Sunday, July 11, 2010

Updating the Joyce/Chappell Lists: Hobron Drug Company

In the J/C list, Hobron is something of a mystery.  The city is reported as unknown, and nothing more is offered about the company except for the name in the cancel: "Hobron".  Google solved this mystery with a single search.



Hobron Drug Company was based in Honolulu, and was owned by T.W. Hobron, the son of a famous retired sea captain, Thomas H. Hobron.  T.H. Hobron made himself a wealthy Hawaiin businessman through a sugar plantation and a railroad and port used to haul and load the sugar for export. 

The J/C list for these cancels is short:

My collection holds one cancel unlisted by Joyce, the 1/8 cent example below:

1/8 cent 1901
unlisted by Joyce





The updated list for this cancels is available at the following link:

Updated Hobron Drug Company Printed Cancels List

A recent auction contained this lot connected with Hobron Drug Company:
Hobron Drug postal cover from the June 2010 Regency Superior sale. 
The online catalog included this note:  "Pahala, Hawaii cover to Hobron Drug Company in Honolulu franked by 2¢ brown and with purple target cancel, plus matching Pahala date cancel, Meyer-Harris 281.01. Cover with backside advertisement in blue for Alhambra, 'beverage made from pure rich fruit juices'."

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