Lot
1380 
Confederacy, Southern Letter Unpaid. Amber envelope postmarked blue "Charlottesville, Va./Jun 19, 1861" cds and "Paid 10" (type IC) to Louisville, Ky. "Via Nashville", additionally franked with a U.S. 1857 3¢ dull red canceled in Louisville by blue grid with matching handstamped "DUE 3", the "3" in manuscript tying the stamp; reduced slightly at top clipping corner of stamp, edge stains and repaired tear at upper left, otherwise Fine and most unusual. Estimate $200 - 300.
As of June 24, 1861, the Louisville postmaster was ordered to treat "letters from the South to loyal states as unpaid…" and to remove any old stamps from the envelopes. Rather than have his clerks undertake to remove the stamps from thousands of pieces of mail, he decided to cancel them instead, improvising a two-line handstamp that read "SOUTH.N LETTER UNPAID". This letter arrived in Louisville just prior to the inception of the handstamp and resulted in 3¢ postage due being paid by the recipient.
Realized: $850