The Brandon Collection, Part 1: Postmasters' Provisionals continued...

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED TUSCUMBIA, ALABAMA, POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON A CONFEDERATE PATRIOTIC COVER. A GREAT RARITY.

Only eight examples are recorded in the Crown survey and this is the only Patriotic use among the eight.

Ex Dabney. Small Dietz backstamp. Illustrated in Wishnietsky Confederate Patriotic Covers and Their Usages (p. 32) (Image)

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VERY FINE. ONLY THIRTEEN ON-COVER EXAMPLES OF THE UNIONTOWN POSTMASTER’S 5-CENT PROVISIONAL ON WHITE PAPER ARE RECORDED BY CROWN.

The Cobb correspondence was found by R. S. Nelson of Birmingham, Alabama. According to reports at the time of the discovery, Mrs. Cobb had been ill in a Montgomery hospital, and her husband wrote to her from Uniontown daily, and sometimes twice a day, for some three weeks” (Crown book, page 344).

Ex Hessel. With 1965 C.S.A. certificate (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE STAMP AND A FRESH ATTRACTIVE COVER. ONLY EIGHT EXAMPLES OF THE UNIONTOWN POSTMASTER'S 10-CENT PROVISIONAL ARE RECORDED, OF WHICH FIVE ARE SOUND STAMPS ON COVER. THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN 10-CENT EXAMPLE ON OR OFF-COVER WITH THE STATIONER'S EMBOSSED CREST.

Uniontown's postmaster at the start of the C.S.A. postal system was Parham N. Booker. Parham, one of eleven children, was the namesake son of a U.S. internal revenue officer. The senior Booker represented Madison County in the legislature in 1836 and moved to Uniontown sometime later. He became a planter and hotel keeper, and he also served as postmaster and mayor of the town. Booker Senior died in 1861, and we are not certain if both father and son ran the post office. Because of a permanent physical disability, Booker Junior did not serve in the Confederate Army, but served the government in a civil department.

Postmaster Booker issued three denominations of adhesive provisionals: 2c, 5c and 10c. They were probably typeset and printed at the offices of the local newspaper, the Weekly Herald. The same typeset form of four subjects was used to print all three values (although the spacing between subjects changed between two 5c printings). The numeral in parentheses between the "PA" and "ID" of "PAID" was changed for each value, and different color ink was used: Dark Blue (2c), Green (5c) and Red (10c). All three values were printed on Gray Blue paper, and the 2c and 5c are also known on White paper, which was probably used for subsequent printings. The 10c has not been found on White paper.

Eight examples of the Uniontown 10c Red are recorded by us. These are (in order of plate position):

1) Pos. 1 with stationer’s embossed crest, on cover to Maria L. Kidd, Port Royal Va., ex Kimmel, Haas, Birkinbine, D.K. collection (Siegel Sale 1022, lot 1121), the cover offered here

2) Pos. 1 on cover to John D. Pitts, near Richmond Va., ex Ferrary, Caspary, Isleham” (Peyton), Hill and Sharrer (Siegel Sale 1035, lot 91)

3) Pos. 2 on cover to Col. A. P. Calhoun, Pendleton S.C., ex Dr. Simon, D.K. collection (lot 1120)

4) Pos. 2 on cover to Maria Louisa Kidd, Port Royal Va., ex Brooks, Meroni, Kilbourne and Gross

5) Pos. 2 repaired stamp on repaired cover to Mrs. John B. Carey, ex Weill Stock

6) Pos. 3, corner crease, small tear, on lady’s embossed cover to Mr. Richmond Christian, Richmond Va., ex Hind

7) Pos. 4 on cover to Col. A. P. Calhoun, Pendleton S.C., ex Sweet, Muzzy, Boker

8) Pos. 4 uncancelled on large piece dated Sep. 27 (1861) with part of addressee’s name S. Price”, Virginia destination, ex Caspary

Very few post offices east of the Mississippi River issued and used 10c adhesive (A) or press-printed (E) provisionals. This small group is as follows: Baton Rouge La. (A--three known); Charleston S.C. (E--unique, see lot 330); Danville Va. (E--probably not used); Fincastle Va. (E--unique); Fredericksburg Va. (A--never used); Greenville Ala. (A--two known); Greenwood Depot Va. (A--six known); Knoxville Tenn. (A--unique; and E--rare used); Marion Va. (A--seven known on cover); Nashville Tenn. (A--six known on cover); Tellico Plains Tenn. (A--never used); and Uniontown Ala. (A--eight known, seven on covers). All other 10c provisionals were used in Texas or were issued as handstamped entires.

