Spink Shreves Galleries Sale

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CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA continued...

CONFEDERATE POSTMASTERS' PROVISIONALS continued...

Lot

Symbol

CatNo.

Lot Description

CV or Estimate

51X1

#51X1, Livingston, Ala., 5c Blue, full to very large margins including showing a portion of the adjoining stamp at top, bottom right margin close but clears frame line, lovely rich color and a superbly detailed impression, neatly tied to a canary colored cover by "Livingston Ala./Nov 15" (1861) c.d.s., addressed to "Mrs. M.A. Sturdivant, Hollow Square, Green Cty, Ala", sender's "Chg box 102" in manuscript at top center, extremely fine.The finest single franking among seven recorded covers bearing the Livingston Provisional - easily the most beautiful and intricate Confederate Postmaster Provisional stamp ever issued. This cover, along with the unique pair on cover and the spectacular Mt. Lebanon cover are perhaps the three most famous and most desirable Confederate States covers in existence.There are only eleven recorded examples of this stunning pictorial stamp - four off cover singles, six singles on separate covers and the famous pair on cover. None of the other stamps or covers equals the overall condition and beauty of this remarkable cover. Stanley B. Ashbrook described this as "really a superb cover and the finest Livingston that I have ever seen." (Stamp Specialist, Black Book, 1945).Signed Ashbrook on reverse; ex-Brooks, Weatherly and Kilbourne. (Image)

$60,000.00

SOLD for $160,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

52X1

#52X1, Lynchburg, Va., 5c Blue, horizontal pair, mostly ample margins to just touching, bright color, tied by clear "Lynchburg Va./Aug 28 1861" c.d.s. to cover addressed to Florence, Ala. from the Rowell correspondence, faint toned spot, very fine and choice.By far the finest of the five recorded covers bearing a pair of the Lynchburg Provisional.A lovely and rare cover; ex-Worthington, Caspary and Kilbourne. (Image)

$20,000.00

SOLD for $19,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

53X3

#53X3, Macon, Ga., 5c Black on yellow wove, bottom right corner sheet-margin horizontal pair, with large to huge margins all around, fresh color, tied by portion of large "Macon Ga." c.d.s. on small cover addressed to Richmond, Va., from the Cobb correspondence, backflap removed and a bit reduced at top, lightened stain at left and an insignificant edge tear, none of which affects the provisional pair which is is extremely fine.One of five recorded covers bearing a pair of the attractively designed Macon Five Cent Provisional. A rare and eye appealing cover; ex-Caspary, Meroni and Kilbourne. (Image)

$8,000.00

SOLD for $5,250.00
Will close during Public Auction

53X4

#53X4, Macon, Ga., 5c Black on yellow wove, quite well margined all around, just touching at bottom right, tied by "Macon Ga./Jun 9" double circle datestamp to petite 1861 blue-lined folded letter, addressed to Georgia governor (and vigilant secessionist) Joseph E. Brown in Milledgeville, Ga., docketed "Military Election" at left, very fine.The Five Cent Macon Provisional with the plain ruled border is more than likely the first provisional stamp issued in the Confederacy. Crown records only fourteen covers, all of which were used in June 1861, including one on June 1st.An especially choice example of this provisional on cover; ex-Caspary, Weatherly and Kilbourne. (Image)

