Nashville Tenn., 5c Violet Brown (61X5). Huge margins at top and left with portion of adjoining stamp and top sheet margin, full at right and just into frame at bottom, deep rich color, tied by blue "Nashville Ten. Sep. 27, 1861" circular datestamp with "PAID" handstamp on red and blue 11-Star Confederate Flag Patriotic cover (F11-22), addressed to McMinnville Tenn., backflap tears barely extend to tiny inconsequential tear at top

VERY FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE. THIS 11-STAR CONFEDERATE FLAG IS ONE OF THE RAREST PATRIOTIC DESIGNS KNOWN. TO FIND IT USED WITH THE 5-CENT NASHVILLE POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL IS EXTRAORDINARY. A PHENOMENAL EXHIBITION ITEM.

Our records of the Nashville Postmaster's Provisional contain only two other uses on Patriotic covers. The Rudy and Powell collections contained a 7-Star Confederate flag on cover with a Nashville 5c Grayish Brown (61X5 var), which realized $27,000 hammer the last time it was sold in our Sale 1104 in 2015. That flag, while scarce, is not as rare as the 11-Star flag on this cover. In addition, there is the iconic Hanging Lincoln cover with two 5c Nashville Brick Red stamps. Apart from those two covers, we do not record any other Nashville adhesives on Patriotic covers. This cover appeared in the 1973 Siegel sale featuring the Robert W. Baughman collection (Sale 399, lot 188).

This design with ten stars in a circle and one star at the center of a slightly elongated flag is listed in the C.S.A. Catalog with a $10,000.00 value, without regard to the Nashville Provisional use

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