Auction Detail
January 2023
Our January 2023 sales include the "Erivan" Collection of United and Confederate States Postal History Part VIII, as well as a general sale of United States and worldwide stamps, covers, and collections.
on rebacked cover front, large margins, magenta pen cancel, affixed over blue "Paid 5" marking, "Grove Hill Ala Sep 10" datestamp alongside, addressed to Jackson, Alabama, cover front stained and faulty but stamp very fine and attractive, one of two recorded examples of the Grove Hill provisional, the other of which was one of the highlights of the first sale of the "Erivan" Collection in June 2019 and realized $110,000 hammer, 2022 Civil War Philatelic Society certificate (Scott $125,000)
Provenance: Alfred H. Caspary (H.R. Harmer Sale 989, 1956)
Josiah K. Lilly (R.A. Siegel Sale 317, 1967)
bold impression of provisional handstamp at upper right of cover addressed to Floyd Springs, Georgia, matching "Kingston Ga Jun 19" datestamp alongside, small piece added at top left away from handstamps, very fine strikes and cover, one of just three recorded examples of the Type II Kingston provisional in the Crown census (Scott $3,250)
Provenance: Harold C. Brooks (Laurence & Stryker Sale 123, 1943)
John R. Hill, Jr. (Private transaction)
single with rectangular margins, uncanceled on cover to Miss Lucy E. Simpson at Laurens Courthouse, South Carolina, address in the hand of Lizzie Dean as are all known covers with this stamp, expertly cleaned, extremely fine, one of just six recorded Limestone Springs provisional covers and the only example with a single rectangular stamp, a great rarity of Confederate States postal history, 2022 Civil War Philatelic Society certificate (Scott $10,000)
Provenance: A. Earl Weatherly (R.A. Siegel Sale 420, 1972)
Rarities of the World (R.A. Siegel Sale 824, 2000)
Dr. Karl Agre (R.A. Siegel Sale 850, 2002)
full margins at right and bottom, close at other two sides (owing to tight spacing on the plate), tied by "Lynchburg Va. Oct 30" datestamp to folded lettersheet to Curdsville, Virginia, very fine and fresh, the Crown census records 28 covers with single Lynchburg provisionals (Scott $4,000)
Provenance: Sidney A. Hessel (H.R. Harmer Sale 2291, 1975)
margins huge to clear with sheet margin at top, tied by "Macon Geo. Paid 5" handstamp (Scott type E1) to cover to Thomasville, Georgia, repaired backflap, very fine, the Crown census records 18 covers with the large 5c Macon provisional with a period after "Office", 2022 Civil War Philatelic Society certificate (Scott $6,000)
Provenance: Alfred H. Caspary (H.R. Harmer Sale 990, 1956)
H. Gray Muzzy (H.R. Harmer Sale 1764, 1967)
very nearly four margins, tied by "Marion Va. Sep 24" datestamp to 1861 cover to Emory, Virginia, pencil docketing at left ("Wm. M Johnson, Marion"), stamp with small repair at lower right and light stain along right edge, cover slightly irregularly reduced at right, very fine appearance, one of just seven covers bearing a 10c Marion provisional according to the Crown census with this being the earliest known use, an extraordinary rarity, 2022 Civil War Philatelic Society certificate (Scott $30,000)
Provenance: Alfred H. Caspary (H.R. Harmer Sale 990, 1956)
provisional "Paid 5" marking at upper right with control marking at left, matching "Milledgeville Ga. Jul 13" datestamp at lower left on 1861 cover to Spring Place, Georgia, slightly reduced at top, very fine strikes and cover (Scott $500)
Provenance: John R. Hill, Jr. (Private transaction)
provisional handstamp at upper right of oatmeal cover to "Capt. Renshaw, Drafting Department, Macon, Georgia", matching "Milledgeville Ga. Apr 5" datestamp at left, small nick at lower left, very fine, one of 13 examples recorded in the Crown census (Scott $800)
Provenance: John R. Hill, Jr. (Private transaction)
margins full to grazing, tied by blue "Nashville Ten Sep 9 1861" datestamp to cover addressed to Thomas B. Lynch in Charleston, South Carolina, partial strike of matching "Paid" handstamp, part of top backflap missing, cover professionally cleaned but light soiling remains with faded address, trimmed at the sides and bottom and original back professionally reattached, contemporary pencil notation on reverse, still fine appearance, one of two recorded Nashville tête-bêche pairs on cover, 2022 Civil War Philatelic Society certificate (Scott $25,000)
tied by black "New Orleans La. 14 Mar" datestamp, on cover to local post office box, vertical filefold away from stamp, very fine and attractive, according to the Crown census just 12 covers recorded with the New Orleans 2c Red provisional, 2022 Civil War Philatelic Society certificate (Scott $25,000)
Provenance: Dr. Hubert C. Skinner (R.A. Siegel Sale 832, 2000)
Dr. Karl Agre (R.A. Siegel 850, 2002)
unused block of six, positions 2-4 of both rows, full margins except just in at bottom right, faint horizontal crease in bottom row, few negligible wrinkles and toned specks, very fine, an extraordinary item, only 22 Pleasant Shade stamps are recorded in total, this being the only multiple larger than a pair (an unused pair and a pair on cover exist, the latter of which realized $75,000 in the Erivan Collection Part VI), one of the greatest and most iconic rarities of Confederate States, this block represents over a quarter of all surviving examples of this stamp (Scott $42,500)
Provenance: Alfred H. Caspary (H.R. Harmer Sale 991, 1956)
Josiah K. Lilly (R.A. Siegel Sale 317, 1967)
provisional handstamp at upper left of yellow envelope to Yorktown, Virginia, matching "Atlanta Ga. Nov 14 1861" datestamp at right, extremely fine and fresh (Scott $500)
Provenance: John R. Hill, Jr. (Private transaction)