The D.K. Collection of Southern Postmasters' Provisionals of the American Civil War continued...

EXTREMELY FINE. A MAGNIFICENT AND INCOMPARABLE PAIR OF THE NASHVILLE 5-CENT BRICK RED PROVISIONAL ON COVER.

Probably no more than twelve pairs of the 5c Nashville provisional are known on covers, including all shade varieties and in all grades of condition. This pair is the finest on-cover multiple of the Brick Red (two or three known) and ranks among the top three pairs for any of the Scott-listed colors. It also shows the "2 above 1" stereotype arrangement, which is of great interest to specialists attempting to determine the layout of the plates used to print the Nashville provisionals.

Ex Moody, Caspary, Dr. Graves and Hill. With 1998 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. ONLY TWELVE EXAMPLES OF THE CELEBRATED HANGING LINCOLN ENVELOPE ARE RECORDED. THIS IS THE ONLY EXAMPLE WITH A SOUTHERN POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL STAMP. ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED AND OUTSTANDING OF ALL CIVIL WAR ERA COVERS.

The Hanging Lincoln design is widely recognized as the most distinctive of all Civil War patriotics. In this extraordinary cartoon, President Lincoln is hanging upside down from a tree limb, with his symbolic axe and fence rail tied around his neck. The caption reads "Abe Lincoln the destroyer. He once split Rails. Now he has split the Union." To the left and right is the caption "The penalty of disregarding the constitution. Impeached, deposed, Tried and convicted" (there is a spelling correction from "diposed" to "deposed"). Standing beside Lincoln is a mustachioed Winfield Scott, labeled "Old Fuss n Feathers", dropping his sword and exclaiming "My glory is gone for ever." On the ground is the Union flag, captioned "The stars and stripes lie in the dust, Never to rise." A star at left has the caption "The southern star is rising" and the Confederate 11-star flag towers above with the caption "The stars and bars shall for ever wave triumphant." Along the bottom is the imprint "Copyright claimed. HM & WC Box 417 Nashville Tenn." Despite continuing investigation, we have been unable to uncover the identify of the publishers "HM & WC."

There are currently twelve recorded examples of the Hanging Lincoln cartoon envelope, all used within the Confederacy. This is the only one with a Postmaster's Provisional paying postage.

Illustrated in Crown and Wishnietzky books. Ex Caspary, Kimmel, Myers and Rudy. With 2004 P.F. certificate (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A SUPERB PAIR OF THE NASHVILLE 5-CENT CARMINE PROVISIONAL ON COVER.

Probably no more than twelve pairs of the 5c Nashville provisional are known on covers, including all shade varieties and in all grades of condition. This pair is one of the finest on-cover multiples of the Carmine (two or three known) and ranks among the top three pairs for any of the Scott-listed colors.

Ex Brooks, Emerson and Dr. Simon (Image)

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VERY FINE. THE FINER OF TWO RECORDED NASHVILLE TETE-BECHE PAIRS EXTANT ON COVER.

Peter W. W. Powell's study of the 5c Nashville ("Plating the Nashville Provisional," Confederate Philatelist, January-March 2008) reached the conclusion that the stereotypes were made in groups of six units, three wide by two tall. Working with photographs of the ex-Caspary tete-beche blocks of twelve (lots 313 and 314) and the strip of five on cover (Siegel Sale 874, lot 116), Powell determined that the printing plates had to have been built up from 3-by-2 stereotype groups. Based on plate flaws unique to specific positions, Powell also concluded that the plate size was no less than 18 subjects, made from at least three six-unit stereotype groups, and that more than one plate was made. The pair offered in lot 1065 is proof that the stereotype "positions" determined by the ex-Caspary blocks were shuffled during the creation of additional stereotype groups, because this pair shows "Position 2" above "Position 1," not to the right of it, as in the ex-Caspary block (lot 313). The tete-beche arrangement in printed sheets occurred when one impression was made, then the sheet was turned 180 degrees, and a second impression was made.

The Ferrary collection contained two 5c tete-beche pairs on separate covers to Thomas B. Lynch. One of these covers later appeared in the D. Scott Gallagher collection (after a large stain was cleaned from the cover). The other pair was removed from its cover and cosmetically improved. This pair on cover, also from the Lynch correspondence, was acquired privately by Dr. Graves from an old-time collection and does not appear in any records we have reviewed.

