20c Green (13). Large margins, tied by "Wilmington N.C. Oct. 25" circular datestamp and paying C.S.A. forwarding postage on folded letter from London to Augusta Ga. via Nassau and Wilmington N.C., datelined London Sep. 23, 1864, sent under cover to Martin & Co. at Nassau (instructions in letter), carried from Liverpool by the Cunarder China, arriving New York October 5; then by Cunard branch line to Nassau; departed on October 20 aboard the blockade runner Lucy, arriving Wilmington October 24, manuscript "6" for in-port ship rate applied on arrival at Wilmington, stamp covers all but the top of the prior "6" marking, cleaned to removed stains

FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE INCOMING BLOCKADE-RUN COVER FRANKED WITH THE CONFEDERATE STATES 20-CENT GENERAL ISSUE FOR DOUBLE-WEIGHT FORWARDING POSTAGE TO AUGUSTA.

This letter is addressed care of Major Benjamin Franklin Ficklin, who helped start the Pony Express and was in charge of war supply for the Confederacy (and who also purchased Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in 1864 before it was confiscated at the end of the war). Ficklin presumably paid the 6c in-port ship rate, then addressed the letter to Augusta and applied the 20c stamp for double-rate postage. This is one of only two blockade-run covers with a 20c General Issue stamp listed in the Special Routes census (both forwarded uses, this no. BI-WM-96).

Illustrated in Shenfield book on p. 57. Ex Everett and Walske.

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