POST OFFICE IN PARADISE - Fifth Sub-Period of the Late Treaty Period

This page last updated: 4 March 2005

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

December 3, 1864-September 12, 1867

Honolulu reverted to the 5¢ rate for prepaid letters as soon as the American clipper ship Seaman's Bride arrived on December 3, 1864, with news the 10¢ United States foreign rate of 1864 would no longer be applied to Hawaiian mail. The next mail shipment from Honolulu was the American bark Whistler, sailing from Honolulu December 8, 1864, and arriving San Francisco December 31.

The Fifth Sub-Period ends when the American bark Camden sailed from Honolulu for San Francisco on September 12, 1867. The next mail shipment following the Camden was by the American steamer Idaho of the North Pacific Transportation Company, under contract with the United States Post Office Department. The Idaho carried the first mail under the Sixth Sub-Period at the new steamer rate and the Camden carried the last mail before the dual rate for steamer and sailing ships began.

During this sub-Period, mail transportation continued to be primarily by sailing ship with occasional opportunities to send mail by steamer. There still was no contract service between Hawaii and San Francisco. From San Francisco, the daily overland coach via Salt Lake was the principle way letters were carried, but anyone could inscribe a letter to go by the steamer and some people in Hawaii seemed to prefer this route, particularly if snow might delay mail in the mountains.

Pre-Paid Letters

A typical prepaid cover from the Fifth sub-Period, showing postage prepaid at the 5¢ rate (3¢ postage plus a 2¢ ship fee) to a destination other than San Francisco. This cover is postmarked October 7 at Honolulu and October 28, 1865 at San Francisco and was carried to San Francisco on the American bark D. C. Murray, sailing October 7, 1865, from Honolulu and arriving San Francisco October 27.

Collect Letters

By the Whistler on December 8, 1864, Honolulu forwarded the balance of collect mail stacked up since the error periods began. Some collect mail was sent out on November 23, after Honolulu learned collect mail from Hawaii was still accepted by the United States, but some letters evidently were held for the next shipment. Regarding mail with United States postage unpaid, we face a new puzzle because San Francisco began to apply an 8¢ rate on collect letters in this shipment instead of the expected 6¢ rate. Apparently, San Francisco added the 2¢ ship fee to the 6¢ collect rate despite explicit language in the 1863 Postal Act stating the 6¢ rate included the ship fee. Collect letters declined to only a small percentage of the mail. Eight collect letters are recorded during this sub-Period. Of those, one to a San Francisco resident is rated 6¢, and seven to other destinations are rated 8¢ (6¢ postage plus a 2¢ ship fee) or 14¢ (12¢ postage plus a 2¢ ship fee). Please E-mail (scott312@earthlink.net) me if you have additional information on why San Francisco added the 2¢ ship fee to collect mail in 1865-1867.

A typical stampless collect cover showing the puzzling 8¢ rate. Contents of this letter were dated August 28, 1864, but held at Honolulu for fear collect mail was prohibited under the incorrectly applied 1864 United States Act. Considering the dateline, the letter was early enough to have been shipped before Honolulu learned the new Act was being applied to Hawaiian mail. Either the letter arrived too late in Honolulu to be shipped with the Smyrniote sailing of September 7, or Honolulu had advance word suggesting collect mail was prohibited. Once Honolulu learned collect mail still was accepted, the collect mail being held was forwarded. This letter is postmarked December 6 at Honolulu and early January at San Francisco, showing it was carried by the American bark Whistler, departing Honolulu December 8, 1864, and arriving San Francisco December 31, with the first mail shipment from Honolulu in the Fifth sub-Period.

Datelined December 15, 1866 at Honolulu and postmarked January 3, 1867 at San Francisco. Carried to San Francisco on the American bark Comet, departing Honolulu December 15, 1866, and arriving San Francisco January 3, 1867. This cover also shows the typical collect mark, including the SHIP mark, and the puzzling 8¢ rate.

About Fifth Sub-Period Covers

There are 201 covers recorded from this sub-Period (there is a chance about 6 of the 201 covers are duplicates). Only seven covers were sent collect and four of the seven were stampless (the 5¢ Hawaiian rate was paid in cash on the letter). The other two collect covers bore Hawaiian stamps for the 5¢ Hawaiian rate. Two prepaid covers were stampless, so only six stampless covers are recorded from this sub-Period. These numbers contrast sharply to earlier Periods when stampless covers accounted for 50% or more of recorded covers and unpaid letters accounted for 25% to 40%.

