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
4238
Confederacy, Marion, Va., 1861, 10¢ Black, four margins including huge margins at left and bottom, vertical rule shows in left margin, minor sealed tear, tied by sharp bold strike of "Marion Va. Mar. 2" cds on brown homemade cover to Kingston Tenn., minor cover edge restoration, Very Fine appearance, ex-Heathcote, Dr. Graves, Hill, D.K. Collection; with 1998 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 55X2 $40,000.
Our records contain seven covers with the Marion 10¢ provisional:
1) Sep. 24, 1861, to Mrs. A. W. Aston in Emory Va., ex-Caspary
2) Oct. 15, 1861, to Miss Jennie L. Lansdown in Saltville Va. (Tapling Collection at the British Library).
3) Oct. 25, 1861, to Mrs. A. W. Aston in Emory Va., ex-Antrim.
4) Nov. 16, 1861, to Mrs. A. W. Aston in Emory Va., ex-Emerson, Weatherly.
5) Nov. 18, 1861, to Mrs. A.F. Banks in Scottsburg Va., ex-Hessel.
6) Mar. 2, 1862, to Mr. William C. Barret at Kingston Tenn., ex-Heathcote, Dr. Graves, Hill, D.K. Collection, the cover offered here.
7) Jan. 21, 1863, to Mr. W. R. Hunter in Franklinton N.C.
This cover realized $62,500 hammer in a Robert A. Siegel auction in 1999.
Realized: $17,000
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 4340 o
Confederacy, 1863, 10¢ Blue, "Frame Lines", Horizontal Strip of Six, two large margins at left and bottom showing complete framelines, clear at right and slightly in at top, cancelled by four strikes of "Mobile Ala. Jun. 18, 1863" double-circle datestamp; a few negligible short creases around the perimeter, F.-V.F.Scott No. 10 Estimate $15,000 - 20,000.
THIS IS THE LARGEST RECORDED USED MULTIPLE OF THE 10¢ FRAMELINE STAMP.
Used multiples of the 10¢ Frameline stamp are extremely rare. There are two recorded strips of six, the other is on piece with an additional single.
Realized: $17,000
Lot
4290
Confederacy, Spartanburg, S.C., 1861, 5¢ Black, cut to shape as always, tied by straightline "Paid" handstamp on cover with "Spartanburg, S.C., Jul 4, 1861" dcds, addressed to Mrs. Edmund Bryan at Rutherfordton, N.C., some light staining at right, otherwise Very Fine, ex-Brooks, 'Beverly Hills'; signed by Stanley B. Ashbrook and P. Kaufman on reverse. Scott No. 78X1 $22,500.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW OF THE APPROXIMATELY TWENTY KNOWN COVERS BEARING THE SPARTANBURG POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL NOT FROM THE DEAN CORRESPONDENCE.
General Edmund Bryan (1791-1874) was of the North Carolina State Militia and a participant in the 1814 Creek Indian Campaign in Alabama. His daughter married Confederate Gen. Collett Leventhorp, who was the only English born rising to this Confederate rank.
Lot
4266
Confederacy, New Orleans, La., 1861, 2¢ Red, radiant color with four margins, large except clear at right, tied by "New Orleans La. 7 Feb" cds on 1862 blue folded printed circular to members of the Southwestern Bible Society, addressed to Saml. Hollensworth at Blossom Hill La., couple unnoticeable stamp flaws, Very Fine and attractive; with 2005 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 62X2 $25,000.
AN OUTSTANDING CIRCULAR-RATE USE OF THE RARE NEW ORLEANS 2¢ RED PROVISIONAL ISSUE.
The New Orleans postmaster, J. L. Riddell, prepared provisional stamps in June 1861 and advertised them for sale on June 12th. The 2¢ red stamps were printed without the marginal inscription "Usable exclusively in the New Orleans Post Office". The 5¢ and subsequent 2¢ blue printings all have the imprint. It is the accepted theory that the 2¢ red stamps were printed first, before Riddell added the imprint, and were withheld from use until January 1862 when the supply of 2¢ blue stamps was exhausted.
Lot
4265
Confederacy, New Orleans, La., 1861, 2¢ Blue, Printed on Both Sides, used with normal 2¢ Blue (62X1), huge margins showing parts of three adjoining stamps, slightly in on two sides, both tied by clear "New Orleans La. Sep 1" cds on fresh unsealed cover to Burtonton Miss. at double the 2¢ circular rate; the error has been lifted to show both sides, Very Fine and choice, ex-C.B. Corwin, Everett, Skinner; with 2001 P.F. certificate. Scott No. 62X1a $10,500.
THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE 2¢ NEW ORLEANS PRINTED ON BOTH SIDES ERROR.
The Crown census contain only one example of the 2¢ printed-on-both-sides error, which is the stamp on this cover.
Realized: $8,500
Lot
4339 (
)
Confederacy, 1863, 10¢ Blue, "Frame Lines", horizontal strip of four, positions 43-46, large margins all around showing portions of frame lines on all sides (margin slightly irregular at bottom left well clear of design that has been backed for appearances), pretty color; unused, some very faint negligible toning specks, right stamp light creases, left stamp light crease along frame line and tiny faint thin, otherwise Extremely Fine and exceptionally handsome, ex-Everett, Bush. Scott No. 10 $23,000 as two o.g. pairs.
AN IMPORTANT CONFEDERATE RARITY, ONE OF ONLY A FEW LARGE MULTIPLES OF THE "FRAME LINES" ISSUE IN EXISTENCE.
Realized: $10,500
Lot
4228
Confederacy, Kingston, Ga., 1861, "Kingston, Ga'/June 13, 1861/Paid 5 Cents", ornate typeset design press printed on cover to Miss E. J. West in Cedar Town, Ga., tiny bit of expert restoration just affecting marking in top right corner, slightly reduced at right and very minor water staining, Very Fine appearance, ex-Judd, Brooks, Simon, Myerson; signed R. Frajola. Scott No. 46XU3 $13,000.
THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THIS PRESS-PRINTED PROVISIONAL ENTIRE. ONE OF THE GREAT RARITIES OF THE CONFEDERATE STATES.
This is a unique form of Postmasters' Provisional and it appears that the setting was quickly split apart or broke apart, as by June 19, 1861 the "Paid 5 Cents" portion only is reported as a stand alone Provisional handstamp. The great detail of the design is remarkable.
Realized: $9,000
Lot
4410
Confederacy, 10-Star Davis and Stephens Flag Design, full color patriotic on 1861 cover with "Corinth Miss. May 31" cds and matching "Paid" handstamp to Thos. J. Dees at Pearl Valley, Miss., original soldier's letter remains that is written on a Patriotic Lettersheet showing the rare Tennessee 11-Stars and Bars design (CSA type F11-8), the lettersheet contains the full rendition of the "The Southern Banner", short letter "…the soldiers are getting sick fast…there are about 6,000 volunteers here…we have plenty to eat…we have no uniforms yet…send your letters to Capt. A. S. Lee…G.W. Dees, Corinth, Miss."; small sealed edge tears, Very Fine. C.S.A. No. F10-1 Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.
ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CONFEDERATE PATRIOTIC COVERS WITH THE ORIGINAL PATRIOTIC SONGSHEET LETTER.
Since this was mailed on the last day of the CSA 3¢ rate, it is surmised that the postmaster purposely left the rate off of the cover to avoid confusion that it was fully prepaid, since it would be delivered during the new CSA 5¢ rate period. G.W. Dees was a private in Company F of the 14th Miss. Infantry and Capt. Aaron Suggs Lee was the company commander. The regiment would later surrender at Fort Donelson.
Realized: $10,500