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VERY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE COLORFUL LENOIR POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ADHESIVE.

James Harper (1799-1879) served as postmaster of Lenoir from 1841 until sometime in 1862 or 1863. His son, George Washington Finley (G. W. F.) Harper (1834-1921), was the assistant postmaster and, according to the written affidavits, was responsible for carving the woodcut die used to make the provisional stamps and envelopes (see Crown book, pp. 172-178, 651-652). In 1862, G. W. F. Harper enlisted as a private in Co. H, 8th Regiment, N.C. Infantry, and eventually earned the rank of major.

The Lenoir adhesive stamp is one of three bi-colored provisionals issued by Southern postmasters (the others were issued at Baton Rouge La. and Greenvile Ala.). Approximately 29 covers bearing the Lenoir adhesive stamp are known. The same woodcut device was applied directly to envelopes, as evidenced by the one recorded cut square with the single 5c impression (Scott 49XU1) and the unique 5c plus 5c entire (Scott 49XU2).

Ex Hill. (Image)

VERY FINE AND RARE ON-COVER EXAMPLE OF THE MACON FOUR-LINE PROVISIONAL WITH COMMA AFTER "OFFICE".

The person most likely to be the Macon postmaster who issued the provisional stamps is Dr. Edward L. Strohecker, a graduate of the Medical College of South Carolina, who was elected three times as Macon's mayor. He helped to organize the Georgia Medical Association, and travelled to visit and treat Confederate troops during the war. Another postmaster and possible stamp issuer is Washington Poe, a relative of the poet, who also served a term as mayor and was elected as a Union delegate to the Georgia Secession Convention in Milledgeville.

All of the Macon provisional stamps were printed from typeset forms. The 2c and two of the three 5c settings simply state the denomination and nothing else, and they were the first stamps printed. These were followed by the four-line "square" stamp, offered here, which includes the words "Post Office" and "Macon, Ga." The order of issue is confused by the Scott Catalogue listings.

The Macon provisional with Post Office, Macon, Ga.” added to the setting is very rare on cover (Peter W. W. Powell reported 24 on cover in the Confederate Philatelist, Sep.-Oct. 2000). Overall, the Comma after "Office" variety is approximately twice as rare as the period variety (counting on-cover and off-cover examples).

With 1979 C.S.A. certificate (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THE MACON 5-CENT FLORAL BORDER PROVISIONAL ON COVER.

All of the Macon provisional stamps were printed from typeset forms. The 2c and two of the three 5c settings simply state the denomination and nothing else, and they were the first stamps printed. These were followed by the four-line "square" stamp, which includes the words "Post Office" and "Macon, Ga." The order of issue is confused by the Scott Catalogue listings..

Ex Phillips, Emerson, Hart, Brooks and Dr. Agre. Signed Ashbrook. With 1995 C.S.A. certificate stating "professionally repaired" (Image)

FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE USE OF MEMPHIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL STAMPS ON A SOUTHERN EXPRESS COMPANY COVER CARRIED OUTSIDE THE MAILS. ONLY A FEW 5-CENT MEMPHIS EXPRESS COVERS ARE KNOWN.

The cover was entrusted to the Southern Express Co.'s Memphis office for delivery to Richmond. Express covers involving Confederate postage of any kind are scarce, and those with Postmasters' Provisionals are very rare.

From our 1989 Rarities of the World sale and Ex Walske. With 1987 P.F. certificate. Scott Retail for pair on normal cover $4,000.00 (Image)

VERY FINE. A CHOICE AND RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 2-CENT MOBILE PROVISIONAL ON A LOCALLY ADDRESSED CIRCULAR.

The Crown census records only 23 covers with the 2c Mobile provisional.

Ex Moody and Myerson (Image)

VERY FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE. THIS 11-STAR CONFEDERATE FLAG IS ONE OF THE RAREST PATRIOTIC DESIGNS KNOWN. TO FIND IT USED WITH THE 5-CENT NASHVILLE POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL IS EXTRAORDINARY. A PHENOMENAL EXHIBITION ITEM.

Our records of the Nashville Postmaster's Provisional contain only two other uses on Patriotic covers. The Rudy and Powell collections contained a 7-Star Confederate flag on cover with a Nashville 5c Grayish Brown (61X5 var), which realized $27,000 hammer the last time it was sold in our Sale 1104 in 2015. That flag, while scarce, is not as rare as the 11-Star flag on this cover. In addition, there is the iconic Hanging Lincoln cover with two 5c Nashville Brick Red stamps. Apart from those two covers, we do not record any other Nashville adhesives on Patriotic covers. This cover appeared in the 1973 Siegel sale featuring the Robert W. Baughman collection (Sale 399, lot 188).

This design with ten stars in a circle and one star at the center of a slightly elongated flag is listed in the C.S.A. Catalogue with a $10,000.00 value, without regard to the Nashville Provisional use (Image)