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Sale 850 — The Dr. Karl Agre Collection of Confederate States
Sale Date — Wednesday, 25 September, 2002
Category — Postmasters Provisionals (Pleasant Shade to Spartanburg)
Pleasant Shade Va., 5c Blue (67X1). Unused (no gum), large margins to just touching tips of ornaments, minute thin speck, Very Fine appearance, ex Kilbourne, signed Charles Coster, a well-known 19th century dealer in U.S. locals and Confederate provisionals
Ringgold Ga., 5c Blue Black entire (71XU1). Bold strike of triple-ring provisional handstamp with matching "Ringgold Geo. Sep. 7" (1861) circular datestamp on small blue folded cover to Hamilton Ga., tiny bleached spotsVERY FINE. ONE OF THE FINEST OF THE FIVE OR SIX KNOWN EXAMPLES OF THE RINGGOLD PROVISIONAL.
The Crown survey and our own records of the Ringgold provisional contain five full entires, one of which is repaired and another of which is a late usage with 5c Local Prints paying postage. A piece is also recorded and there may be a sixth entire.
Raleigh N.C., 5c Red entire (68XU1). Mostly clear strike of provisional handstamp, blue "Raleigh N.C. Aug. 6" double-circle datestamp on cover to Holet N.C., fresh and Fine, with 1991 C.S.A. certificate
Richmond Tex., 10c Red entire (70XU2). Provisional marking at right with blue "Richmond Tex. Aug. 15" circular datestamp on orange cover, cleaned removing the addess and new address applied, expertly repaired along top edge, Fine appearance, scarce, with 1991 C.S.A. certificate
Salem N.C., 5c Black entire (73XU1). Perfect strike on yellow cover to Haw River N.C., neat "Salem N.C. Jan. 24" circular datestamp, slightly reduced at right affecting provisional marking, otherwise Very Fine and scarce, ex Brooks, Wiseman and Weatherly, with 1991 Green certificate
Salem N.C., 10c on 5c Black entire (73XU4). Bold strike of provisional marking obliterated by grid and with "Paid" handstamp struck twice and "10" struck once on cover addressed to General Patterson at Patterson N.C., neat "Salem N.C. Nov. 19" circular datestamp, Extremely Fine, the only recorded revalued Salem provisional entire, illustrated in Crown, ex Hart, with 1998 C.S.A. certificate.
Savannah Ga., 5c Black entire (101XU1). Clear strikes of "Paid 5" in oval and control mark provisional markings, light strike of "Savannah Ga. Sep. 28" circular datestamp on blue cover to Mary Ann Cobb at Athens Ga., slightly reduced at right, fresh and Fine, with 1991 Green certificate
Selma Ala., 5c Black entire (77XU1). Neat strike of provisional handstamp on cover with dry goods dealer's green advertising corner card, to Wenokaville Ala., matching "Selma Ala. Jun. 26" circular datestamp, with original 1861-dated enclosure which states in part "The weather has been very warm here for several days, the thermometer standing 105 deg...good rains now would be equal to many victories on the battlefield"EXTREMELY FINE AND RARE. ONE OF ONLY FOUR EXAMPLES OF THE RARE SELMA ALABAMA PROVISIONAL ON CORNER CARD COVER RECORDED IN CROWN.
Crown notes only fifteen examples recorded in total, four of which are on corner card covers. This example, from a known correspondence, is unlisted in the census
Selma Ala., 5c Black entire (77XU1). Clear strike of provisional handstamp with signature above, neat "Selma Ala. Jun. 16" circular datestamp on brown cover to Jacksonville Ala., with 1862 Southern Telegraph enclosure, missing small part of top flap and some slight wear, Very Fine, only fourteen examples are recorded in Crown
Sparta Ga., 5c Red entire (93XU1). Clear strike of provisional marking with "Sparta Ga. Jan. 10" circular datestamp on cover to Waynsville Ga., slightly reduced at top and left, Very Fine and very rare, this is probably the finest example of the four recorded in Crown survey, with 1986 C.S.A. certificate
Spartanburg S.C., 5c Black (78X1). Cut circular with huge margins all around, tied by "Paid" straightline, "Spartanburg S.C. Jul. 11, 1861" double-circle datestamp on orange-buff cover to Edwd. J. Dean, Spartan Rifles, 5th Regt. S.C. Vol., Col. M. Jenkins, Commanding, Tudor Hall P.O. near Manassas Junction Va., care of Capt. Walker, missing top flap and small repair at top right not affecting provisionalEXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE FINEST OF THE APPROXIMATELY TWENTY KNOWN COVERS BEARING THE SPARTANBURG POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL.
Most of the recorded Spartanburg Type I provisionals (thin numeral at center) are cut in a circular shape. Some varieties exist, including Scott 78X1a (value omitted). Only one pair is known, used on a cover from the Dean correspondence.
Corporal Edward J. Dean and the Dean correspondence were the subjects of an article by the late Daniel M. Gilbert, published in The Confederate Philatelist (No. 235, p. 28). We have record of an 1899 letter to N. P. Strauss of Henderson N.C., which identifies him as the original purchaser and the Dean family as the source of the correspondence.
Ex Emerson, Brooks and Weatherly.
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