1861 Cover Los Angeles to Canada West

1861 Cover franked with #30A and #35
A beautiful cover with a history, mailed from Los Angeles to Canada West on April 22, 1861, just 8 days after the fall of Fort Sumter and the beginning of the Civil War.

According to the backstamp, the cover arrived at its destination on May 25, 1861. When Texas seceded from the Union they appropriated all stock and equipment of the Butterfield Overland Mail within their territory. This action caused the U.S. Congress to terminate the route on March 12,1861. To exacerbate matters, the mail contract with the Vanderbilt steamship lines had expired over a rate dispute.

This cover was carried by mail steamship and routed overland through Panama, then on to New York City, then probably to Buffalo, N.Y. and cross-border to its destination in Canada.

The cover is posted with 15-cents rate required for Pacific Coast mail to Canada.

The cover is franked with a Scott #30A (Perf 15-1/2, type II, brown SCV = $325.00 on cover) and a #35 (10C green, type V, SCV = $125.00 on cover to Canada). Markings of note include the "UNITED STATES PAID 6" used by the Exchange Office at Buffalo, N.Y.

Code: CANADA_WEST*Vault

Price: $500.00