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THE ONLY RECORDED BLOCKADE-RUN USE OF THE "TEN" STAMP. ALSO ONE OF THE FEW EXAMPLES OF BLOCKADE-RUN MAIL ON WHICH CONFEDERATE POSTAGE BEYOND THE PORT OF ARRIVAL WAS PREPAID, WITH ONLY THE 2-CENT SHIP CAPTAIN'S FEE CHARGED TO THE ADDRESSEE.
This was carried by the blockade runner Fannie from Nassau on Oct. 13, 1863, arriving Wilmington Oct. 22. The "TEN" stamp paid the postage from Wilmington to Fayetteville, but the 2c ship fee was due from the recipient. One other blockade-run cover from the Washington correspondence, bearing a 10c Blue Paterson Lithograph, is recorded (Walske collection). Both were offered in our 337th Sale (June 26, 1968, lots 749-750). As a "TEN" use and as a blockade-run letter franked with Confederate postage outside the borders of the Confederacy, this is a most important item (Image)
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VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXTREMELY RARE INCOMING BLOCKADE-RUN COVER FRANKED WITH THE CONFEDERATE STATES 20-CENT GENERAL ISSUE FOR DOUBLE-WEIGHT FORWARDING POSTAGE TO AUGUSTA.
This letter is addressed care of Major Benjamin Franklin Ficklin, who helped start the Pony Express and was in charge of war supply for the Confederacy (and who also purchased Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in 1864 before it was confiscated at the end of the war). Ficklin presumably paid the 6c in-port ship rate, then addressed the letter to Augusta and applied the 20c stamp for double-rate postage. This is one of only two blockade-run covers with a 20c General Issue stamp listed in the Special Routes census (both forwarded uses).
Ex Everett. Illustrated in Shenfield book on p. 57 (Image)
VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN EXCEPTIONAL INCOMING BLOCKADE-RUN COVER FROM CUBA WITH THREE SEPARATE FORWARDER MARKINGS.
Most blockade-run covers were expedited by forwarders in the ports of departure, although the forwarders typically did not mark the letters. Each of these Havana and Nassau forwarder markings is scarce and desirable used alone on a blockade-run cover. To find a cover with all three is remarkable (Image)
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VERY FINE. A RARE INCOMING BLOCKADE-RUN COVER ENDORSED TO AND CARRIED BY THE TRISTRAM SHANDY, WHICH WAS CAPTURED FIVE DAYS AFTER DELIVERING THIS COVER AT WILMINGTON.
The Tristram Shandy, built in Greenock, Scotland in 1864, took her name from the novel "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman." She had a short life as a blockade runner, which accounts for the rarity of covers carried by her. The trip that carried this letter was her second blockade run. After unloading cargo and mail from that trip, she departed Wilmington carrying new cargo, including $50,000 in Confederate money. On May 15 she was captured by the U.S.S. Kansas after heavy pursuit and taken to Massachusetts. The Union Navy converted her to a gunboat and she became a blockader, with captures including the blockade runner Blenheim (Image)
VERY FINE. THIS IS THE EARLIEST RECORDED WILMINGTON POSTMARK ON AN INCOMING BLOCKADE-RUN COVER AND ALSO THE HIGHEST-RATED DUE MARKING.
The Giraffe was sold to the Confederate States Navy, renamed the Robert E. Lee and continued blockade-run trips until she was captured in 1863 and condemned as a prize at Boston. She was subsequently renamed the U.S.S. Fort Donelson and sent for duty in North Atlantic Blockading Squadron (Image)
VERY FINE BLOCKADE-RUN USE FROM SOUTH TO NORTH VIA NASSAU, ON THE FINAL OUTBOUND TRIP OF THE WILD DAYRELL.
The Wild Dayrel ran aground near Wilmington N.C. on Feb. 1, 1864, on the return from this trip to Nassau. She was found by the U.S.S. Sassacus which was aided by U.S.S. Florida. The Union ships tried for three days to re-float the prize, and during their salvage efforts the crews were harassed by Confederate riflemen, who were eventually driven off by fire from the Union ships. Finally, the ship was set ablaze and destroyed by shelling (source: Wikipedia). Part of the burned wreckage survives today (Image)
VERY FINE AND RARE BLOCKADE-RUN USE FROM THE CONFEDERACY TO PHILADELPHIA VIA NASSAU, WITH BRITISH PACKET POSTAGE PREPAID WITH A BAHAMAS 4-PENCE 1863 ISSUE STAMP.
Illustrated in Special Routes book on p. 142, which records fewer than ten blockade-run covers prepaid with a Bahamas stamp (Image)