Lot
4254 
Confederacy, Nashville, Tenn., 1861, 5¢ Carmine, Three huge margins, top frameline cut in, tied by blue "POSTAGE/PAID" rimless handstamp applied by Nashville office of Adams Express Company, also tied by black "Adams Ex. Co. * Louisville, Ky. * Aug. 21, 1861" circular datestamp on 3c Red Star Die entire to St. Paul Minn., ms. "2/-" (two bits or 25c), Adams Louisville office affixed the 3c Dull Red (26) over invalid embossed stamp and placed letter into mails, tied by blue "Louisville Ky. Aug. 22" double-circle datestamp, upon arrival at St. Paul the 3c 1857 was considered demonetized and "DUE 3" handstamps were applied, light fold in cover at left, part of backflap missing, repaired, F.-V.F. appearance; with 2009 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 61X2 Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.
THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED NASHVILLE 5¢ CARMINE PROVISIONAL USED IN COMBINATION WITH U.S. POSTAGE.
Adams Express Company was required to ensure the prepayment of government postage (Federal and Confederate), although the letter was carried outside the regular mails. The letters never actually entered the mails at Nashville, and instead, the blue "Postage Paid" marking was used to indicate prepayment. Very few covers are recorded with Confederate provisional stamps or markings used in conjunction with thru-the-lines express service.
Of the Nashville provisional express combination covers, seven are known with the 5¢ and three with the 10¢.
Lot
4255
Confederacy, Nashville, Tenn., 1861, 5¢ Carmine, Tête-Bêche, vertical pair, positions 4 (ornament at lower left extends into inner frameline) and 6, large margins except touched at spot at side, beautiful rich color, small tear at one end, tied by blue "Nashville Ten. Sep 15, 1861" cds on yellow cover to Thomas B. Lynch in Charleston S.C.; notations at left, backflap repaired and wax seal stain lightened, Very Fine, ex-Dr. Graves, Argentum, D.K. Collection. Scott No. 61X2a $25,000.
THE FINEST OF ONLY TWO RECORDED TÊTE-BÊCHE PAIRS ON COVER.
The Ferrary collection contained two 5c tete-beche pairs on separate covers to Thomas B. Lynch. One of these covers later appeared in the D. Scott Gallagher collection (after a large stain was cleaned from the cover). The other pair was removed from its cover and cosmetically improved.
This cover realized $32,500 hammer in a Robert A. Siegel auction in 1999.
Realized: $17,000
Lot
4256
Confederacy, Nashville, Tenn., 1861, 5¢ Brick Red, horizontal pair, margins to just in, tied by blue "Nashville Ten. Sep 7, 1861" cds on cover to Mobile Ala., some soiling affects stamp and cover, minor edge wear, Fine and very rare use, ex-Hart, Boshwit. Scott No. 61X3 $7,500.
A RARE PAIR OF THE NASHVILLE 5¢ BRICK RED PROVISIONAL USED ON COVER.
The Crown survey lists only six pairs for all of the red shades (61X2 and 61X3), there are probably only two or three pairs known on cover.
Realized: $2,300
Lot
4257
Confederacy, Nashville, Tenn., 1861, 5¢ Gray, beautiful shade, large margins to just in at frameline, tied by blue "Nashville Ten. Oct 30, 1861" cds and matching "Paid" handstamp on fresh cover to Macon Miss.; expertly repaired opening tears along top, Very Fine appearance, ex-Everett, Judd, Boshwit. Scott No. 61X4 $5,750.
THE GRAY SHADE IS FAR RARER THAN ANY OF THE OTHER 5¢ NASHVILLE PROVISIONAL SHADES.
Only seven on-cover examples of the 5¢ Gray are recorded in Crown.
Realized: $1,350
Lot
4258
Confederacy, Nashville, Tenn., 1861, 5¢ Violet Brown, large margins except just touching at top, small ink stain, tied by blue "Nashville Ten. Oct 22" cds affixed over indicia on U.S. 3¢ Nesbitt entire with pre-printed address to David Cleage Esq. at Athens, Tenn., flap bears colorless embossed oval ad for Planters Bank; Very Fine; with 2007 C.S.A. certificate. Scott No. 61X5; $4,250 Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
A LOVELY USAGE OF THE NASHVILLE 5¢ VIOLET BROWN PROVISIONAL AFFIXED OVER AN OBSOLETE UNITED STATES 3¢ NESBITT ENTIRE.
We record three examples of the Nashville 5¢ violet brown provisional affixed over an obsolete United States 3¢ Nesbitt entire from this correspondence with the preprinted address to Athens, Ga. They are dated Oct. 2, Oct. 22, and Nov. 3.
Realized: $1,900
Lot
4259
Confederacy, Nashville, Tenn., 1861, 5¢ Violet Brown, large margins except barely touched at right, small fault, tied by neat sharp strike of blue "Nashville Ten. 22 Oct" cds on orange cover addressed to Mrs. James M. Meek at New Market, E. Tenn.; reduced slightly at ends with small corner repair, Very Fine appearance; with 2006 C.S.A. certificate. Scott No. 61X5 $4,250.
A RARE AND ATTRACTIVE USE OF THE NASHVILLE 5¢ VIOLET BROWN PROVISIONAL ISSUE.
Realized: $1,600
Lot 4260 o
Confederacy, Nashville, Tenn., 1861, 10¢ Green, full margins except barely touched, deep rich color, cancelled by blue Adams Express Company Nashville office oval datestamp, filled thins and restored corner, Very Fine appearance, Scott Value without premium for Adams Express cancel.Scott No. 61X6 $5,500.