$6,000.00

SOLD for $6,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

53X5

#53X5, Macon, Ga., 2c Black on gray green wove, margins mostly clear to just touching at a few points, tied to small drop rate cover by light strike of "Macon Ga./ ? 7" c.d.s., addressed to Dr. G.E. Carleton in Macon, some writing at far left edge of cover erased, very fine.One of the rarest Confederate States Postmasters' Provisional covers in existence. Being one of only four confirmed examples of the Macon Two Cent Provisional, three of which are on covers. This also is the finer of two covers which the stamp is tied by a circular datestamp.According to research done by Scott Trepel, the Macon 2c is one of six 2c provisional stamps issued by Confederate post offices, and it is the rarest of the group (the Uniontown 2c is represented by two covers and the unique sheet of four, unused). His records contain only four examples of the Macon 2c, including another cover to Dr. Carleton with the stamp tied by the double-circle ("2" but no month visible) -- the cover has a large piece torn from the front of the envelope (ex-Caspary). The third cover is addressed locally to Col. Jno. B. Lamar with the stamp tied by a "Paid" straightline and no other markings (ex-Caspary). A fourth stamp is known on piece tied by the "Paid" straightline (ex-Deats, P.F. photo files).The Two Cent Macon Provisional on cover is one of the most elusive to ever be able to acquire as it so infrequently makes an appearance on the auction market. In fact, this is only the second auction appearance for this cover since the 1933 Hind auction.ex-Ferrary, Hind, Brooks and Kilbourne. (Image)

$60,000.00

SOLD for $35,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

55X1

#55X1, Marion, Va., 5c Black, extravagantly large margins all around, tied by bold "Marion Va./Jun 7" (1861) c.d.s. to small restored blue cover addressed to Rural Retreat, Va., restoration includes front and backflaps having been separated and affixed to another envelope, as well as some repaired edge tears, minute tear in the huge top margin of the stamp, the stamp itself is very fine and quite choice.A major C.S.A. rarity as only three Marion Five Cent Provisionals on cover are in private hands. A fourth cover is in the British Library's Tapling collection. Even off cover examples are extremely rare, with only three stamps on pieces, three off cover examples and an unused example whose status has been questioned.The stamp found on this cover is likely the finest quality example of the minute population of known singles. While the cover could use some more skillful restoration it is still attractive and quite collectible. In fact, Stanley B. Ashbrook described this cover in his article on the Brooks collection in Stamp Specialist (Black Book, 1945) as follows: "quite a fine example of the 5c black on white on a cover showing an extremely early use, viz: 'June 7,' presumably 1861;" ex-Brooks, Weatherly and Kilbourne. (Image)

$20,000.00

SOLD for $12,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

55X2

#55X2, Marion, Va., 10c Black, margins on three sides, fourth at right cutting frame and part of the post office name, tied to brown homemade cover by "Marion Va./Nov 16" (1861) c.d.s., addressed to Emory, Va., fine.This attractive cover is one of only six bearing the Marion Ten Cent Provisional available to collectors. A seventh cover is housed in the Tapling collection in the British Library. This cover is also the earliest recorded usage of this rare provisional.It is our opinion that the catalog value quoted in Scott is a bit misleading given the number of known covers. The $60,000.00 Scott valuation is based upon the 1999 sale of perhaps the finest known example on cover, which realized $62,500.00 hammer. Signed Stanley B. Ashbrook on reverse; ex-Emerson, Brooks, Weatherly and Kilbourne. (Image)

$60,000.00

SOLD for $18,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

56X2

#52X2, Memphis, Tenn., 5c Red, two singles, each in a distinctly different shade, one in a pale rose shade, while the other in a deep carmine shade, each with margins to just in, tied by neat "Memphis Ten./1861" c.d.s. to Confederate 7-Star Flag Patriotic cover, addressed to Lynchburg, Va., small cover tear just into design at top, still very fine and extraordinarily attractive.An incredibly rare provisional franking, and quite likely unique with this combination of shades.Illustrated in Milgram's Abraham Lincoln Illustrated Envelopes and Letter Paper, page 207.Accompanied by a 1977 CSA certificate; ex-Myers. (Image)

Est. $7,500-10,000

SOLD for $9,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

58X1

#58X1, Mobile, Ala., 2c Black, three large to very large margins, fourth at bottom close to just touching, tied to a petite cover by "Mobile Ala./Sep 14 1861" c.d.s., beautifully written local address, very fine.Actually an especially scarce provisional cover in this immaculate condition.A lovely cover in every regard; ex-Caspary, Kilbourne. (Image)

