter, U.S.S. Mercedita" and a three-color Patriotic illustration of Mercedita flying the Colors and a "Mercedita" pennant; postmarked with a clear New York c.d.s., Dec 15, 1862, and a manuscript "Due 3"; reduced slightly at the right with several opening tears at the top. One of three different styles of printed covers from Mercedita, this one illustrated in an article by Richard Graham in the February 1989 issue of The Chronicle..
Estimate $1,500 - 2,000

Mercedita was commissioned December 8, 1861, and joined the Gulf Blockading Squadron. She destroyed Confederate batteries at St. Vincent Island, FL, and worked with the Sagamore to cature Apalachicola. She then captured blockade runner Bermuda and schooners Victoria and Ida. She then transferred to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron and served on the blockade of Charleston until the end of January 1863. In April of that year she joined the West Indies Squadron to escort California steamers and later joined the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron operating in Beaufort, NC, for the remainder of 1864. She joined the West Gulf Squadron in March of 1865 and was then decommissioned and sold in late 1865.

Realized $2,640


 
Lot 126



Confederate States, Blockade Mail - Outgoing, cover from the Locke Correspondence from Savannah to London and forwarded to Rome, Italy; sent under cover to Nassau, via the blockade-runner Hansa out of Wilmington, N.C., on Oct 19, then by British West Indies Line's Corsica to New York where it was posted unpaid on Nov 16 and sent on Cunard's Persia to Queenstown, arriving on Dec 11, and on to London (Dec 14); the cover was then redirected to Rome by way of Paris (Dec 15), arriving on Dec 21; multiple handstamped and manuscript rates; open on three sides, Fine to Very Fine. Walske/Trepel census number BO-Nas-48, Ex-Walske, signed Kimbrough.
Estimate $1,500 - 2,000.
Realized $1,020


 
Lot 55



U.S.S. Connecticut, Side-Wheel Steamer, stenciled "Ship Connecticut/ A. B. Langworthy" (Milgram No. 282) on the back of a Flag & Canon patriotic cover with the legend "Our Compromise" (Weiss F-R 419), franked with a 3¢ rose (65) tied by a clear Feb 25 New York target duplex (docketed 1861); to Connecticut's Captain, A. B. Langworthy, Milwaukee, Wis., "Sheriff's Office" reduced slightly at the right, otherwise exceptionally clean and Very Fine.
Estimate $1,200 - 1,800

A.B. Langworthy was an Acting Maser's Mate on Connecticut. The addressee, his brother, was a Captain in the 1st Wisconsin Heavy Artillery.

Built in New York as the Mississippi, this side-wheel staemer was purchased by the Navy, converted to a warship and commissioned U.S.S. Connecticut in August 1861. Her first voyage was on August 25, 1861, where she delivered men and supplies to blockade ships along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts as far as Galveston, Texas. She later spent time assisting in the search for the Confederate cruiser C.S.S. Nashville, then returned to cargo duty, making five voyages similar to her first. She also captured four schooners with valuable cargo during this period.

Realized $1,800








Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions, LLC
The Oldest Philatelic Auction House in the United States, established in 1885.
 
Administrative Office:
22 Shelter Rock Lane, Unit 53
Danbury, CT 06810, USA

Tel: 203.830.2500
Fax: 203.297.6059 		  Boston Area Office:
181 Wells Avenue, Suite 105
Newton, MA 02459, USA

Tel: 781.453.0990
Fax: 781.453.0945
 

info@kelleherauctions.com

 

payments accepted via:

  

follow us on: