14XU1, Canton, MS, 5c Black entire, crisp, complete strike of fancy "Paid 5/ P" in circle around star provisional marking at top right of envelope, July 29, 1861 Canton, Mississippi cds alongside, tiny pinholes typical of the Carroll Hoy correspondence, tiny tear with light soiling at top, still a Very Fine example of this marking which ranks amongst the most attractive of all handstamped Confederate provisionals, the "P" in the star stands for Postmaster William Priestly (Scott $4,000) (Image)

CV. 500

26X1, Fredericksburg, VA, 5c Blue on bluish, type 6, tied on piece (was described in Caspary sale as "probably the compl. cover-front of a small white envelope") by lightly struck Fredericksburg Va "Paid" cds, ample to large margins and marred only by a few light aging stains, a Fine example (Scott $1,250)rnProvenance: Alfred H Caspary (H.R.Harmer, Caspary Sale 3, March 1957) (Image)

CV. 400

28XU1, Georgetown, SC, 5c Black entire, Type I, crisp strike of Type I provisional handstamp ("Paid 5" in circle) with October 31, 1861 Georgetown, South Carolina cds alongside, partial control marking on reverse as usual, addressed to "Mrs. Wm. C. Johnstone, Flat Rock, Henderson Co., North Carolina, C.S.A.," torn backflap and small toned spot on reverse, otherwise Very Fine, a remarkably clean and attractive example of this scarce provisional of which only maybe a dozen are known (Scott $1,000)rnThe control mark on the reverse of a Georgetown, South Carolina stampless cover is considered to be proof that the 5c handstamped envelope was prepared in advance for use and sold at the Georgetown post office. According to John R. Hill, Jr., eight of the 12 recorded covers are from the Johnstone correspondence, which ranged from October 4 to December 10, 1861.rnProvenance: John R. Hill, Jr. (Image)

CV. 250

39X1, Hillsboro, North Carolina, 5c Black, crudely-produced adhesive (straightline "PAID") on cover with June 7 Hillsboro, NC cds and circled "5" handstamps alongside, addressed to "Maj. [Daniel] Heyward Hamilton, Third Regt. N.C. Volunteers, Suffolk, Virginia," stamp lightly toned around the edges, cover with some light staining and fingerprints, several sealed/ tears creases and torn backflap, still Very Fine and unique, a wonderful cover rarely offered at auction and missing from many of the most advanced collections (Scott $15,000)

Daniel Heyward Hamilton (1838-1908) was educated at The Citadel, a military school in his native Charleston, SC. In 1859, he became an instructor at Charles Courtenay Tew's Hillsboro Military Academy. The Civil War interrupted this pursuit, after which he was commissioned a Major with an assignment to the 13th North Carolina Infantry. He subsequently served on the staff of General Roswell Sabine Ripley with additional service as the Adjutant of Gregg's 1st South Carolina Regiment then commanded by his father. Major Hamilton received a dangerous wound at Shepherdstown, WV which required his removal from active field service. He continued in service as the Provost Marshal of Columbia, South Carolina. He was captured during the fighting at Catawba Bridge. After the war concluded, he successfully studied law and was admitted to the bar, but never practiced the profession.

There are two Hillsboro, North Carolina covers with provisional adhesives on them; one paying the then-current 3c United States postage rate (Scott 1AX1), and this cover paying the Confederate rate of 5c. The only difference in the stamps is their date of use; the 3c provisional was used May 27, 1861, while this cover was sent a week and a half later on June 7 (the rate changed June 1). Both covers are unique.

Provenance: Sidney A. Hessel (H.R. Harmer Sale 2291, 1975)

CV. 5,000

41X3 var, Independence, Texas, 10c Black on buff, Small "10," without ms. "Pd," single cut to shape (mostly touching all around), somewhat light impression, uncancelled (as always) but tied by gum staining, black "Independance, Tex Apr 29" cds alongside, addressed to "Capt. T.L. Scott, Sandy Point Brazoria Co., Texas," partial backflap and cover with repairs along the top (from left to center), pencil "1862" is non-contemporaneous and the misspelled cds has led researchers to date the Independence provisional to about 1864, although this cover has often been referred to as a variety (with the missing "Pd" notation) it appears to us as if the writing has simply faded, Very Fine, an exceptional rarity, 2020 Philatelic Foundation certificate (Scott $32,500; CSA Handbook IND-TX-A02, $25,000)rnIndependence, Texas is known to have produced two distinct types of provisional stamps during the Civil War (the Scott catalogue lists a third, which appears to have no factual basis). The "Large '10'" Independence provisional was the first to be discovered in 1899 and soon found its way into the hands of Ferrary. The four known "Small '10'" covers, all of which are from the same correspondence, were discovered around 1919. Three of the covers have stamps that are cut to shape, while the fourth bears a square stamp. The postmaster at the time, John McKnight, used an old postmarking device without a date slug to produce all of the known stamps (a more detailed discussion of McKnight and the history of the stamps can be found in Charles W. Deaton's "The Great Texas Stamp Collection").rnProvenance: George Walcott (Private Transaction)rnRarities of the World (R.A. Siegel Sale 596, 1982) (Image)