$5,000.00

SOLD for $11,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

58X2

#58X2, Mobile, Ala., 5c Blue, vertical pair with large and wonderfully balanced margins, lovely fresh color, tied to a buff cover addressed to Gordonsville, Va. by an excellent strike of "Mobile, Ala./Oct 21 1861" double circle town postmark, top stamp with almost unnoticeable small tear at bottom right (covered by postmark), otherwise extremely fine.An immaculate cover with excellent eye appeal.ex-Knapp, Caspary. (Image)

$2,400.00

SOLD for $2,800.00
Will close during Public Auction

60X1

#60X1, Mount Lebanon, La., 5c Red brown, the famous woodcut stamp - in a mirror image, excellent impression showing all of the lettering, "5" value and even the wood grain of the printing block, huge margins all around showing portions of several adjoining stamps, cleanly cut at top and bottom, roughly separated at sides causing one tiny tear, neatly cancelled with small pen stroke in center, affixed upside down on clean white cover addressed to "Mr. D. Ripley, care Adol. Hamilton Esq., New Orleans, La.", with printed corner card of "C.G. Thurmond,/Dealer In/Staple & Fancy Dry Goods,/Hardware, Groceries, &c., &c.,/Mt. Lebanon, La." at bottom left, cover opened roughly at left which affects stamp margin but essentially "ties" it as well, small piece of backing paper affixed along left edge of cover to improve its overall appearance, very fine.This famous and unique Postmaster's Provisional of Mount Lebanon is not only the most valuable item in Confederate Philately, it is also considered one of the great rarities of the world. It has been shown in the "Aristocrats of Philately" display, alongside other major philatelic rarities of the world, at Interphil 1976, Ameripex 1986 and Anphilex 1996. Its appeal and desirability is not only due to its unique status, but its spectacular mirror image also contributes to its mystique as one of the most fascinating stamps ever produced.The following is a detailed background of the Mount Lebanon Provisional as written by Scott Trepel (Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc.), which we find to be quite thorough. It is reproduced with his kind permission.Mount Lebanon was settled in 1847 by immigrants from South Carolina. The village is located in Bienville Parish, which was established in 1848 and named for Jean Baptiste Sieur de Bienville, colonizer of Louisiana and founder of the city of New Orleans. It lies in northern Louisiana, approximately 400 miles distance from New Orleans. Mount Lebanon was the site of the first Baptist church in North Louisiana, and the Baptist Convention founded Mount Lebanon University in 1855. During the Civil War, the school was closed and turned into a hospital -- it moved to Pineville after the war and was re-named Louisiana College. [Reference: www.louisianahistory.ourfamily.com].According to an account by L. B. Dabney, published in the Southern Philatelist (May 1929) and reprinted in the Crown book (p. 238), the Mount Lebanon postmaster during the war (1859-1865) was W. F. Wells, who was publisher of the Louisiana Baptist newspaper. According to citizens of Mount Lebanon who were interviewed by Dabney for his 1929 article, the provisional stamps were printed by Wells and used briefly in June 1861. Mount Lebanon had a wartime population of less than 1,000, and it is unlikely the stamp saw widespread use.Apart from its extreme rarity, the Mount Lebanon provisional stamp is believed to be the sole example of a mirror-image stamp in all of philately. The stamp was printed from a piece of wood with a relatively smooth surface. Lines were incised into the wood and strips were removed to create the borders surrounding each stamp. Horizontal and vertical ruled lines were added within the borders of each subject, and a circle was cut into the center. At this point the "engraver" took printer's type and hammered the letters spelling "Mt. Lebanon La." around the circle, and the numeral "5" was impressed into the center. The enlarged photo shown here in upright position clearly shows the effect of this process -- the printed stamp is a mirror image of the right-reading wood engraving. As anyone familiar with printing knows, the plate used to print an image must mirror the intended design. This principle of typography was missed or ignored by the creator of the Mount Lebanon provisional.The Mount Lebanon cover was part of the Ferrary collection sold at auction in Paris in 1925-1927. It next appeared in the Alfred H. Caspary sale held by H. R. Harmer in 1956, where A. Earl Weatherly acquired it for his collection. At the invitation of Weatherly in 1963, Charles and Lucy Kilbourne acquired a number of important provisional rarities by private sale. In September of 1999 the Kilbourne collection was sold at auction (Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc., Sale #815) and the Mount Lebanon cover made its first appearance at auction in 43 years. Mr. Gross acquired the cover in the Kilbourne auction, against considerable bidder competition, for $385,000.00 (including buyer's premium), thus setting a world record price for any Confederate philatelic item.ex-Ferrary, Caspary, Weatherly and Kilbourne. (Image)

