2008 Rarities of the World continued...

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN OUTSTANDING NEW ORLEANS PROVISIONAL COVER FROM BOTH PHILATELIC AND POSTAL HISTORY PERSPECTIVES. THE MULTIPLE FRANKING, INCLUDING A BLOCK OF FOUR, IS ONE OF THE LARGEST EXTANT. THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI USAGE FROM NEW ORLEANS TO TEXAS IS SCARCE. FINALLY, THE SIGNED ENDORSEMENT OF POSTMASTER RIDDELL AND USE OF THE RED DATESTAMP IS EXCEEDINGLY RARE.

There are two recorded covers bearing a block of the New Orleans provisional, and two examples of the double-circle datestamp applied in red (it was ordinarily struck in black on river mail).

Ex Graves (Image)

VERY FINE COVER. ONE OF EIGHT RECORDED COVERS SHOWING CONJUNCTIVE USE OF CONFEDERATE POSTMASTERS' PROVISIONALS AND THE GENERAL ISSUE. ONLY FOUR OF THESE COVERS HAVE ADHESIVE PROVISIONALS, AND ONLY ONE IS KNOWN WITH THE NEW ORLEANS STAMP. IN MANY RESPECTS, WE CONSIDER THIS TO BE ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING CONFEDERATE COVERS EXTANT.

We record a total of eight covers with combinations of Confederate provisionals (either adhesive or handstamped) and General Issue stamps to prepay postage -- we have excluded from this count a few covers on which the provisional served no postal duty. In our opinion, these combination frankings are significant and quite undervalued -- imagine what price would be paid for a Baltimore provisional handstamped entire with a U.S. 5c 1847 stamp, or a St. Louis "Bear" and 1847 combination.

The following is a list of the eight mixed-franking covers: 1) Columbia S.C. (18XU1) and 5c Green (1), Jan. 4, 1862, our Sale 810, lot 1862, 2) Columbia S.C. (18XU1) and 5c Green (1), Jan. 1, 1862, Crown book, p. 80, 3) Columbia S.C. (18XU1) and 5c Blue, Local (7), Sep. 1, 1862, our Sale 810, lot 1861, 4) Charleston S.C. (16X1, repaired) and 5c Blue, London (6), Aug. 5, 1862, 5) Memphis Tenn. 5c Red entire (56XU2) and 5c Green (1), date unclear, Siegel 1983 Rarities sale, lot 357, 6) New Orleans La. 5c Brown on Blue (62X4) and 5c Green (1), Jan. 11, 1862, Siegel 1983 Rarities sale, ex Skinner (realized $16,500 hammer), the cover offered here, 7) Petersburg Va. 5c Red (65X1) and 5c Green (1), Jan. 5, 1862, ex Muzzy, and 8) Petersburg Va. 5c Red (65X1) and 5c Green (1), Feb. 7, 1862, ex Kilbourne (realized $52,500 hammer).

Ex Knapp, Ackerman, Grant and Skinner (Image)

VERY FINE. ONE OF SIX RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE NEW ORLEANS 2-CENT PROVISIONAL ENTIRE.

Our records of New Orleans 2c handstamped provisional entires include the following six examples (in chronological order): 1) Jan. 21, 1862, circular rate to Rev. T. Lynch, Mebanesville N.C., with printed enclosure from Domestic Missions of the Confederate States, ex Walcott, Siegel 1985 Rarities sale, 2) Jan. 21, 1862, turned cover to McByrde, Pendleton S.C., inside with Pendleton "Paid 5", ex MacBride, 3) Jan. 21, 1862 usage to Mint Spring Va., the cover offered here, 4) Jan. 24, 1862, circular rate to J. Shelby & Co., Memphis Tenn., ex Judd, Skinner, Agre (Siegel Sale 850, lot 5774, realized $4,500 hammer), 5) Apr. 7, 1862, circular rate to County Court, San Antonio Tex., 1982 Rarities sale, Siegel Sale 860 (lot 539, realized $2,500 hammer), and 6) indistinct New Orleans double-circle datestamp on inbound cover from Galveston Tex. to Carroll Hoy & Co. in New Orleans, ex Knapp and Hall (Siegel Sale 840, lot 117, realized $6,250 hammer). (Image)

VERY FINE. A FRESH AND COLORFUL USE OF THE PETERSBURG POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON AN IMMACULATE CORNER CARD COVER.

With 1986 C.S.A. certificate. Scott Retail without premium for corner card (Image)

VERY FINE. ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING CONFEDERATE PATRIOTIC COVERS KNOWN FROM KENTUCKY -- A RARE DESIGN AND ONE OF THE FEW COVERS FROM BOWLING GREEN WITH GENERAL ISSUE STAMPS.

Ex MacBride and Gallagher. (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. A SCARCE AND ATTRACTIVE STRIP OF FIVE OF THE 2-CENT GREEN ON COVER.

With 1976 P.F. and 1999 C.S.A. certificates (Image)

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. SURELY ONE OF THE FINEST FRAMELINE COVERS IN EXISTENCE.

Ex Cole and Hill. Signed Bogg and Dietz. (Image)