Mail volume increased as the United States emerged from Civil War. In 1865, we record only 49 covers, but in 1866, we record 90 covers and in 1867, we record 89 covers (61 covers in the first eight months belonging to this sub-Period).

An unfortunate change to note as we move to this sub-Period is the increased number of faked or altered covers. Prior to this sub-Period, the incidence of faked or altered covers is quite small. However, among the 201 recorded covers are three fakes, made up to look like they have real postmarks, and eleven altered covers where stamps were added, either to replace missing stamps of a similar type (restoring a cover with a different stamp of the same type that once was on it) or to add a stamp that never was on the cover, so almost 8% of the recorded covers are faked or altered. The altered covers at least have genuine postmarks. Six of the 201 covers are missing one or more stamps (in addition to altered covers where stamps were added to replace missing stamps).

Hawaiian Stamps On Cover In The Fifth Sub-Period

Among the Hawaiian stamps found on cover in this sub-period, the 2¢ Numeral Issue (Scott No. 23) is rarest - only one cover bearing that stamp is recorded (See Advertiser Lot 409). Next in rarity is Scott No. 22, the 5¢ "Interisland" Numeral, with only eleven recorded covers. Click here for a list of Scott No. 22 covers. Scott No. 27 appears only on one foreign mail cover in this sub-Period, but appears also on numerous domestic covers, so it is not as rare as this figure suggests. Likewise, Scott No. 31 is found on ten covers (including one cover in combination with the Scott No. 23 cover and another cover in combination with the Scott No. 27 cover) in this sub-Period but also is seen on numerous domestic covers and on foreign mail covers in the Convention Period. Other Hawaiian stamps seen on cover during this sub-Period are the: 5¢ Boston Engraved Issue (Scott No. 9 - 18 covers See Scott No. 9 Covers), 5¢ Numeral Issue (Scott No. 21 - 41 covers - plus a cover with a positive of Scott No. 21 on it and no other stamps See Scott No. 21 Covers) and 5¢ Bank Note Issue (Scott No. 32 - 39 covers). Please E-mail (scott312@earthlink.net) me if you have information regarding additional Scott No. 22 covers.

Postmarked December 10 at Honolulu and January 3 at San Francisco, this cover was carried to San Francisco on the American bark Comet, leaving Honolulu December 15, 1866 and arriving San Francisco January 3, 1867. This cover is a typical prepaid cover, with the Hawaiian 5¢ Scott No. 21 paying the Hawaiian rate and the 5¢ No. 76 paying the United States rate.

Postmarked April 21 at Honolulu (barely visible above the manuscript "U.S.A.") and May 19 at San Francisco, this letter was carried to San Francisco by the American bark Smyrniote, sailing April 21, 1865 and arriving May 17. The cover apparently has no missing stamps so the sender prepaid United States postage with 10¢ value in Hawaiian stamps (two 5¢ Scott No. 21 stamps). It was left up to the post office in Honolulu to be sure it was entered on the prepaid way bill sent with the letter bag in order to protect the addressee from paying collect postage.

Postmarked September 4 at Honolulu and October 10 at San Francisco, this cover was carried to San Francisco on the Columbian bark Sarita, sailing from Honolulu on September 5, 1866, and arriving San Francisco October 7. Here is one of the eleven Scott No. 22 covers, seen with the United States 5¢ (US Scott No. 76). It also is marked in manuscript to go from San Francisco by the steamer via Panama.

Postmarked at San Francisco on October 9, 1865 with no Honolulu postmark. This cover was carried to San Francisco by the American bark Onward, departing Honolulu September 16, 1865, and arriving San Francisco October 7. Other mail in the same shipment was postmarked at San Francisco on October 9 with this cover, helping to prove it originated in Honolulu. The letter was treated as prepaid, with the 5¢ Hawaiian postage paid in cash, the ship fee paid by the 2¢ Scott No. 31, and the United States postage prepaid with the 3¢ US Scott No. 65. If United States postage (3¢ per half ounce) was fully prepaid the ship fee could be prepaid with Hawaiian stamps. Again, if the letter was included on the prepaid letter way bill sent with the mail bag, the letter was treated as prepaid at San Francisco. In the case of this cover, Honolulu was charged 2¢ through the account system.

