United States and Confederate Stamps Postal History continued...

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. A SUPERB DOUBLE-RATE FRANKING WITH THE ATHENS PROVISIONAL.

With 2007 P.F. certificate. Scott value for a pair on cover is $4,750.00 (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF SIX RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE LIMESTONE SPRINGS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL STAMP, AND ONE OF ONLY THREE BEARING TWO EXAMPLES OF THIS RARE PROVISIONAL. ESPECIALLY RARE ON WHITE PAPER. A MAJOR CONFEDERATE STATES RARITY.

Five of the six known Limestone Springs covers come from the Dean correspondence, including one addressed to Lucy E. Simpson (in the handwriting of Lizzie Dean), rather than Corporal Edward J. Dean. Two of the covers bear single circular die-cut stamps. Three covers bear two rectangular-cut singles each, paying the 10c rate. The sixth cover bears a rectangular-cut single. Most of the known examples are on green paper. The Scott Catalogue should really list the green and white papers separately.

With 1981 P.F. certificate (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY CHOICE MULTIPLE OF THE MEMPHIS PROVISIONAL ON A CORNER CARD COVER.

With 2005 P.F. certificate (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARING STAMP AND A CHOICE COVER. THIS DARK REDDISH SHADE OF THE VIOLET BROWN IS EXTREMELY RARE.

Ex Bister and Hall. With 2007 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail as normal shade on cover (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE. THE FINER OF TWO RECORDED USED EXAMPLES OF THE 2-CENT BLUE WITH IMPRINT.

The other used 2c Blue with imprint is found on cover. This stamp is illustrated in Dr. Skinner's study in the 1978 Congress Book.

Ex Grant and Skinner (Image)

FINE AND ATTRACTIVE. THIS UNIQUE COVER REPRESENTS AN EXTRAORDINARY EVENT IN CONFEDERATE POSTAL HISTORY -- THE USE OF POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL STAMPS TO PREPAY THE CARRIER FEE AND DROP RATE FOR INTRA-CITY MAIL. NOTHING ELSE EVEN REMOTELY COMPARABLE TO THIS COVER IS KNOWN IN CONFEDERATE PHILATELY.

The New Orleans U.S. City Post continued to operate after Louisiana entered the Confederacy in 1861. Prior to the Confederate period, there is only one cover known with the carrier fee and drop rate prepaid by stamps, the cover will be found in our Sale 791 as lot 182. The pre-war cover has a U.S. 1c 1851 pair for the 1c fee plus 1c rate. During the Confederate period, the N.O.U.S. City Post charged 2c for a letter, and the post office charged the standard 2c rate for a drop letter. We have no record of another Confederate cover with both rates prepaid by stamps, and the use of a New Orleans 2c Blue provisional pair -- a major rarity in its own right -- to prepay the 2-plus-2 postage is a fantastic example of a theoretical possibility actually surviving for collectors.

Another cover addressed to Miss Martha Maddern in the same hand was offered in the Meroni sale (lot 165). It has a faint strike of the "N.O.U.S. City Post Sep. 7" circular datestamp and 5c 62X4 provisional tied by the "New Orleans La. Sep. 6" river-mail double-circle datestamp, indicating that it arrived by steamboat and was mailed at the wharf, using carrier service to bring it to the addressee. The identical handwriting and use of the city name "New Orleans La." in the address are evidence that this cover was brought in by someone on a steamboat, who mailed it as a drop letter with carrier service to the addressee.

Ex Needham and Skinner. (Image)