Petersburg Va., 5c Red
(65X1). Pos. 10, huge margins to just touching ornaments and showing
sheet margin at R., tied by blue "Petersburg Va. Dec. 15" cds on small
piece, Very Fine (Image)
Petersburg Va., 5c Red
(65X1). Huge margins to just clear showing parts of adjacent stamps at
bottom and right, tied by bold blue "Petersburg Va. Oct. 20" cds with
second strike at left, on yellow cover with blue embossed merchant's
corner card to McFarlands Va., EXTREMELY FINE GEM STAMP AND COVER. A BEAUTIFUL SHOWPIECE.
The relatively wide horizontal spacing of the stamps on the plate means that very few examples show parts of adjacent stamps at sides. (Image)
Pleasant Shade Va., 5c Blue
(67X1). Position 4, ample to large margins all around, part of
clearly-struck blue Pleasant Shade circular datestampEXTREMELY FINE GEM. ONE OF THE FINEST RECORDED USED SINGLES OF THE PLEASANT SHADE POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL.
The Pleasant Shade provisional was produced for Postmaster R. E. Davis by A. F. Crutchfield & Co. of Petersburg Va., publisher of the Daily Express and printer of the Petersburg provisional. The same typeset form was used for the Pleasant Shade stamp. With an 1860 population of 57, the small Pleasant Shade post office (1860-66) evidently had very little demand for the stamps. It is far rarer in used condition than unused. We record eleven unused singles (including one in the British Library collection), in addition to an unused pair and block of six. There are three singles known on covers (one in the British Library collection) and the unique pair on cover. We record only two examples used off cover: a stamp tied on piece, ex Caspary and Weatherly, and this sound stamp. Considering its great rarity, the Scott value for used seems inadequate or outdated (Image)
Raleigh N.C., 5c Red entire
(68XU1). Clear strike of provisional handstamp cancelled by red "Paid",
blue "Raleigh N.C. Sep. 27" (1861) double-circle ds on Subsistence
Department, Official Business Dietz Ty. VI imprint cover locally
addressed to RaleighEXTREMELY FINE. BELIEVED TO BE A UNIQUE USE OF THE RALEIGH PROVISIONAL -- AN OVERPAID DROP RATE AND SUBSISTENCE DEPARTMENT IMPRINT ENTIRE.
Ex Judd (Image)
Raleigh N.C., 5c Red entire,
Double Strike (68XU1 var). Two neat strikes of the red provisional
handstamp, second strike obliterated by red "Paid" hs, on cover to
Hillsboro N.C., Very Fine and unusual item
(Image)
Raleigh N.C., 5c Red entire
(68XU1). Perfectly clear strike of provisional handstamp on cover to
Hillsboro N.C., perfectly struck blue "Raleigh N.C. Jun. 28, 1861"
double-circle ds, Extremely Fine cover
(Image)