CV. 7,500

47X1, Knoxville, TN, 1861 5c Brick red on grayish laid, single tied on buff envelope addressed to Atlanta by circular grid cancel, docketing at left indicates a December 1861 use, stamp ample to full margins except just touching at lower left and has been lifted and hinged back onto the envelope, cover repaired along top edge and most of backflap missing, Fine appearance, the Siegel census records 22 covers franked with the 5c brick red, over half being tied by pen cancels. (Scott $8,000) (Image)

CV. 1,000

49XU2, Lenoir, NC, 1861 10c (5c+5c) Blue entire, two clear impressions of the 5c woodcut provisional handstamp struck at the top center of a Union Patriotic envelope - red and blue lines on backflap edges and an embossed "Union Constitution" with Eagle on backflap, blue target cancel ties both handstamps accompanied by "Lenoir N.C. Nov. 11" (1861) cds, ms. "Paid 10c" at upper left, addressed in the hand of Postmaster James Harper to his son "Lieut. G. W. F. Harper, 58th N.C. Regt., Big Creek Gap, Knoxville Tenn.", pressed vertical fold at center and lightly cleaned, a 3c uncancelled stamp probably occupied the upper right corner and was soaked off, Very Fine and choice, the unique 5c+5c double-rate envelope a great Confederate postmaster provisional rarity, 1966 Philatelic Foundation certificate (Scott $25,000)rnIllustrated (cropped) in Dietz, "The Postal Service of the Confederate States of America" (1929, pg 69), Crown, "Surveys of the Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals" (1982 Quarterman reprint, pg 177), "Confederate Philatelist" (Jan-Feb 1980, pg 6). "W.H.C." handstamp (Colson) at lower right. rnThe 58th North Carolina Regiment was organized in July, 1862. The 58th participated in the campaigns of the Army of Tennessee from Chickamauga to Atlanta, guarded prisoners at Columbia, Tennessee, during Hood's operations, then moved to South Carolina and skirmished along the Edisto River. Later it returned to North Carolina and saw action at Bentonville. The unit was included in the surrender on April 26, 1865rnProvenance: "The Kilbourne Collection" (R.A. Siegel Sale 815, 1999) (Image)

CV. 10,000

50XU1, Lexington, MS, 5c Black on orange entire, superb strike of provisional marking (Lexington cds with "Paid/ 5/ E.H.P.M." in place of date) at upper right with faint Lexington cds alongside (date is the 13th, month indistinguishable), from the Carroll Hoy correspondence (with the usual tiny pinholes), two tiny spots of ink erosion mentioned for strict accuracy only, Very Fine, the Francis J. Crown, Jr. census of Lexington, Mississippi provisionals (2020) lists only five covers with this marking (one of which is a mixed-use with a CSA 5c general issue), of the remaining four covers this certainly is amongst the finest in terms of quality of strike and overall appearance, a lovely example of this extreme rarity, Philatelic Foundation certificate #56396 does not accompany (Scott $4,500)rnProvenance:rnJudge Robert EmersonrnHarold C. Brooks (Laurence & Stryker Sale 123, 1943)rnA. Murl Kimmel (R.A. Siegel Sale 492, 1976)rnJohn R. Hill, Jr. (Image)

CV. 1,000

50XU2, Lexington, MS, 10c Black on white entire, provisional marking (Lexington cds with "Paid/10/E.H.P.M." in place of date) at upper right with partial indistinct Lexington cds alongside, addressed to "Asa M. Jackson, Watkins Vill, Ga," pencil notation on reverse indicates May 1862 use (a sentiment which John R. Hill, Jr. echoed), ever-so-slightly reduced at left (not apparent from front), according to the Francis J. Crown, Jr. census of Lexington, Mississippi provisionals (2020), "a large part of the provisional marking shows no evidence of a postmark indicating a stamp was used over the provisional marking," whether or not this cover was legitimately used as a provisional it was undoubtedly prepared as such, and as it is wholly unique represents one of the greatest rarities of Confederate philately, assortment of signatures on reverse including Costales (Scott $6,000; Confederate handbook Lex-MS-E02a, $4.500)rnAccording to Charles J. Philipps (Crown reprint, 1982), "J.M. Bartels tells me that he had the unique 10c Black on white. For this he paid $70 and sold it to Walter Scott for $400, a little later on it was resold to Geo. Walcott for $500." The initials in the provisional handstamp, "E.H.P.M.," are those of Erastus Haskins, postmaster of Lexington.rnProvenance: Stephen D. Brown rnJohn R. Hill, Jr. (Image)

