Auction Detail
3070 – ERIVAN X
Nashville, Tennessee, 5c carmine, block of twelve, with three vertical tete-beche pairs, three normal stamps at each of top and bottom, original gum, mostly large margins all around, touching at upper left, pleasing fresh colour, repaired diagonal tear at upper left, further repairs at bottom, the tete-beche pairs folded through horizontal margin, various creases and small thin spots as expected on a multiple of this nature, a dramatic and visually-striking Confederate rarity, one of only two recorded blocks of twelve, and the largest recorded multiple of any Nashville Postmasters’ Provisional.
Provenance: ex Caspary.
Nashville, Tennessee, 1861, 5c Brick red, choice single with full to large margins showing small portion frameline of adjoining stamp at lower left, centrally-struck blue "Paid" cancel, trivial nick in lower right margin of no importance, a lovely stamp.
Nashville, Tennessee, 5c carmine, tete-beche vertical pair, tied to cover by blue "Nashville / Ten. / Sep 6 / 1861" c.d.s., partial matching blue PAID handstamp beside, to Charlston, South Carolina, some light soiling and fading due to attempt at cleaning, three edges trimmed and back professionally restored, various faults and other repairs, a remarkably rare Confederate provisional, one of two recorded examples of the tete-beche pair on cover; with 2022 Civil War Philatelic Society certificate. Provenance: ex-Ferrary (Sale 7, June 14, 1922, lot 51).
New Orleans, Louisiana, 1861, 2c blue, clear to large margins, bright color, paying the circular rate, tied to folded letter with "New Orleans / LA / 2 / AUG" c.d.s., with contents from the Citizens' Mutual Insurance Company, to C.H. Chase in St. Charles Parish, light filing fold and signs of cleaning, a fine appearing example of this difficult franking.
New Orleans, Louisiana, 1861, 2c red brown on bluish paper, exceptionally large margins at left and right, with adjacent framelines showing at top and bottom, tied to cover to Baton Rouge by neatly-struck New Orleans LA c.d.s. (3 Sep), docketing on reverse presumably by recipient notes year of 1861, a very early usage thus, some adhesions to reverse and flap mostly removed, but a choice on-cover example, ex Knapp.
Salem, North Carolina, 10c black handstamped envelope, "POST OFFICE / O.A. KEEHLN / SALEM. N.C." with "Paid 10" in manuscript, postmarked "Salem / NC / SEP / 27", to W.H. Fries, New Orleans, manuscript notation at left "to be handed over immediately…" and on back flap "get some mercury if you can find it.", traces of edge staining, hinge remnants on back, a choice example of this rare provisional marking, the earliest of only two examples with the manuscript 10c rate recorded by Crown.
Provenance:
Richard Frajola sale, 25 January, 1991, lot 581.
Selma, Alabama, 5c black, handstamped envelope with signature of Postmaster William H. Eagar in manuscript, postmarked "Selma / ALA / Jun 11" to Messrs. John T. Hardie & Co in New Orleans, light edge creasing, else a fresh and very fine example of this scarce provisional, with only fourteen such covers recorded in Crown; ex Walcott, Emerson, Brooks, Gehrman, and Worthington.
Selma, Alabama, 10c black, handstamped envelope with signature of Postmaster William H. Eagar in manuscript, without postmark, to Messrs. John T. Hardie & Co in New Orleans, a bold strike of this rare provisional, one of only two such covers recorded in Crown, this being by far the finer example, the other with significant piece torn from the top the cover, an exceptional item of Confederate postal history.
Talbotton, Georgia, 10c black, neatly-struck at left side of cover, matching "Talbotton GA” c.d.s. (14 Feb), to "Hon. Alexander H. Stephens Richmond, Va.", then Vice-President of the Confederate States, reverse with an all-over "letter" from "Miss Molly L. Grier / Talbot County” [Georgia] in which she gives updates on family members, envelope opened at bottom, year date in postmark with some enhancement, otherwise fresh and very fine; signed Dietz, with 2020 Philatelic Foundation certificate.
Tuscumbia, Alabama, 5c black handstamped envelope, clear strike at upper right, without postmark, endorsed "Paid 25c" and "please delivery immediately", carried outside of the regular mails by private express to O.F. Prescott in Memphis, Tennessee, light wrinkles and skillfully repaired along top, a scarce provisional, one of seventeen recorded in Crown, but the only such without postal markings and privately carried.
Tuscumbia, Alabama, 10c black handstamped envelope, crisp strike at upper right, postmarked with "Tuscumbia / ALA / ? / 13" c.d.s., to the Alabama Hospital in Richmond, Virginia, some trivial light stains of little importance given the great rarity of this provisional, being the only recorded example in Crown; ex Walcott.
Uniontown, Alabama, 5c green on grey, position 1, margins just touching to clear, tied to cover by light indistinct town cancellation, from the Cobbs correspondence to Montgomery, Alabama, adhesion remnants to reverse and piece torn from back, nevertheless a rarity of the Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals, with Crown recording thirteen examples on cover, four being from position 1, ex Emerson; with 1976 Philatelic Foundation certificate.