Auction Detail
3070 – ERIVAN X
5c blue, 1862, Stone 2, mint block of twelve, margins clear to large all around, gum heavily toned, vertical crease through one pair, fault at lower right, else a fine and scarce multiple.
5c blue, 1862, on soft porous paper, horizontal strip of three, margins ample to just touching at left, hinged original gum, pleasing shade, a few light gum wrinkles, a fresh and fine multiple.
10c rose, 1862, horizontal pair, mostly large margins, clear at top, tied by "Columbia /S.C. / Aug / 13" c.d.s. in blue to "State of South Carolina / Executive Council Chamber" cover to Brigadier General J.J. Pettigrew, "care A. General Cooper", Richmond, Virginia, redirected to Gordonsville, "care of Genl. Lee", docketing on reverse "Gov. Pickens / Aug 12th 1862 / Friendly", slightly reduced at right, some overall aging, a desirable cover, linking many prominent political and military figures of the period; ex-Meroni. Francis Wilson Pickens served as Governor of South Carolina at the time of the State’s secession from the Union. J.J. Pettigrew served in the South Carolina House of Representatives, and later as an aide to the Governor; he was promoted to brigadier general by Jefferson Davis prior to the Penninsula Campaign. Samuel Cooper was Adjutant General of the United States Army prior to the Civil War, later serving as both Adjutant General and Inspector General of the Confederate Army. Robert E Lee, at the time this cover was despatched, was leading the Army of Northern Virginia, having assumed command only two months prior in June, following the wounding of Joseph E. Johnston. Lee had been ordered to Gordonsville, in what would become the Second Manassas Campaign.
10c rose, 1862, block of four, large to very large margins, part disturbed and toned original gum, small thin spots and surface flaws, as often seen on such blocks, still a rare multiple, fine appearance.
10c rose, 1862, lower left corner single, large margins at top and right, tied to cover by "Atlanta / Ga / Aug / 3 / 1862" c.d.s., to Covington, an exceptional franking with tremendous eye-appeal, very fine.
5c blue, 1862, vertical pair, fair to large margins on three sides, touching at left, tied to cover by "Gordonsville / VA / Aug 28 / 1862" c.d.s., to Hanover Court House, Virginia, endorsed "R.E. Lee / Genl" at upper right, some trivial creasing and adhesive-mounted to black card, fine and rare; with 2023 Civil War Philatelic Society certificate.
General Lee's field correspondence was typically carried via military courrier; examples sent through the postal system and bearing general issues of the Confederate States are particularly scarce.
5c blue, 1862, horizontal strip of ten, with sheet margins and right and left, and two singles, cancelled in black manuscript, the singles tied by "Milledgeville / Ga / Feb / 6" c.d.s., to "The Honorable Justices of the Court of Oglethorpe County", paying the six times letter rate, to Lexington, Georgia, a remarkable franking with tremendous eye-appeal.
5c blue, 1862, upper left corner pair, Richmond printing, margins clear to ample at bottom and right, showing filled-in border along left, tied to cover by neatly-struck "Atlanta / Ga. / May / 18" c.d.s., to Augusta, adhesives with some very light soiling, a scarce and visually-striking franking, ex-Lehman; with 2023 Civil War Philatelic Society certificate.
10c brown red, 1863, upper right corner block of twenty, positions 5 through 40 of the righthand pane of the sheet, hinging mostly confined to margin, and lower left stamp, leaving nineteen examples never hinged, showing over-inking on positions 10, 16, 20, and 38, an important and very fine positional block.
10c blue, 1863, block of twenty four, unused, part original gum, mostly clear to ample margins, a few examples showing partial short transfer at bottom, the lower left corner stamp showing the “bruised plate” variety, rich colour, folded between each row and column, many stamps show varying degrees of wrinkling, piece torn from two stamps at bottom, small thin between positions 16 and 17, yet a block of great rarity, being the largest recorded multiple of this issue; with 2023 Civil War Philatelic Society certificate.
10c milky blue, 1863, large to very large margins all around, showing portion of adjoining stamp at top, tied to cover by cleanly-struck "Marietta / Geo / Jul / 24" c.d.s., to Browns Bridge, Forsyth County, a lovely cover; ex Haas, Emerson, Eben, Dickey Finney, Jr, with his handstamp on reverse.
10c blue on soft porous paper, 1863, margins mostly clear on all sides, just touching at lower left, fresh and bright color, tied to folded letter by ideal strike of "Blakely Ala / Jun / 12 / 1863" c.d.s, free strike alongside, to Mobile, Alabama, internally reinforced at bottom, which shows signs of separation as well as slight discoloration, but an exceptional franking, combining a choice single with a superb stike. Illustrated in "New Dietz Confederate States Catalog and Handbook", with 1981 Philatelic Foundation certificate.