CV. 2,000

52XU3, Lynchburg, VA, 5c Black on buff entire, cover with June 18 Lynchburg, Va cds (1861 use), addressed to Hanesville, Tenn (short-lived name for Johnson City during the Civil War), backflap reattached and some light overall wear, reverse with a bit of toning, Very Fine and attractive, an exceedingly scarce entire, "3/25/01 Scott Co." pencil notation and R.H.W. Co. backstamp (Scott $4,000)rnrnAs the Confederate States of America postal system commenced on June 1, 1861, the Lynchburg, Virginia press-printed envelopes (first recorded June 4 and 5) represent some of the earliest of all Confederate provisionals. Lynchburg Postmaster Major Robert Henry Glass used a stock "5" with lathework to produce these envelopes for a short time before the first adhesive stamp (inspired by the Memphis provisional) was issued in August. Richard L. Calhoun's The Confederate Postmaster Provisionals of Virginia (2011) lists only 15 examples on any color paper, and to the best of our knowledge only one additional example has surfaced since its publication.rnrnProvenance: Alfred H. Caspary (H.R. Harmer Sale 990, 1956)rnrn rn (Image)

CV. 400

53X3, Macon, Ga, 1861 5c Black on yellow, Type II, top left corner margin horiz pair tied on 7-Star Flag patriotic envelope (CSA Handbook F7-12A) addressed to Prince Edward C.H. Va, by lightly struck Macon Jul 23 double circle date stamp, pair with wide corner margins and full bottom and right (bottom right corner nick not into design), some trivial gum soaks along bottom right edge, light internal wrinkling, envelope some light aging and vertical bend just left of stamps, Fine and attractive, a great rarity being one of just two recorded examples (both from the same correspondence) of the Macon floral border provisional used on a patriotic cover (Scott $25,000)rnProvenance: Alfred H Caspary (HR Harmer, March 1956)rnAndrew E Weatherly (R.A. Siegel, Sale 420, Oct 1972) (Image)

CV. 10,000

56X2, Memphis, TN, 1861 5c Red, stamp with margins all around and portion of adjoining stamp at right, tied by August 2(?), 1861 Memphis, Ten cds, addressed to Macon, Tenn, cover with small faults (mostly on back) and slightly reduced at left, still a lovely stamp with full margins on an attractive cover, Very Fine example of one of the most popular Confederate provisionals (Scott $2,000)rnProvenance:Charles F. GehrmannrnWilliam G Bogg, Jr. signature confirming ex-DietzrnBilly P. Matz (Image)

CV. 150

58X2, Mobile, Ala, 1861 5c Blue, vertical pair tied on envelope addressed to Florence Ala (Simpson correspondence; double 5c under 500 miles rate) by Mobile Ala Sep 30 1861 double circle date stamps, stamps clear to large margins, envelope opened and bit reduced at left, insignificant bit of edge wear along bottom and left sides, overall Very Fine and attractive; the Crown census lists five covers franked with the 5c Blue pair, this not being among them (Scott $2,750)rnProvenance: A Murl Kimmel (R.A. Siegel; Sale 492, 1976) (Image)

CV. 500

61X2, Nashville, Tenn, 5c Carmine, attractive single with portion of a blue Nashville Aug 9 1861 cds, large to wide margins incl portion of adjacent stamp at right, Very Fine and choice (Scott $650) (Image)

CV. 200

61X3, Nashville, Tenn, 1861 5c Brick red, select single with full strike of the blue "Paid" cancel, full to wide margins all around including a bit of the adjacent stamp at lower left, Extremely Fine example (Scott $700) (Image)

CV. 200

61X5, Nashville, Tenn, 1861 5c Violet brown, tied by fair strike of blue Nashville 1861 cds with an accompanying "Paid" handstamp on orange envelope addressed to Shelbyville Tenn, cover faults including professionally sealed tears (mostly on the backflap), otherwise Very Fine; "R.H.W. Co." handstamp on back side (Scott $4,250)rnProvenance: Alfred H Caspary (HR Harmer, March 1956)rn"Rarities of the World" (R.A. Siegel, Apr 1985) (Image)

CV. 750

61X5, Nashville, TN, 1861 5c Violet brown, single tied on envelope addressed to Macon Miss by blue integral "5" handstamp with accompanying Nashville Sep 26 1861 cds and straightline "Paid", stamp clear to full margins, envelope small age spot left of stamp, missing backflap and some tiny sealed edge breaks at top, Fine use (Scott $4,250) (Image)

CV. 500

62X1, New Orleans, La, 1861 2c Blue, horizontal pair with margins all around (frameline and sliver of adjoining stamps at top), tied by neat September 5 (1861) New Orleans, Louisiana cds to blue cover to San Antonio, Texas, "Hyde & Goodrich" embossing on backflap, reverse with sealed tears, Very Fine and extremely attractive cover, pair apparently paid the double unsealed circular rate (Scott $10,000)rnJames N. Hyde and Charles Whiting Goodrich first went into business together in New Orleans in the 1820s. Their first store was located on Chartres Street but by 1853 the firm had relocated to the corner of Canal and Royal Streets in 1853. Although the majority of Hyde & Goodrich's business consisted of selling fancy imported goods (including pistols, pens, watches, and flatware) from the northeast and Europe, the firm also employed silversmiths and watchmakers for the local manufacutre and repair of high-end goods. Hyde & Goodrich went out of business at the onset of the Civil War in 1861, presumably not long after this cover was sent.rnProvenance: Alfred H. Caspary (H.R. Harmer Sale 991, 1956)rnRarities of the World (R.A. Siegel Sale 596, 1982) (Image)

CV. 1,500

62X1, New Orleans, La, 1861 2c Blue, single tied on locally addressed (Carroll Hoy correspondence) US 3c Red Star Die envelope (U27) by New Orleans 7 Jul cds, stamp clear to full margins, envelope with usual pinholes (unfortunately one in the stamp) and sealed break upper right corner just above indicia, still Very Fine, nice drop-rate use on a demonetized stationery envelope (Scott $5,000)rnProvenance: Judge Robert S. EmersonrnMorris Everett, Sr (R.A. Siegel, Salle 754, Oct. 1993) (Image)

CV. 750

62X2 var., New Orleans, LA, 2c Deep vermilion, rich distinctive shade (not listed in Scott or CSA handbook but acknowledged by specialists) tied on locally addressed yellow envelope by nice strike of New Orleans 13 Feb (1862) cds, ample margins three sides but just in along the left side, envelope opened at bottom, trivial sealed edge tear at upper right corner, Very Fine and attractive; the Crown census lists only 6 covers but Dr Hubert Skinner (The Congress Book, 1978) recorded eight covers franked with the New Orleans 2c provisional in any shade (Scott $25,000) (Image)

CV. 7,500

62X2, New Orleans, La, 1862 2c Red, rich color, wide margins two sides, clear to just cutting top and right, fresh and Fine (Scott $190) (Image)

CV. 60

62X3, New Orleans, La, 5c Brown on white, vertical strip of five (the complete second column of the sheet), large margins all around including small part imprint at top, tied by four strikes of New Orleans cds to small piece, Extremely Fine, a remarkably scarce large multiple of this stamp, R.H.W. & Co. backstamp (Scott $1,000 as used singles, $5,000 for strip of five on cover)rnProvenance: Alfred H. Caspary (H.R. Harmer Sale 991, 1956)rnRarities of the World (R.A. Siegel Sale 632, 1984) (Image)

CV. 300

62X3, New Orleans, LA, 5c Brown on white, pair with two "PAID" cancels on small envelope addressed to Austin, Tex, nicely struck New Orleans, La 25 Jul cds alongside, stamps large balanced margins with dividing lines top and bottom, envelope missing backflap, still Very Fine and choice cover showing the over 500-mile rate; some Jack Molesworth notations at bottom left (Scott $850) (Image)

CV. 300

62XU1, New Orleans, LA, 5c Black entire, bold and clear strikes of "J.L. Riddell, P.M." and "Pd 5cts/N.O.P.O." handstamps, light but clear "Steam" and partial New Orleans November 9, 1861 double circle datestamp on orange cover front addressed to Gerard Brandon in Natchez, Mississippi, slightly reduced at left not affecting postmark, the front is precariously reattached to the back side at the bottom left, still Very Fine and attractive, with original enclosure, this handstamp provisional was only used on mail that was to travel via the Mississippi River and is extremely scarce; signed "Dietz 4/13/38" (Scott $4,500 as full cover)rnProvenance: Harold C. Brooks (Laurence & Stryker Sale 123, 1943) (Image)

CV. 500

62XU3, New Orleans, LA, 2c Black entire, bold and complete impression of the "Pd 2cts/N.O.P.O." handstamp with January 21, 1862 New Orleans, Louisiana double circle date stamp alongside, addressed to "Rev. T. Lynch, Mebanesville, N.C." (changed to "Mebane" in 1883), cover has undergone expert restoration since it last appeared at auction in 1985, including a small repair at lower right and a vertical crease being more or less pressed out, Very Fine, we have no hesitation calling this the most attractive of the six known examples of this provisional handstamp, also one of two earliest known uses, truly for the most discerning of collectors (Scott $9,500)rnProvenance:rnGeorge S. Walcott (Private Transaction)rnRarities of the World (R.A. Siegel Sale 645, 1985) (Image)

CV. 3,000