$385,000.00

SOLD for $240,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

61X3

#61X3, Nashville, Tenn., 5c brick red, rich luxuriant color and impression on deeply blued paper, two very large margins, including showing a part of the adjoining stamp at left, other frame lines slightly cut into, tied by light strike of blue "Nashville Ten./Jul 28 1861" c.d.s. on a United States 3c Red Nesbitt stamped entire with printed address of David Cleage, Athen's, Ga., with Planter's Bank embossing on the flap, very fine.An especially attractive and scarce use of a provisional on a demonetized U.S. entire.ex-Knapp, Kilbourne. (Image)

$3,500.00

SOLD for $2,800.00
Will close during Public Auction

61X5

#61X5, Nashville, Tenn., 5c Violet brown, choice example featuring full to huge margins all around, including showing just a portion of the adjoining stamp's frame line at left, gorgeous intense color in a lovely chocolate brown shade on deeply blued paper, tied by blue "Nashville Ten./Oct 3 1861" c.d.s., with matching "Paid" handstamp to left, on bright buff cover to Athens, Ga. (Cleage correspondence), extremely fine in every regard.An especially scarce and desirable cover in this superb quality.ex-Brooks, Kilbourne. (Image)

$4,500.00

SOLD for $3,250.00
Will close during Public Auction

62X1

#62X1, New Orleans, La., 2c Blue, three attractive singles, two with ample to large margins, third with two large margins and other sides just cutting in, each in an especially deep shade, all placed neatly in a strip of three fashion (one upside down) on a clean bluish gray folded printed prices-current (with additional letter) to Woodville, Miss., stamps tied by two clear strikes of "New Orleans, La./1 Dec" (1861) c.d.s., small mended break in file fold at top center, overall extremely fine.One of only four recorded covers with three or more New Orleans Two Cent Blue Provisional stamps. This franking representing a 1c overpayment of the 5c rate. In addition to this cover's rare franking, its overall condition is quite exceptional.Accompanied by a 1967 PF certificate; ex-Emerson, Caspary and Kilbourne. (Image)

$20,000.00

SOLD for $16,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

65X1

#65X1, Petersburg, Va. 5c Red, horizontal pair, positions 2-3, margins ample to just slightly into some ornament tips, intense color and impression, nicely tied to buff cover by blue "Petersburg Va./Oct 26" (1861) c.d.s., addressed to Carroll Hoy & Co., New Orleans, very fine.Five pairs of the Petersburg Provisional are recorded on cover. This is one of the two finest. Pairs of this represent the largest recorded multiples.A particularly handsome and choice cover; ex-Col. Green, Brooks and Kilbourne. (Image)

$8,000.00

SOLD for $10,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

66X1

#66X1, Pittsylvania Court House, Va., 5c Dull red on wove, a spectacular rectangularly cut example, with full margins all around (just touching tips of ornaments), tied to small cover by clear "Pittsylvania C.H. Va./27 Sep" (1861) c.d.s., addressed to Lieut. R.W. Martin, "Chatham Grays", Williamsburg, Va., small opening nick in bottom left corner of cover, some minor mounting adhesions on reverse, overall extremely fine.There are only three recorded covers in private hands bearing a rectangularly cut example of the Pittsylvania Court House Provisional on wove paper. Only ten copies in total of this stamp are recorded, including seven covers.An extraordinary cover of exceptional beauty and rarity; ex-Worthington, Caspary and Kilbourne. (Image)

