Confederate States Stamps and Covers continued...

EXTREMELY FINE. A REMARKABLY CHOICE STAMP ON A FRESH AND IMMACULATE COVER.

Ex Gehrmann and Emerson. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A FRESH AND ATTRACTIVE EXAMPLE OF THE CHARLESTON PROVISIONAL ON COVER.

Ex Green. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. QUITE POSSIBLY THE FINEST OF SEVEN RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE COLUMBIA OVAL PROVISIONAL SEAL STRUCK ON THE FACE.

Our records contain just seven Columbia provisional entires with the oval seal struck on front and not on the flaps, all dated in August and September 1861 with the pre-war integral rate datestamp. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF FOUR RECORDED DEMOPOLIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ENTIRES OF ANY VARIETY, OF WHICH ONLY TWO ARE SCOTT 22XU2.

The complete story of the discovery of the three Demopolis entires is told in the Crown book (page 94). The three entires were discovered in 1899 by Robert S. Nelson among Dr. Whitfield's papers. Two, including this example, have the handstamped "5" marking and the postmaster's signature "J. Y. Hall". The third has the "Jno. Y. Hall" spelling and is listed separately as Scott 22XU1. A fourth entire was later discovered (pictured in Crown, p. 665) and listed in Scott as 22XU3, it is a third variety with "5 cts" in manuscript and signed "J. Y. Hall".

Ex Ferrary and Knapp. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. ONLY EIGHT 10-CENT TYPE II GOLIAD ARE RECORDED, INCLUDING THREE OFF COVER. THIS AND THE EX-CASPARY STAMP ARE THE TWO FINEST EXAMPLES OFF COVER.

Of the eight Goliad 10c Type II (29X7) stamps in our records, five are used on covers, including an uncancelled stamp on a cover in the Tapling collection at the British Library, which leaves four covers and three stamps available to collectors. In addition to the normal 10c Type II, there are two other covers with the Type II "GOILAD" spelling error.

It is our theory that the Type I provisionals were issued in 1861, followed in 1863 by a new provisional-stamp printing from the Type II settings, which contain the postmaster's name and title.

Ex Ferrary and Hind. (Image)

FRESH AND EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF SIX RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THIS WONDERFULLY PRIMITIVE POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL, ALL OF WHICH ARE ON COVERS FROM THE REVEREND WHITEHEAD CORRESPONDENCE -- ONLY FIVE ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS, AND THIS IS THE ONLY GREENWOOD DEPOT PROVISIONAL ON A GREEN COVER.

The six Greenwood Depot provisional covers were discovered by G. M. Bastable in June 1887 (Crown book). Each is addressed to the Rev. Paul Whitehead with the following 1862 dates: 1) Jul. 31, ex Caspary, 2) Sep. 17, ex Kilbourne, 3) Sep. 21, ex Hessel, 4) Sep. 25, the cover offered here, ex Ferrary, Hind and Brooks, 5) tied by Oct. 8 datestamp, British Library's Tapling collection, and 6) tied by indistinct datestamp, ex Caspary. The condition is similar among the six covers -- only two are cancelled (and tied), one of which is in the British Library's Tapling collection. None of the other envelopes is green, to the best of our knowledge.

The 10c rate (raised from 5c) was effective July 1, 1862, and the Greenwood Depot provisional stamps were issued to meet this new rate. Pencil docketing on a few of the Rev. Whitehead covers confirm the year.

Very few post offices east of the Mississippi River issued and used 10c adhesive (A) or press-printed (E) provisionals. This group is as follows: Baton Rouge La. (A - three known), Charleston S.C. (E - unique), Danville Va. (E - probably not used), Fincastle Va. (E - unique), Fredericksburg Va. (A - never used), Greenville Ala. (A - two known), Greenwood Depot Va. (A - six known), Knoxville Tenn. (A - unique, and E - rare used), Marion Va. (A - six known on cover), Nashville Tenn. (A - seven known on cover), Tellico Plains Tenn. (A - never used), and Uniontown Ala. (A - eight known). All other 10c provisionals were used in Texas or were issued as handstamped entires.

Ex Ferrary, Hind and Brooks. Signed on inside of flap by 19th century dealer, Wm. P. Brown. The cover in the Kilbourne collection (Sale 815, lot 46) realized $18,000 hammer. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE STAMP TIED ON AN ATTRACTIVE COVER. ONE OF THE CHOICEST OF THE MACON FLORAL-BORDER PROVISIONALS KNOWN ON COVER.

The use of this Macon datestamp to tie the provisional is very unusual. (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. ARGUABLY THE FINEST EXAMPLE OF THIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL RARITY EXTANT, ON OR OFF COVER.

The Marion Va. 5c and 10c provisional stamps, with their distinctive "Check" label at top, were issued by Postmaster J. H. Francis in 1861. The stamps were printed in two steps: first, the typeset form containing the border and words "P. Office, Marion, Va., Check. Paid" was impressed, then the value, "5" or "10" was handstamped on the blank center. Postmaster Francis described his stamps in a January 1880 letter to August Dietz, and he offered to make more from the "die" which he still possessed. Various "reprints" made from the typeset form were made by John W. Scott, including 2c, 15c and 20c values that have never been seen genuinely used.

Genuine Marion provisional stamps are extremely rare. Our records contain a total of 10 examples of the 5c, including 4 covers (one of which is in the British Library's Tapling collection), 3 stamps remaining on pieces, 2 used off cover and an unused example on bluish paper (of uncertain status, but counted in our census).

Illustrated in Crown book on page 201. Ex Hind. (Image)