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 Marion Va., 10c Black (55X2). Huge margins at left and bottom, vertical rule shows in left margin, full margins at top and right, very minor sealed tear at right
touches "o" of "Marion", tied by well-struck "Marion Va. Mar. 2" (1862) circular datestamp on brown homemade cover to Kingston Tenn., cosmetic restoration around edges of cover (paper is entirely original and the stamp is untouched)VERY FINE
APPEARANCE. ARGUABLY THE FINEST OF THE SIX AVAILABLE COVERS BEARING THE MARION POSTMASTER'S 10-CENT PROVISIONAL STAMP. James H. Francis was appointed U.S. postmaster of Marion on December 31, 1859, and he was reappointed as Confederate
postmaster on July 16, 1861 (Richard L. Calhoun, The Postmaster Provisionals of Virginia). Postmaster Francis' 5c and 10c provisional stamps, with their distinctive "Check" label at top, were issued in early June 1861 (the earliest dated
example is postmarked June 7) and continued to be accepted for postage into 1863. The stamps were printed in two steps: first, the typeset form containing the border and words "P. Office, Marion, Va., Check. Paid" was impressed, then the value "5" or
"10" was handstamped on the blank center. Postmaster Francis described his stamps in a January 1880 letter to August Dietz (Crown book, page 198), and he offered to make more from the "die" which he still possessed. Various "reprints" made from the
typeset form were made by John W. Scott, including 2c, 15c and 20c values that have never been seen genuinely used. Genuine Marion provisional stamps are extremely rare. Of the 5c stamp, our records contain a total of 11 examples on any kind of
paper, including 4 on covers (one of which is in the British Library's Tapling collection), 3 stamps on pieces, 3 used off cover and an unused example. One of the off-cover used stamps and the unused example are on bluish laid paper (Scott 55X3). The
four recorded covers are dated as follows: Jun. 7 (1861), ex Kilbourne, Jun. 11 (1861), ex Haas, Jan. 24 (1862), ex Hessel, and Mar. 31 (1862), British Library, Tapling Collection. The 1862 year dates are certain, because the single 5c stamps paid
the 5c under-500 miles rate that ended on June 30, 1862. Our records now contain seven covers with the Marion 10c provisional, plus a repaired stamp affixed to the back of a cover noted in the Crown book as part of the Worthington collection.
The most recent discovery of a Marion provisional occurred in March 2000 when a nearly complete cover surfaced in an auction of the R. G. Hunter estate in Virginia (sold in our 2000 Rarities sale, Sale 824, lot 443). In addition to the seven stamps
on covers, there are two unused singles and perhaps one or two off-cover singles. Of the seven known covers, one is part of the Tapling collection at the British Library (a sound example dated Oct. 15, 1861), two have stamps with a significant
portion of the design cut away (dated Oct. 25 and Nov. 16, 1861), and one has the bottom right corner of the stamp repaired (dated Sep. 24, 1861, ex Caspary). Therefore, there remain only three covers available to collectors in essentially sound
condition: the ex-Hessel cover (dated Nov. 18, 1861, with repairs to the cover), the Mar. 2 cover (1862 or 1863) offered here, and the recently-discovered cover dated Jan. 21, 1863. The Marion 10c provisional cover offered here, dated March 2,
was previously assumed to be an 1862 use during the 5c/10c rate period, but the possibility of an 1863 use arises with the discovery of the cover dated Jan. 21, 1863. This cover is addressed to Kingston Tenn., which is well under the 500-mile limit
for the 5c rate. Therefore, it is either a double 5c rate for weight or a March 1863 use after the rate increase to 10c for any distance. Ex Dr. Graves and Hill. With 1998 P.F. certificate (notes "closed tear") (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com |
40,000.00
SOLD for $20,000.00
Will close during Public Auction |
