W3002

California Gold Rush

150th Anniversary - Mining Tools

Bag of Gold/Assay Scale Cachet

Subscriber-Only Edition

Collins Cover Announcement 

THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH OF 18 49

Subscriber-Only Edition

This hand painted cachet is a limited Collins variety done only for my subscribers. Twice a year, I produce these very desirable collectibles as a way of saying "Thank You" to my most loyal collectors. They are not produced for anyone but subscribers and no extras can be purchased - thus ensuring their very scarce status.

The cover shows a framed photograph of a young "forty-niner" holding a huge nugget that he had discovered in his quest for wealth. This "find" was an actual discovery, and my cachet is based on the actual photograph of the fortunate prospector. He was one of the lucky ones. Also shown is a large bag of gold dust, a "pan" used for finding and retrieving gold from streams, an assay office scale used for weighing nuggets, a pick and shovel used for searching rock formations for veins of gold, and a jug of moonshine which helped many prospectors pass the long and lonely California nights.

This will be a very scarce and desirable Collins, and I'm pleased that you will have it in your collection. The subscriber-only limited-edition California Gold Rush cover. 

Item #W3002 - $1 1.00.

Spring 2024 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 27 W3001 and W3002 — California Gold Rush (set of 2) — 6-18-99

In the middle of the last century, gold was discovered in the waters of Sutter's Creek. Thousands flocked to the area overland and by sea. All of these prospectors — known as "forty-niners" — spread across the countryside seeking their fortune. My W3001 hand painted cachet is wonderful and captures this historic time in American history. Hopeful prospectors are panning for gold in a small stream.

This was a favorite way of searching for tiny granules and pieces of gold. Occasionally, larger nuggets would be discovered. This cachet captures the excitement of the American West at the time of one of the most memorable events in our nation's history. The hand painted cachet is magnificent, and since western art has become popular, this philatelic miniature painting caused the issue to sell out quickly.

W3002 is a wonderful cover that was made only for subscribers. It shows a framed photograph of a young "forty-niner" holding a huge nugget that he had discovered in his quest for wealth. This "find" was a real discovery, and my cachet is based on the actual photograph of the fortunate prospector. Also shown is a large bag of gold dust, a "pan" used for finding and retrieving gold from streams, an assay office scale used for weighing nuggets, a pick and shovel used for searching rock formations for veins of gold, and a jug of moonshine which helped many prospectors pass the long and lonely California nights. These covers have not appeared in my previous mail sales.