Lot
68 
Confederacy, 1861, 5¢ Green. Large even margins, tied by manuscript cancel on cover addressed to Mrs. Lamar Cobb, Macon, Georgia, in care of Col. John B. Lamar, handstamped with red "Southern Express Company, Savannah, Ga./Mar. 22" double circle, endorsed with a "Pd R./" pencil notation made by company clerk for the express charge (2 bits), this notation is often found on covers originating from the Savannah office, left edge of the cover with pencil docketing "Savannah March 22nth 1862.", slight cover wrinkles, Very Fine (Pictured in Monroe Book, pg. 48). Scott No. 1 Estimate $1,000 - 1,500.
This is a nice example of the scarce combination of a Southern Express Company handstamp and a Confederate general issue stamp.
Before the Civil War, private express firms such as Adams Express, Harnden's Express, and many other well-known companies had provided mail and freight services for many years. Private carriage of the mails had long been permitted under United States postal regulations as long as all federal postal charges were paid. However, on August 26, 1861, all private express companies were prohibited by the United States authorities from providing "across-the-lines" carrier service, i.e. North to South and South to North.
Adams Express Company was the largest express company operating in the South prior to the Civil War. When the order came to stop mail service "across-the-Iines", sixteen Southern offices of Adams Express were taken over by the Southern Express Company which was organized for this purpose. The "new" company continued to provide express carrier services within the South and did most of the express business in the Confederacy. Because many Southern Express Company covers were used for local delivery or inter-office business, Confederate stamps or rate markings combined with the company's office handstamp are quite scarce.
Realized: $2,100
Lot
69
Confederacy, 1861, 5¢ Green. top right corner margin single with large margins except just touching ornament tips at bottom, tied by "Richmond, Va." cds on cover with stunning blue allover shaded advertising design of "Harvey, Armistead & Williams, Wholesale Grocers & Commission Merchants, Richmond, Va.", small sealed tear at top, Extremely Fine, a very pretty cover, ex-Tate (Pictured in Monroe Book, pg. 38). Scott No. 1 Estimate $750 - 1,000.
Realized: $725
Lot
70
Confederacy, 1861, 5¢ Green. Large margins to just in at top, tied in combination with 1862 5¢ blue (large margins, light crease) by "Winchester, Va./Nov. 18" cds on neat rose cover to Harrisonburg, Va., Extremely Fine and attractive (Pictured in Monroe Book, pg. 73); with 1997 C.S.A. certificate. Scott No. 1+7 Estimate $500 - 750.
There were very infrequent occasions when Confederate Post Office patrons used a combination of two or more different general issue stamps to prepay the required postage rate for an envelope. They sometimes did so just to use up an older stamp that they owned or, more likely, the local Post Office ran short of certain stamps and asked their patrons to use a combination of general issue stamps that it currently had on hand.
Realized: $425
Lot
71
Confederacy, 1861, 5¢ Green. Large margins to close at sides, tied by "Richmond, Va./Feb.23, 1862" cds on buff cover to Columbia, S.C., the recipient could not be found and then struck with blue straight line "Advertised" handstamp & blue crayon (Due) "2" rate, small part of flap torn away, Very Fine and a rare usage, ex-Cantey (pictured in Monroe book, pg. 87). Scott No. 1 Estimate $500 - 750.
If a newspaper was being published locally, the town's Confederate Post Office would advertise the name of an addressee of any letter that was not been picked up in a timely manner. The hope was that the addressee would see his or her name in the newspaper and go to the Post Office to get the letter. The Post Office charged 2 cents to the addressee for advertising their letter in the newspaper.
Advertised covers in general are quite scarce. Only three Columbia, South Carolina, advertised covers are known, two of which are badly damaged.
Realized: $900
Lot
72
Confederacy, 1861, 5¢ Green, Stone 1. Large margins to just in at bottom, small toned spot, tied by "Richmond, Va./Jan. 29, 1862" cds on mourning cover to Guineas (sic) (Guineys) Depot, Virginia, small portion of flap missing, Very Fine and attractive (pictured in Monroe book, pg. 89). Scott No. 1 Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $350
Lot
73
Confederacy, 1861, 5¢ Green. Clear at bottom, large margin on other sides, tied by blue "Lynchburgh, Va./Feb. 13" cds on yellow cover to Temperance, Va., F.-V.F (Pictured in Monroe Book, pg. 12). Scott No. 1 Estimate $150 - 200.
Realized: $95
Lot
74
Confederacy, 1861, 5¢ Green. Four huge even margins, tiny internal defect, tied by "Mobile, Ala./Apr. 23, 1862" double circle postmark on cover to Corinth, Miss., addressed "Care of Capt. C.P. Gage, State Artillery Continentals, Co. B", Extremely Fine (Pictured in Monroe Book, pg. 12). Scott No. 1 Estimate $150 - 200.
Realized: $180
Lot
75
Confederacy, 1861, 10¢ Blue. Two singles in slightly different shades, left stamp with four large even margins, right with large margins except just in at top, tied by decorative blue "Columbia, S.C./Oct. 20" cds on double rate cover to Abbeville, C.H., S.C., slightly reduced at left, Very Fine, a very scarce franking paying the 20¢ rate, ex-Judd, Cantey (Pictured in Monroe Book, pg. 13). Scott No. 2 Estimate $400 - 600.
Realized: $450
Lot
76
Confederacy, 1861, 10¢ Blue. Four large margins, deep fresh color, tied by blue "Columbia, S.C./Aug. 12" cds on immaculate cover to Henderson's Mills, Tenn., cover slightly reduced at both ends & small bit of back flap missing, Extremely Fine, a very pretty cover, ex-Cantey (Pictured in Monroe Book, pg. 13). Scott No. 2 Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $260
Lot
77
Confederacy, 1861, 10¢ Blue. Mostly four margins, defective, tied by "Williamston, N.C./May 3, 1863" cds on buff cover to Rocky Mount, N.C., Very Fine appearance (Pictured in Monroe Book, pg. 14). Scott No. 2 Estimate $100 - 150.
Realized: $105