The Dr. Howard P. Green Collection of Confederate States Covers continued...

EXTREMELY FINE. ONLY TEN EXAMPLES OF THE CELEBRATED HANGING LINCOLN ENVELOPE ARE RECORDED. THIS IS THE ONLY EXAMPLE POSTMARKED IN KENTUCKY. AN OUTSTANDING AND HISTORIC CONFEDERATE PATRIOTIC.

The Hanging Lincoln design is widely recognized as the most distinctive of all Confederate patriotics. In this extraordinary cartoon, President Lincoln is hanging upside down from a tree limb, with his symbolic axe and fence rail tied around his neck. The caption reads "Abe Lincoln the destroyer. He once split Rails. Now he has split the Union." To the left and right is the caption "The penalty of disregarding the constitution. Impeached, deposed, Tried and convicted" (there is a spelling correction from "diposed" to "deposed"). Standing beside Lincoln is a mustachioed Winfield Scott, labeled "Old Fuss n Feathers", dropping his sword and exclaiming "My glory is gone for ever." On the ground is the Union flag, captioned "The stars and stripes lie in the dust, Never to rise." A star at left has the caption "The southern star is rising" and the Confederate 11-star flag towers above with the caption "The stars and bars shall for ever wave triumphant." Along the bottom is the imprint "Copyright claimed. HM & WC Box 417 Nashville Tenn."

According to a census by the late John R. Hill Jr., there are ten genuine Hanging Lincoln patriotics (listed in date order): 1) Jul. 25, 1861, Marshall Tex. Paid 10, 2) Aug. 21, 1861, Nashville Ten., two 5c provisionals, 3) Nov. 2, 1861, Bowling Green Ky., the cover offered here, 4) Jan. 4, 1862, Nashville Ten., 5c Olive Green, 5) Feb. 20, 1862, Cumberland Gap Ten., ms. Paid 5, 6) Apr. 15, 1862, Cartersville Miss., ms. Due 5, 7) Apr. 15, 1862, Camden Miss., 10c Rose, 8) Jun. 24, 1862, Camden Miss., 10c Pale Rose, 9) date unknown to JRH, West Union S.C., ms. Due 5, and 10) privately carried and not postally used. In addition, there is a genuine envelope with fake markings and a stamp added.

The last Hanging Lincoln cover sold by our firm (No. 5 above) was a manuscript stampless usage that realized $19,000 hammer in 1995 (Sale 772, lot 3268). The Kentucky usage, Bowling Green datestamp and soldier's endorsement are more desirable features of the cover offered here. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. A COLORFUL AND OUTSTANDING MISSISSIPPI CONFEDERATE STATE USE OF UNITED STATES STAMPS.

Our records trace this cover to a 1953 Harmer, Rooke sale. The use of United States postage on a Jefferson Davis Medallion patriotic is rare, because the envelopes were generally used after U.S. stamps were invalid (June 1, 1861). (Image)

VERY FINE. A COLORFUL AND RARE PATRIOTIC USAGE FROM HARPER'S FERRY, VIRGINIA.

This is the only Confederate patriotic cover from Harper's Ferry in our Levi records. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. AN ENORMOUSLY RARE REGIMENTAL PATRIOTIC, PRODUCED EARLY IN THE WAR.

We surveyed more than 40 different sale catalogues and reference books and located only five examples of this distinctive Crescent Rifles patriotic, including the covers offered in this sale. Three are used from Tudor Hall, including: 1) Oct. 13, 1861 datestamp and "Due 10", to Mrs. Harry T. Hays, same correspondence as the cover offered here, ex Kimmel (Siegel Sale 492, lot 934), 2) Nov. 9, 1861 datestamp and "Due 10", to Mrs. Harry T. Hays, the cover offered here, same correspondence as previous, and 3) Mar. 4, 1862 datestamp, to Ella P. Rind, New Orleans, "Adv.1" handstamp, illustrated in Wishnietzky book, p. 117. In addition to these three Tudor Hall covers, which are genuine usages from members of the 7th Regiment, Louisiana Volunteers, there are two others: 4) a Federal usage of the envelope with a 3c 1861 tied by Washington D.C. Mar. 13, 1862 datestamp and marked "Found at Manassas" (Wishnietzky book, p. 117), and 5) a cover with 10c Die B barely tied by town datestamp, possibly not originating, ex Kohn (Siegel Sale 382, lot 1470).

As a Colonel, Harry T. Hays was the original commander of the 7th Louisiana Volunteers, which was called the Pelican Regiment. Although composed of farmers, laborers and clerks, the Louisiana 7th Regiment was described as a "crack regiment" by Gen. Richard Taylor. Hays went on to become a General. [Source: www.panix.com] (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE CONFEDERATE NINE-STAR FLAG WAS CREATED DURING THE THREE DAYS AFTER ARKANSAS WAS ADMITTED AND BEFORE NORTH CAROLINA JOINED AS THE TENTH CONFEDERATE STATE.

Very few examples of the 9-Star Confederate Flag patriotic designs are known. (Image)