Ex Shenfield (with his source code on back "George S. Creed Oct. 1939 AOSU/XX"), Kimmel, Haas, Birkinbine and D.K. collection. With 1976 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE AND RARE. ONLY FOUR COVERS BEARING THE UNIONVILLE POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ARE CONTAINED IN OUR RECORDS.

The Unionville Provisional was produced by using two handstamps on hand at the post office. The paper, slightly bluish, was first ruled by pencil into lines forming squares. One example also shows printed lines, indicating that it may have been created from normal lined paper.

Our records contain the following four covers (none are known off-cover)

1) Pair tied by circular datestamp on 7-Star Patriotic cover to Centreville Va., ex Ferrary, Caspary and Lilly

2) Uncancelled on cover to Pacolet Mills S.C., cover repaired at top and bottom, Siegel 1966 Rarities, ex Warren

3) tied by gum toning on cover to Pacolet Mills S.C., the cover offered here

4) tied by Unionville circular datestamp on cover to Mt. Taubor (N.C.), some staining around stamp, ex Hessel.

Ex Kohn and Dr. Agre. Illustrated in Crown Survey on p. 351. With 1947 note of authenticity from August Dietz (Image)

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THE UNIQUE VALDOSTA, GEORGIA, 5-CENT PLUS 5-CENT POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ENTIRE. ALSO AN EXCEPTIONAL LATE USE OF A CONFEDERATE PROVISIONAL.

The Crown Survey, Scott and C.S.A. catalogs all record only this single example of the 5c + 5c Valdosta Provisional (100XU2). There is also a single recorded example of the 10c provisional (100XU1), dated Aug. 18, 1864 to Grahamsville S.C., ex Simon, Myerson and Warren.

Ex Kohn. Listed but unpriced in Scott. Scott prices the other unique Valdosta at $9,000.00, no doubt because it has sold more recently (Rumsey, Sale 53, lot 4304) (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE RARE VICTORIA 5-CENT POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL. WE RECORD ONLY FIVE EXAMPLES, ALL UNUSED.

The five recorded examples of the 5c Victoria provisional are all unused and off cover, as follows:

1) Sound with original gum, top right corner margins, ex Ferrary, Hind, Hall, D.K. Collection and Sharrer (Siegel Sale 1035, lot 92)

2) Part original gum, top left corner margins, small thins and light crease, ex Hessel, the stamp offered here

3) Described as having "some original gum", top right corner margins, vertical crease, ex Caspary, Lilly and Kilbourne

4) Uncancelled, left sheet margin, torn into design at bottom, Albert Steves photo

5) Unused, no gum, bottom right corner margins, light chipping and natural paper bubble, from a recent find, ex Felton.

Ex Hessel (Image)

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FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF FOUR RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE VICTORIA 10-CENT TYPE II POSTMASTER’S PROVISIONAL, ALL OF WHICH ARE OFF COVER.

We record only four examples of the Victoria 10c Type II (bold slanting numerals):

1) Unused, small thin, ex Ferrary, Hind, Brooks, Moody, Weill and Kilbourne, the stamp offered here

2) Unused, described as sound, Siegel 1968 Rarities sale

3) Used, part of circular datestamp at lower right, ex Sotheby Parke Bernet sale, Apr. 15, 1979, Camina” (Castillejo), Dr. Maffeo and Sharrer (Siegel Sale 1035, lot 93)

4) Used, part of datestamp with Oct” month, extensively repaired across lower right, ex Caspary

Illustrated in 1929 Dietz book. Ex Ferrary, Hind, Brooks, Moody, Weill and Kilbourne (Image)

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VERY FINE. ONE OF ONLY FIVE RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE WALTERBOROUGH HANDSTAMP AND ONE OF TWO TURNED USES.

Although the Scott Catalogue lists the 10c handstamp in both Black and Carmine, neither Crown nor our own records confirm the existence of a Black entire. Of the Carmine we record five entires, all 1864 dates as follows: Jan. 15, Mar. 18, Apr. 15 (on a printed form), Aug. 31 (turned use and charge box notation) and Nov. 9 (turned use, the cover offered here). A cut square on a U.S. 3c Star Die entire is also known.

The manner in which the Walterborough provisional handstamp was used suggests that it might have been applied both as a provisional and as a handstamped Paid marking. (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED WINNSBOROUGH S.C. POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON A PATRIOTIC COVER. A WONDERFUL COMBINATION WITH THE PALMETTO FLAG DESIGN.

The Crown Survey records only three examples of the 5c Winnsborough provisional, and does not include this cover. C.S.A. Catalog value for this Palmetto Flag design on a normal cover $3,500.00 (Image)

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