Postmarked December 15 at Honolulu and January 3 at San Francisco, this cover bears the Hawaiian 5¢ Bank Note, Scott No. 32 to pay the Hawaiian rate and US Scott No. 76 to pay the United States postage. Note the pen cancel on No. 32. This cover was carried on the Comet in the same mail bag as the stampless Wood & Nye cover illustrated above. The Hughes correspondence includes several covers in this sub-Period.

Carried to San Francisco by the American brig Woodland in the last mail bag of the Fifth sub-Period, departing Honolulu August 27, 1867, and arriving San Francisco September 16. Note the cross-hatch cancel on the Hawaiian 5¢ stamp.

United States Stamps On Cover In The Fifth Sub-Period

An interesting array of United States stamps appear in this sub-Period. Stamped covers usually bear the United States 5¢ stamp (US Scott No. 76 - 114 covers), either with or without a Hawaiian stamp or another United States stamp. Other United States stamps recorded in this sub-Period were the: 1¢ (US Scott No. 63 - 6 covers), 2¢ Black Jack (US Scott No. 73 - 19 covers), 3¢ (US Scott No. 65 - 36 covers), 10¢ (US Scott No. 68 - 7 covers), 12¢ (US Scott No. 69 - 2 covers) and 30¢ (US Scott No. 71 - 3 covers), plus the 3¢ stamped envelope (US Scott No. U59 - 3 covers). The cover count duplicates covers with multiple kinds of stamps so the numbers will add to more than the total covers for the sub-Period. Starting in December, 1865, Hawaiian Postmaster General Brickwood refused to send United States postage stamps to outlying offices or to sell them over the counter in Honolulu. Instead, postal patrons outside of Honolulu placed sufficient Hawaiian stamps on a cover to pay the full combined rate, or paid the rate in cash. United States stamps were affixed at Honolulu. Residents of Honolulu bought United States stamps at local stationery stores.

Carried to Honolulu on the American bark Ethan Allen, departing Honolulu November 17, 1866, and arriving San Francisco December 4. A letter from Mrs. Clough to Captain Clough is illustrated below in the Inward covers.

Carried to San Francisco on the British brig Ann Sanders, departing Honolulu August 16, 1866, and arriving San Francisco September 16. This cover bears a United States 10¢ stamp (US Scott No. 68) to pay the United States 5¢ rate and the 5¢ rate from San Francisco to Victoria, British Columbia, headquarters of the Hudson Bay Company. A manuscript note states it was received September 24.

Mail For San Francisco Addressees In The Fifth Sub-Period

Eleven covers to San Francisco are noted in the Fifth sub-Period. On May 1, 1865, the United States reduced the drop rate to 1¢. Nonetheless, mail from Hawaii typically was charged 2¢ plus a 2¢ ship fee. Please E-mail (scott312@earthlink.net) me if you can explain the San Francisco incoming rate in this sub-Period.

Carried to San Francisco on the American bark D. C. Murray, departing August 25, 1866, and arriving San Francisco September 13. The Hawaiian 5¢ rate and the United postage was prepaid with Hawaiian stamps, but the amount of United States postage appears to exceed the amount required by 1¢, as is typical of all letters from Hawaii to addressees in San Francisco in the sub-Period.

Inward Covers In The Fifth Sub-Period

Inward covers are still often seen addressed to an agent in San Francisco. The lack of a mail contract for service to Hawaii meant someone needed to pick up the mail at the San Francisco post office and deliver it to a ship bound for Honolulu. Mail addressed to residents in Hawaii would be picked up by the designated mail agent for Hawaii but knowledgeable people would address their letters to a specific agent in San Francisco to receive special attention. If a letter was carried in the official mail bag, it was charged 7¢ postage at Hawaii. Mail handled in a private letter bag escaped the Hawaiian postage.

An 1865 inbound letter addressed to McRuer & Merrill at San Francisco and forwarded to Honolulu by that firm in a private letter bag.

An inbound letter to Capt. Benjamin Clough of the Ship Northern Light and carried in the official mail bag. Note the manuscript 7¢ indicating the amount to collect upon delivery. A cover from Capt. Clough to his wife is illustrated above.

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