The Brandon Collection, Part 1: Postmasters' Provisionals

VERY FINE. THE UNIQUE REVALUED ABERDEEN POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL. A GREAT RARITY.

The Crown survey and our own records contain only this single example of the revalued 10c Scott 1XU1a. In addition we record two examples of No. 1XU1, the 5c provisional entire: 1) Sep. 13 (1861) datestamp on white entire to Miss Sallie Spann, Macon Miss., Crown book, p. 11; and 2) Jan. 20 (1862) datestamp on orange entire to A. S. Nelson, Greensboro Ala., ex Ferrary, Knapp, Hall and Gross.

Ex Dr. Agre. With 1976 C.S.A. certificate (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED MULTIPLES OF THE ATHENS PROVISIONAL WITH THE TRANSPOSED ARRANGEMENT OF TYPES. AN OUTSTANDING COVER OF GREAT PHILATELIC SIGNIFICANCE AND OVERALL BEAUTY -- PROBABLY THE FINEST OF THE ATHENS PAIRS ON COVERS.

The Athens provisionals issued by Postmaster Crawford were printed from two woodcut typographic engravings. An impression from the plate normally shows the small "Paid" (Type I) at left and the large "Paid" (Type II) at right. Because multiple impressions were made on each sheet, it is possible to have pairs with the type arrangement transposed -- Type II at left and I at right. However, these are extremely rare. A survey of auction catalogues and collections produced only two others: a pair on cover to Dr. Edwin D. Newton, Richmond, ex Moody; and a horizontal strip of four on cover to Vice President Stephens in Richmond, ex Caspary and Kimmel. The Crown census confirms our own.

The addressee, Sgt. S. P. Kenney, was an officer with the Mell Rifles, Company D, Cobb's Legion Infantry. This company was raised in Athens in July 1861 by Patrick Hues Mell, Baptist Minister and Vice Chancellor of the University of Georgia. After Mell resigned due to his wife's death, Thomas U. Camak was named commander. John Boswell Cobb, Robert Goodman and W. A. Winn were named lieutenants. Non-commissioned officers were J. F. Wilson, Wm. A. Gilleland, S. P. Kenney, G. W. Barber, J. J. Mattox, and L. H. Horne. The unit fought throughout the war until two days before Appomattox, when it was surrounded and captured.

The small envelope has a printed corner card of the Lucy Cobb Institute. This girls' school in Athens was founded by Thomas R. R. Cobb and named in honor of his daughter, who died of scarlet fever in 1858 at age 13, shortly before construction was completed and the school's doors were opened.

Ex Tara, Dr. Green and D.K. collection. Signed Ashbrook. With 2000 P.F. certificate

History of the Athens provisional: http://siegelauctions.com/enc/pdf/AthensGA.pdf (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM STAMP ON PART OF A UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA CORNER CARD COVER. THIS IS THE FINEST 5-CENT RED ATHENS STAMP EXTANT.

Our census of the 5c Red Athens contains this half-cover and seven genuine covers, including one on a full University of Georgia corner card cover (ex Caspary, Dr. Graves and Wishnietsky, Siegel Sale 1064, lot 37). This accords with the Crown census. All genuine examples are dated in March or April 1862. In addition, we record three used off-cover examples and an original-gum example of the 5c Red. With large even margins and in sound condition, this example ranks as the finest 5c Red Athens provisional recorded.

Ex Caspary and Lilly. Illustrated in Crown Survey on p. 24. With 1976 P.F. certificate. Weill backstamp. Scott Retail as used without premium for corner card (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. AN IMMACULATE AND BEAUTIFUL EAVES CAMEO DESIGN USED WITH THE ATLANTA POSTMASTER’S PROVISIONAL HANDSTAMP. ONLY SIX OR SEVEN ATLANTA PROVISIONAL COVERS HAVE CORNER CARDS. THIS IS ALSO AN EXTREMELY RARE CONFEDERATE GUN COVER.