This stamp paid the Confederate postage on a cover carried across the lines by Adams Express Company. Only three full express covers are recorded with the Nashville 10¢ adhesive provisional including the one offered in this sale, all are dated at Nashville on August 1.
Realized: $1,600
Lot
4261
Confederacy, Nashville, Tenn., 1861, 10¢ Green, two huge margins, framelines touched at top and right, rich color, scissors-cut at top left, tied by blue "Adams Express Co. Nashville Aug. 1" oval datestamp on U.S. 3¢ red Star Die entire to Rev. A. J. Leavenworth in Petersburg Va., "Adams Ex. Co. * Louisville, Ky. * Jul. 30, 1861" cds cancels indicia, small red manuscript "2" express charge (two bits, or 25c), blue "10" rating handstamp applied at Petersburg to indicate postage due probably due to the letter being over weight, receipt docketing "Prof. Agnew & Sundry others", small part of backflap removed, light soiling and edge wear with slight improvement at top right corner, Very Fine; with 1999 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 61X6, U.S. #U26 Estimate $75,000 - 100,000.
ONE OF THREE RECORDED ADAMS EXPRESS COMPANY COVERS WITH THE NASHVILLE 10¢ PROVISIONAL, OF WHICH ONLY TWO ARE MIXED FRANKINGS WITH UNITED STATES POSTAGE -- THESE ARE THE ONLY RECORDED MIXED FRANKINGS WITH 10¢ CSA PROVISIONALS.
Adams Express Company was required to ensure the prepayment of government postage (Federal and Confederate), although the letter was carried outside the regular mails. Very few covers are recorded with Confederate provisional stamps or markings used in conjunction with across-the-lines express service. This group includes the provisionals of Atlanta (handstamp), Houston (handstamp), Lynchburg (press-printed entire), Memphis (adhesive), Mobile (adhesive), Montgomery (handstamp), Nashville (adhesive and handstamp) and New Orleans (adhesive).
Only three across-the-lines express covers are recorded with the Nashville 10¢ adhesive provisional (Special Routes Census Nos. S-AD-44, 45 and 46), all dated at Nashville on August 1. Only two of the 10c covers are mixed frankings (the third is used alone). These two Nashville 10c mixed-franking covers carried by Adams, both North-to-South usages, are the only 10c adhesive Confederate provisionals known in combination with United States postage. As such, they are quite significant artifacts from this remarkable period of postal history.
Our records contain six covers with the Nashville 10¢ green provisional:
1) Aug. 1, 1861, Adams Express oval on 3¢ Star Die entire to Rev. Leavenworth, Petersburg Va., ex-Kilbourne, Walske, D.K. Collection, the cover offered here.
2) Aug. 1, 1861, Adams Express oval on 3c Star Die with additional 3c 1857, to Albert F. Ryan, Norfolk Va., ex-Gallagher.
3) Aug. 1, 1861, Adams Express oval to Hardy & Bros., Norfolk Va.
4) Sep. 15, 1861, Nashville cds to Shelbyville Tenn., ex-Caspary.
5) Aug. 21, 1861, Nashville to D. Cleage, Athens Tenn., used with 5¢, ex-Caspary, Lightner, Graves, Boshwit.
6) Sep. 18, 1861, Nashville cds building ad cover to Thos. H. Caldwell, Shelbyville Tenn., ex-Needham, Kimmel, Haas, Rudy.
The addressee, Reverend Abner Johnson Leavenworth, was at this time the principal and proprietor of the Leavenworth Academy and Collegiate Seminary for Young Ladies.
References: Special Routes Census No. S-AD-46 illustrated on p. 55. Illustrated in Shenfield book on p. 23.
Realized: $65,000
Lot
4262
Confederacy, Nashville, Tenn., 1861, 5¢ Blue, entire with clear strike of provisional handstamp, equally clear "Nashville Ten. Jul 18, 1861" cds on cover to Clarksville Tenn.; some staining and small edge fault, otherwise Very Fine; with 1984 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 61XU1 $900.
Realized: $450
Lot
4263
Confederacy, New Orleans La. Jun. 8, 1861, clear sharp strike of river mail cds in red on June 8, 1861 folded prices current to St. Joseph La., manuscript "15c/Pd./J.L.R(iddell)./P.M." provisional marking at top, "Iberville" steamboat-name endorsement at bottom, reinforced horizontal split along file fold clear of markings, Fine, Ex-Freeland, Skinner. Estimate $2,000 - 3,000.
THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF RIDDELL'S MANUSCRIPT 15¢ PROVISIONAL, USED PRIOR TO THE JUNE 12TH ISSUE DATE OF THE ADHESIVE PROVISIONALS.
With the commencement of the Confederate postal system on June 6, 1861, Postmaster Riddell found himself without stamps or a sufficient supply of small coins to make change for cash payments at the post office. On June 6, Riddell contacted John V. Childs, a local printer and engraver, and ordered stamps for immediate delivery. The stamps were delivered and placed on sale on June 12 (a first day cover is recorded). Between June 1 and 12, there are very few covers to show how Riddell handled mail. This remarkable cover, with the red double-circle datestamp (three reported covers --all handled personally by Riddell in early June) and the 15c provisional applied and initialed by Riddell (unique), is evidence of the temporary measures to which Riddell resorted until his provisional stamps were printed.
References: Illustrated in Huber and Wagner's The Great Mail on p. 152.
Realized: $1,900