Ex Dr. Graves (Image)

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FINE APPEARANCE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT VIOLET BROWN NASHVILLE PROVISIONAL USED ON AN ATTRACTIVE ILLUSTRATED BUILDING ADVERTISING COVER.

Our records of Nashville provisionals contain only four advertising covers bearing singles, and two with pairs.

Ex Boshwit (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE. A SPECTACULAR STATE EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT COVER BEARING TWO OF THE RARE NASHVILLE 5-CENT VIOLET BROWN PROVISIONAL STAMPS.

Ex Caspary and Hill. With 1998 P.F. certificate (Image)

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EXTREMELY FINE GEM PAIR AND COVER. ONE OF THE FINEST OF THE SIX RECORDED NASHVILLE 5-CENT VIOLET BROWN PAIRS ON COVER.

Probably no more than twelve pairs of the 5c Nashville provisional are known on covers, including all shade varieties and in all grades of condition. This pair is one of the finest on-cover multiples of the Violet Brown (six known) and ranks among the top three pairs for any of the Scott-listed colors.

Ex Lichtenstein, Brown, Klep, Dr. Graves and Hill. With 1998 P.F. certificate (Image)

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VERY FINE. ONE OF THREE RECORDED ADAMS EXPRESS COMPANY COVERS WITH THE NASHVILLE 10-CENT PROVISIONAL, OF WHICH ONLY TWO ARE MIXED FRANKINGS WITH UNITED STATES POSTAGE. AN OUTSTANDING COVER THAT COMBINES THE RAREST ELEMENTS OF PHILATELY AND POSTAL HISTORY.

Adams Express Company was required to ensure the prepayment of government postage (Federal and Confederate), although the letter was carried outside the regular mails. Very few covers are recorded with Confederate provisional stamps or markings used in conjunction with across-the-lines express service. This group includes the provisionals of Atlanta (handstamp), Houston (handstamp), Lynchburg (press-printed entire), Memphis (adhesive), Mobile (adhesive), Montgomery (handstamp), Nashville (adhesive and handstamp) and New Orleans (adhesive).

Only three across-the-lines express covers are recorded with the Nashville 10c adhesive provisional (Special Routes Census Nos. S-AD-44, 45 and 46), all dated at Nashville on August 1. Only two of the 10c covers are mixed frankings (the third is used alone). These two Nashville 10c mixed-franking covers carried by Adams, both North-to-South usages, are the only 10c adhesive Confederate provisionals known in combination with United States postage. As such, they are quite significant artifacts from this remarkable period of postal history.

Our records contain six genuine covers with the Nashville 10c Green provisional: 1) Tied by Aug. 1 (1861) Adams Express oval, to Hardy & Bros., Norfolk Va., 2) Tied by Sep. 15, 1861, Nashville datestamp, to Shelbyville Tenn., ex Caspary, 3) 5c & 10c used together, tied by Aug. 21, 1861, Nashville datestamp, to D. Cleage, Athens Tenn., ex Caspary, Lightner, Graves and Boshwit, 4) Tied by Aug. 1 (1861) Adams Express oval, used on 3c Star Die entire to Rev. Leavenworth, Petersburg Va., ex Kilbourne and Walske, the cover offered here, 5) Tied by Aug. 1 (1861) Adams Express oval, used on 3c Star Die with additional 3c 1857, to Albert F. Ryan, Norfolk Va., ex Gallagher, and 6) Tied by "10" rate handstamp, Sep. 18, 1861, Nashville datestamp, on building corner card cover to Thos. H. Caldwell, Shelbyville Tenn., ex Needham, Kimmel, Haas and Rudy.

The addressee, Reverend Abner Johnson Leavenworth, was at this time the principal and proprietor of the Leavenworth Academy and Collegiate Seminary for Young Ladies.

Special Routes Census No. S-AD-46 (illustrated on p. 55). Illustrated in Shenfield book (p. 23). Ex Antrim (acquired by the Kilbournes in 1958), Kilbourne, Kramer and Walske. With 1999 P.F. certificate (Image)

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