A review of the Levi records did not reveal another example of this distinct Clarke & Lewis design.

Ex Kimmel. Illustrated in Crown Survey on p. 27. (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A SPECTACULAR USE OF THE ATLANTA 10-CENT ON 5-CENT HANDSTAMPED PROVISIONAL ON A RAILROAD CAMEO DESIGN COVER. BEAUTIFUL IN EVERY RESPECT.

The docketing on back indicates the letter was from Richard Owens, Atlanta, July 18, soliciting the influence of Mr. Stephens to have the writer receive a military appointment. Only four examples of the 10c on 5c revalued Atlanta provisional are recorded in the Crown Survey.

Ex Muzzy (Image)

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VERY FINE. ONLY FOUR EXAMPLES OF THE AUSTIN, TEXAS, 10-CENT ADHESIVE POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ARE RECORDED. THIS IS ONE OF TWO KNOWN ON BUFF PAPER.

The Austin, Texas, 10c Provisional was created by removing the date slugs from the town double-circle datestamp and replacing them with "Paid" and "10". This device was then struck on sheets of ruled paper and cut into individual stamps. On the example offered here, light pencil ruled lines can be seen along the edges.

The census of the 10c Austin adhesives published by Charles Deaton in The Great Texas Stamp Collection contains four on-cover examples, two each on white and buff paper, as follows:

1) White paper, uncancelled, on cover to Clerk, County Court, Bexar Co. Texas (San Antonio), illustrated in The Great Texas Stamp Collection (plate 12)

2) White paper, tied by Austin double-circle datestamp, printed return address of J. T. Hallett, Land and General Collecting Agent, Austin, addressed to Doctor Clark, Hempstead, Austin Co. Texas

3) Buff paper, uncancelled, Aug. 23, 1863 Austin double-circle datestamp on cover to San Antonio, ex Caspary, the example offered here

4) Buff paper, tied by Austin datestamp, date unclear, addressed to H.M. Alford, Captain Fisher Co. Garland's Regt., Little Rock Ark., receipt docketing Sep. 25, 1862, ex Dr. Graves, Siegel 1983 Rarities sale, lot 285

Ex Caspary and from our 1965 Rarities sale. Illustrated in Crown Survey on p. 33. With 1978 P.F. certificate as 9XU1 var. (Image)

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VERY FINE. ONE OF ONLY THREE RECORDED COMPLETE COVERS BEARING THE AUTAUGAVILLE POSTMASTER'S DISTINCTIVE BRASS-DIE PROVISIONAL.

Autaugaville, situated on the Alabama River about 25 miles west of Montgomery, had a Civil War population of less than 1,500. Its postmaster, Albert William McNeel, seized all U.S. Post Office Dept. property and turned it over to the Confederacy. Postmaster McNeel used two different handstamped markings to make provisional envelopes. The earlier type is Scott 10XU2, of which one example is recorded, dated Oct. 8, 1861 (ex Dr. Agre, Siegel Sale 850, lot 5665). The brass handstamp seems to have followed, with four examples recorded as follows in date order: 1) Nov. 21, 1861, to Willis Todd, Benton Ala., ex Worthington, Hessel; 2) Nov. 27, 1861, to J. Hodges Golsan, Montgomery Ala., ex Dr. Graves, Green and Gross; 3) Nov. 28, 1861, to Elder H. Talbin, Marion Ala., ex Emerson, Caspary, Weatherly, the cover offered here; and 4) Jan. 10, 1862, approximately one-half of cover, ex Walcott, Lilly.

The brass engraving is similar in design to the Athens adhesive provisional. The postmaster's son is on record saying that his father used printer's ink on the hand-held die and gently tapped the device onto each envelope.

It is noteworthy that the Kilbourne, Hill and Haas Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals collections were missing the Autaugaville.

Ex Emerson, Caspary and Weatherly. Raymond H. Weill backstamp. With 1967 P.F. certificate (Image)

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