::: First Sub-Period of the Late Treaty Period :::

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August 30, 1863-August 23, 1864

In this First Sub-Period, rates conform to what we would expect to see - 3¢ per half ounce plus a 2¢ ship fee for a prepaid letter and double the United States rate (including the ship fee) for collect mail. Thus, a half ounce letter cost 5¢ Hawaiian postage plus either 5¢ United States postage if prepaid or 6¢ United States postage if sent collect.

Mail was carried primarily by sailing ship to San Francisco, with an occasional steamer taking mail. From San Francisco, most mail was carried East by the overland coach via Salt Lake. Panama steamers continued to carry mail as well, particularly during months when snow blocked the higher Sierra elevations. The First Sub-Period comes to a close on August 24, 1864. That date is picked because it appears San Francisco properly rated mail from Hawaii up to that date.

Mail volume remained low during the Civil War in the United States. Only 35 covers are recorded in this First Sub-Period. Of those, 15 were sent with United States postage unpaid, 19 were sent prepaid and 1 was sent free. These numbers reflect an increased tendency to send collect mail during the Civil War. One significant change is the decrease in stampless covers, only 8 in the sub-Period, with one of those prepaid, one free and 6 collect. Stampless covers declined after 1860, when 52% of the surviving covers are stampless. In 1864, only 15% of the surviving covers are stampless.

PREPAID MAIL TO THE UNITED STATES

Postmarked September 9 at Honolulu and September 25, 1863 at San Francisco, this letter was in the first mail shipment under the new United States postage rates, carried by the American bark Comet, leaving Honolulu September 10, 1863 and arriving San Francisco September 24. The 5¢ United States stamp (US Scott No. 76) seen on this cover is the most common United States stamp found in this sub-Period on mail from Hawaii. Two covers are noted with a United States 3¢ stamp (US Scott No. 65) and one cover is noted with a United States 10¢ stamp (US Scott No. 68).

Here is another prepaid letter, postmarked July 11 with the incorrect Honolulu collect mail mark and July 14 with the correct prepaid mark. This letter was carried to San Francisco on His Imperial Russian Majesty's Corvette Calavala, leaving Honolulu July 14, 1864, and arriving San Francisco August 4, where it was postmarked August 5, 1864.

COLLECT MAIL TO THE UNITED STATES

A correctly rated collect letter postmarked April 16 at Honolulu and May 20, 1864 at San Francisco, with a SHIP 6 rate mark applied at San Francisco. Under the 1863 rate, collect mail was rated at double the United States rate of 3¢ - in other words 6¢ - and no ship fee was added. As always, the 5¢ Hawaiian rate was prepaid, so the full cost of a collect letter was 11¢.

Another collect letter, this time with the Hawaiian rate paid by a 5¢ stamp rather than cash. Postmarked June 18 at Honolulu and July 8, 1864, at San Francisco where the SHIP 6 rate mark was applied. This cover bears Scott No. 9, the 5¢ stamp from the 1861 printing of the Boston Engraved Issue. Scott No. 9 is the Hawaiian stamp appearing most often in this Sub-Period. Click here for a log of Scott No. 9 covers. A late appearing 13¢ Scott No. 6, used to pay the 5¢ Hawaiian rate, also exists from this period.

MAIL TO SAN FRANCISCO

With the 1863 postage rate changes in the United States came a drop rate of 2¢. Thus, any letter deposited in the mail at San Francisco addressed to someone who lived in San Francisco cost 2¢, but only if prepaid with United States stamps. By a literal interpretation of the United States rate, Hawaiian mail would qualify for the drop rate if a letter was prepaid with United States stamps. On top of the drop rate was the 2¢ ship fee, so the full cost of a drop rate letter to a San Francisco resident was 5¢ Hawaiian and 4¢ United States postage. Unless the letter met the conditions for the lower drop rate, it should have been charged the normal amount of postage. However, surviving covers apparently show San Francisco was inconsistent, sometimes tolerating the 4¢ drop rate on collect letters to San Francisco addressees and sometimes charging the full 6¢ due. The following images show examples of collect mail charged only 4¢. Other covers show a rate of 6¢ (See Advertiser Sale, lot 143 as an example). Please send me an E-mail (scott312@earthlink.net) if you have further information on the rate for mail to San Francisco addressees under the United States 1863 rates.

Postmarked February 13 at Honolulu and March 8, 1864 at San Francisco, this collect cover was rated 4¢ at San Francisco, presumably to pay the drop rate plus the ship fee. The American bark Young Hector carried this letter to San Francisco, departing Honolulu February 13, 1864, and arriving San Francisco March 5.

Datelined Honolulu, December 14, 1863 and carried to San Francisco on the American bark Yankee, departing Honolulu December 14, 1863 and arriving San Francisco January 3, 1864, where it was postmarked January 4 and rated DUE 4, apparently for a collect drop rate plus ship fee. The absence of a Honolulu postmark leaves room to think the letter was carried to San Francisco privately. If so, the 4¢ rate could be double the domestic rate of 2¢, except a drop letter was supposed to be prepaid. I have not unraveled the puzzle of why San Francisco was rating some incoming collect mail from Hawaii at 4¢ and rating other incoming collect mail from Hawaii at 6¢. No prepaid covers from Hawaii to San Francisco residents are known from this sub-Period.

MAIL TO INLAND CALIFORNIA

Postmarked July 7 at Honolulu and July 29, 1864 at San Francisco, this collect cover for inland California was carried to San Francisco on the American bark Yankee, leaving Honolulu July 7, 1864 and arriving San Francisco July 29. The letter was properly rated at 6¢, double the prepaid rate of 3¢, and without the ship fee added.

MAIL TO EUROPE

Postmarked November 14 at Honolulu and December 7, 1863 at San Francisco. This letter bears the notation "Paid through to London" and the signature of Foreign Minister R. C. Wyllie. It was carried to San Francisco by the American bark Comet, departing Honolulu November 14, 1863, and arriving San Francisco December 5, and thence by overland coach via Salt Lake. At New York, it was postmarked January 19 with the British packet mark and 7 Paid.

Details of foreign mail markings on the Wyllie cover; to left the N.Y.PK.BR.MAIL postmark date January 19, 1864 with an integral 7PAID rate. On the right is the AACHEN 4 2/FRANCO mark for the Bremen closed mail. The numbers 4 and 2 indicate February 4.

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