Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries is going to offer Pony Express covers and other historical philatelic material belonging to the George Kramer collection on 25th September. The Clovis collection of Confederate States illustrated covers will also be on sale. The auctions will be organised at the Collectors Club, 22 E. 35th St., New York City.

One of the highlights is the only known cover with a $4 green stamp. It comes with the $2 red on the 1860 10¢ green Washington on a buff stamped envelope. Only known two examples with both Horse and Rider stamps are known today. The item is offered for an estimated value of $150,000 to $200,000.

Another highlight is a Civil War cover that was delivered by Pony Express. It’s called the “Patriotic Pony” and only three such covers are known to collectors. The cover was sent to Schleswig-Holstein, which was under Denmark in those days. The cover depicts a portrait of George Washington and a quote from his final speech. Only six Pony express covers were sent outside the US. The offered cover is the only patriotic cover that was addressed to a country outside the US. The cover contains a $1 red Pony Express stamp and the 1860 30¢ orange Benjamin Franklin stamp. It will be offered for an estimated value of $500,000 to $750,000.

A cover franked with a $4 black Pony Express stamp, sent from Honolulu, Hawaii, to Washington, D.C. will be offered for an estimated value of $300,000-$400,000. Only two such covers are known to collectors and the offered example is the finer one.

The collection has been put together over a period of 40 long years and George Kramer has received several awards to exhibit the same. He, along with Richard Frajola and Steven Walske has co-written a book on the Pony Express. Experts believe that this is the most significant Pony Express collection. It is also the first one to have all Pony Express stamps on cover.

Image Courtesy: Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries