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(56X1,
56X1a, 56X2) Memphis, Tennessee Postmaster’s Provisionals, 1861 2c blue unused horizontal pair (positions 14–15) including partial print and two 5c red provisionals, one unused with partial original gum and one used by partial black Memphis cds. All
typographed by M.C. Galloway, postmaster of Memphis and publisher of the Memphis Avalanche, some faults noted especially on the used 5c, but overall fine-v.f. appearance.
The Memphis provisionals were produced using stereos derived from woodcut designs and printed in panes of 50, with the 2c denomination intended for drop letters, circulars, and printed matter, and the 5c red for the standard single-letter rate. The
2c plate is notable for significant damage to several positions - including positions 5, 10, 15, 20, & 50 - resulting in partially printed designs, an unusual feature that reflects the crude and improvised nature of Confederate provisional stamp
production. The panes were “worked and turned” during printing, creating tête-bêche sheet configurations separated by a wide central gutter.
These provisionals were first placed in use on June 30, 1861, just days before Tennessee formally joined the Confederacy, and thus represent one of the few Confederate stamp issues originating during a brief independent statehood period. The Memphis
provisionals are among the most distinctive and historically important of all Confederate Postmasters’ Provisionals, and this pairing of both denominations provides an excellent representation of their dual postal functions and characteristic
production features, cat. value $750. (Image)
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Current Opening Price...$200.00
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