U.S. and Possessions Treasures of Philately from the Irwin Weinberg Inventory continued...

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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 and Dr. Brandon (Image)

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VERY FINE. AN ATTRACTIVE COVER WITH A FOUR-MARGIN EXAMPLE OF THE BATON ROUGE 5-CENT PROVISIONAL WITH MALTESE CROSS BORDER.

The addressee, Capt. Henry M. Favrot, was born in West Baton Rouge parish in 1826 and died there in 1887. He served as a member of the Louisiana legislature in the 1850's and was opposed to secession. However, with the outbreak of the Civil War he joined the Confederate Army and became captain of the "Delta Rifles," 4th Louisiana Infantry, and served throughout the entire war. Capt. Favrot participated in the Battle of Shiloh, was stricken with typhoid fever at Corinth and later returned to New Orleans. After his recovery he was sent to northern Virginia with rank of colonel to gather all the records of the Army of Northern Virginia. He remained on active duty until the close of the war, when he returned home on mule-back, bringing with him the army records he was sent to compile.

Ex Dr. Brandon (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THIS IS THE UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF THE BLUFFTON S.C. POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ENTIRE.

The Crown survey, C.S.A. and Scott catalogs all state that this is the only recorded example of the Bluffton Postmaster's Provisional.

Ex Mueller, Bogg and Dr. Brandon. Accompanied by a handstamped "Paid" rebacked cover front from Bluffton to Charleston dated Nov. 2 with "5" rate handstamp. Both covers with 1995 C.S.A. certificates (Image)

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VERY FINE. ONLY SIX EXAMPLES OF THE CHAPEL HILL POSTMASTER'S 5-CENT PROVISIONAL ENTIRE ARE RECORDED -- A MUCH UNDERRATED RARITY.

Our records contain only six examples of Scott 15XU1, including three on patriotic covers.

Ex Dr. Howard Green and Dr. Brandon (Image)

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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED COVERS WITH CONJUNCTIVE USE OF A COLUMBIA S.C. PROVISIONAL ENTIRE AND A GENERAL ISSUE STAMP.

Another cover from a different correspondence, dated Jan. 4, 1862, exists with the 5c Green Lithograph used in combination with the provisional oval. While an argument can be made that the adhesive paid the entire postage (accompanying C.S.A. certificate states this is the case) they could also have been uprated for weight, prior to the 1862 rate change. A third combination cover, offered in our Sale 810, shows a combination of the provisional and 5c Richmond Local Print to make the new 10c rate. A fourth cover exists with the 5c Green Lithograph affixed over the provisional handstamp -- more clearly a 5c rate, using an old provisional entire. In addition to the three mentioned above, we record only six other conjunctive uses of a Confederate provisional and adhesive on cover.

Illustrated in Crown Survey on p. 80. Ex. Dr. Brandon. With 2009 C.S.A. certificate stating the opinion that it is not a conjunctive use (Image)

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VERY FINE AND RARE. ONLY EIGHT EXAMPLES OF THE COLUMBIA S.C. 5-CENT PROVISIONAL ENVELOPE WITH THE OVAL SEAL STRUCK ON FRONT ARE RECORDED.

Harry L. McDowell records eight Columbia provisional entires with the oval seal struck on front and not on the flaps, all dated in August and September 1861 with the pre-war integral-rate datestamp. The oval and "5" were applied to the empty envelope (provisional), and the Columbia circular datestamp and Paid" were applied after mailing.

Ex Hessel and Dr. Brandon (Image)

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VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE DANVILLE "SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY PAID 5 CENTS" CIRCULAR HANDSTAMP POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL. AN OUTSTANDING RARITY.

Ex Caspary and Dr. Brandon. With 2014 P.F. certificate. Unlisted in Scott, but listed in C.S.A. Catalog (Image)

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VERY FINE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE DANVILLE TYPOGRAPHED POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON YELLOW ENTIRE.

The Danville post office issued provisional adhesive and press-printed envelopes in close proximity. William D. Coleman, editor of the Democratic Appeal newspaper, had been Danville's postmaster from September 14, 1860, to March 12, 1861. William B. Payne was appointed by the U.S. Post Office on March 12, 1861, but he served a very short term (Richard L. Calhoun, The Confederate Postmaster Provisionals of Virginia). Coleman enlisted in the army, but served only a few months before he was asked to replace Payne as Danville's Confederate postmaster. Coleman was officially appointed on August 2, 1861, but his recollection was that he took over in October 1861 (Crown book, pages 85-87).

The press-printed provisional envelopes bear Payne's name, and the adhesive bears Coleman's name. Coleman stated that his stamps were printed at the offices of the Democratic Appeal. Philatelic authors have reported that the envelopes were also printed at the newspaper offices, but no proof of that claim has been offered. Postmaster Payne also sold handstamped envelopes with his initials.

The Danville press-printed envelopes are among the most unusual of all Postmasters' Provisionals. A stock typographic engraving was used with loose type set inside the blank oval. The illustration depicts a shoe fitting for an Antebellum lady. She is seated, while another woman kneels before her with shoe in hand, and a gentleman stands over her, also holding a shoe. It is reported that this engraving was used in advertisements for ladies' shoes and boots. Another unusual feature of this provisional is the use of the slogan "Southern Confederacy" in addition to the post office and postmaster names, and the denomination. The word "Southern" is set in either a nearly straight line or slightly curved line.

The envelopes were printed with two different denominations: the 5c in Black, and the 10c in Red. The 5c envelopes properly used as provisionals are datestamped in July, August and early September. None of the 10c press-printed envelopes has been found properly used in that period. Both the 5c and 10c envelopes are found with later dates, sometimes with General Issue stamps affixed for postage (or removed), but these envelopes were used as stationery and not as provisional postage.

The Calhoun census lists 24 envelopes, but nearly half are not proper provisional uses (either lacking a Danville postmark or used with adhesive postage). While this cover lacks the postmark, the docketing clearly indicates an 1861 use and there is no indication that a General Issue stamp has been removed. The classification of envelope colors, including Buff versus Amber, is also questionable. We think it is quite probable that all of the other genuine July-September envelopes are more or less the same shade of Dark Buff (21XU3). While clearly not Buff, this envelope is closer to Lemon than Amber (which is listed as 21XU2 in Scott, but questioned by the editors in a footnote). We classify it here as Yellow (21XU1 var). It is the same shade as another example we offered, mailed in 1862 with a General Issue stamp applied to pay the postage (Siegel Sale 787, lot 3212).

Ex Dr. Brandon. With 2014 P.F. certificate (Image)

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