Lot no. 1987

“Pony Express, Sacramento” (14 Feb), dual strikes of oval handstamp at left of 10c green on buff postal stationery entire (Sc. U16), cancelled with Saint Joseph blue double circle Saint Joseph c.d.s.,  to William N. Sage in Rochester, New York, endorsed in manuscript “By Pony Express” at upper left and lightly written pencil “Paid $2.50” alongside indicia, entire with some trivial edge flaws, a fine and attractive Pony Express cover, the second earliest recorded usage of this handstamp in blue, and the third earliest usage overall. (Frajola-Kramer-Walkse Census #E57)

Note: The exhaustive FKW census records only 20 covers with this Pony Express handstamp, all on eastbound mail and all but one in blue. It was used on mail originating in Sacramento or at Wells, Fargo & Co. offices other than San Francisco. The addressee, William Nathan Sage (1819-1890), was a prominent resident of Rochester, where he lived for almost his entire life. Over the years he variously served as Monroe County Clerk and secretary and treasurer of the Board of Trustees of the University of Rochester, in addition to organizing the Sage Deposit Company and founding the Monroe County Savings Bank. In his obituary he was described as "one of Rochester's foremost citizens."