$55,000.00

SOLD for $32,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

66X2

#66X2, Pittsylvania Court House, Va., 5c Dull red on laid, an exceptional rectangularly cut example, possessing large margins (just touch at tips of ornaments), deeply rich color and impression, trivial vertical natural gum crease tied by bold "Pittsylvania C.H. Va./9 Oct" (1861) c.d.s. to small blue-lined folded entire (two flaps removed), addressed to the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Virginia in Richmond, small manuscript "Ansd." docketing also ties the stamp, small sealed cover tear at bottom left, extremely fine. One of the premier Confederate Postmasters' Provisional rarities, being the only rectangularly cut example of the mere three recorded Pittsylvania Court House Five Cent Provisional stamps on laid paper. The perfect "mate" to the cover offered in the previous lot. We cannot imagine a more beautiful and powerful exhibition page displaying both paper varieties on cover - each bearing an exceptional rectangularly cut example. Signed "R.H.W. Co. (Raymond H. Weill Company) on reverse; ex-Worthington, Caspary, Lilly, Gallagher and Kilbourne. (Image)

$55,000.00

SOLD for $42,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

67X1

#67X1, Pleasant Shade, Va., 5c Blue, position 1, exceptional top left corner sheet-margin example, with large margins all around, faint gum toning, tied to grayish homemade cover addressed to Petersburg, Va. from the Donnan correspondence (from which the unique pair on cover originates) by excellent strike of "Pleasant Shade Va./Apr 14" (1862) c.d.s. in greenish blue, neat receipt docketing, top right corner of cover slightly torn in opening but not affecting the stamp itself which is extremely fine.Not only is the Pleasant Shade Provisional on cover a majority rarity - as only three covers are available to collectors (a fourth is in the Tapling collection in the British Library) - but it also bears one of the finest quality used examples extant. Of the three covers potentially available, one is franked with the unique pair, leaving only the cover offered here, and one other, each with single examples.Even the stamp itself in sound condition is a major rarity, as it is believed there may be only two or three sound copies that exist on or off cover.ex-Caspary, Kilbourne. (Image)

$27,500.00

SOLD for $16,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

78X1

#78X1, Spartanburg, S.C., 5c Black, cut circular, with clear margins or just touching the outer circle, tied by straightline "Paid" handstamp to orange buff cover addressed to Rev. A. Nettles, Summerville, S.C., matching "Spartanburg S.C." double circle datestamp with "June 22" date inserted in manuscript, extremely fine.One of the finest of the approximately twenty known covers bearing the Spartanburg Postmaster's Provisional.Of the existing covers (only one of which has a pair), almost all have the provisional stamp cut in a circular shape. This cover is particularly choice when compared to the existing population.ex-Ferrary, Hind. (Image)

$25,000.00

SOLD for $13,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

81X1

#81X1, Tellico Plains, Tenn., 5c Red, clear to large margins all around, just touching frame line at top right, fresh rich color, tied to orange buff cover by appropriate "Decr 10/61" manuscript cancel, addressed to William G. McAdoo, Clerk of Confederate Court, Knoxville, Tenn., part of backflap removed and trimmed slightly along top of cover, couple of inconsequential bleach specks, light vertical file fold, overall quite fresh, very fine. The only recorded cover with the Tellico Plains Postmaster's Provisional. A great Confederate rarity and one of the highlights of the collection.There is only one other used Tellico Provisional, also a 5c value, off cover. It also bears a similar manuscript cancel, dated December 12th. ex-Ferrary, Hind, Emerson, Brooks, Everett and Kilbourne. (Image)

$50,000.00

SOLD for $30,000.00
Will close during Public Auction