Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

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

New Orleans, Louisiana continued...

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

1084

New Orleans La., 5c Brown, British Papermaker's Embossed Coat of Arms (62X3 var). Full even margins, cancelled by "Paid" and part of New Orleans circular datestamp

VERY FINE. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF A NEW ORLEANS PROVISIONAL WITH THE BRITISH PAPERMAKER'S EMBOSSED SEAL.

Ex Knapp and Brown (Image)

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E. 1,500-2,000

SOLD for $2,600.00
Will close during Public Auction

1085

New Orleans La., 5c Brown (62X3). Irregular margins just in, faint stain, tied by one of two strikes of numeral "6" rate handstamp with matching Natchez Miss. "Steam" straightline applied on arrival, no other markings on Goodrich & Co. grocer and merchant's overall light orange lithographed advertising cover to Natchez, endorsed with name of steamboat "Mary T.", Fine and rare example of the New Orleans provisional cancelled on arrival at Natchez after a steamboat trip up river, ex Everett (Image)

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E. 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $5,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

1086

New Orleans La., 5c Brown (62X3). Two, each with full to clear margins all around, cancelled by two strikes of "Paid" and one tied by "New Orleans La. 9 Aug." (1861) circular datestamp on Payan & Carhart clothing merchant's overall light orange lithographed advertising cover to Messrs. C. & H. W. Raguet in Nacogdoches Tex., neat receipt docketing at left, Extremely Fine (Image)

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E. 1,000-1,500

SOLD for $6,750.00
Will close during Public Auction

1087

New Orleans La., 5c Brown on White (62X3). First Printing, Positions 39-40 from the bottom right corner of the sheet, full to large margins including huge part of right sheet margin, vertical crease between stamps and slight gum staining, tied by "New Orleans La. (15?) Jun." (1861) circular datestamp, used with United States 3c Dull Red, Ty. III (26), slightly rounded corner, tied by pencil lines on blue part-printed notice from Octave de Armas, a prominent notary public in New Orleans, dated June 14, 1861, and addressed to James Lester in Eddyville, Kentucky, received at Louisville between June 17 and 25, released on June 25 without Louisville datestamp, full clear strike of "SOUTHN. LETTER UNPAID" two-line handstamp in blue with matching "DUE 3" straightline tying 5c pair, tiny hole in address panel just above the last letter of "Eddyville"

VERY FINE. A MAGNIFICENT "SOUTHERN LETTER UNPAID" COVER FRANKED WITH A COMBINATION OF THE NEW ORLEANS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL -- USED WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK OF ISSUE -- AND THE UNITED STATES 3-CENT 1857 ISSUE, WHICH WAS REJECTED BY THE LOUISVILLE POST OFFICE. ONLY ONE OTHER SUCH COMBINATION IS RECORDED, AND THIS IS THE FINER OF THE TWO. AN IMPORTANT POSTAL HISTORY ARTIFACT FROM SEVERAL PERSPECTIVES.

This folded notice of Protest was dated June 14, 1861, by the notary public in New Orleans, Octave de Armas, and mailed to James Lester in Eddyville, Kentucky. It was probably postmarked at the New Orleans post office on the following day (June 15), but this type of circular datestamp (with large serif letters) is often difficult to read, in this instance, the day of the month is illegible. By the time this letter reached Nashville on or about June 17, the U.S. mail agent had already been withdrawn from the route between Nashville and Louisville (the last regular mail run was on June 12). On June 15, the Nashville postmaster, W. D. McNish, started to forward mail to Louisville by using the American Letter Express Company, who brought the mails across the lines and deposited them in the Louisville post office. This letter was among the first group of mail forwarded by express under this unusual arrangement.

Starting June 13, the Louisville postmaster, Dr. John J. Speed, decided to hold the northbound mail received from Nashville, rather than divert it to the U.S. Dead Letter Office. Speed sent a request to Washington D.C. for instructions on how to handle the mail that was rapidly accumulating. When this letter arrived in Louisville on June 19, it was held until Postmaster Speed received instructions from the U.S. Post Office Department, which were wired on June 24, advising him to "forward letters from the South for the loyal states as unpaid after removing postage stamps..." Since it was impractical to remove stamps from all of the letters (although apparently that was attempted at first), Postmaster Speed created the "Southn. Letter Unpaid" marking to explain to the addressees that the U.S. stamps applied by the senders were invalid for postage. The first group of mail to be released with the "Southn. Letter Unpaid" marking was actually the mail received at Louisville by private express between June 17 and 25, which included the cover offered here. This group was released on June 25, but none of these letters was postmarked with the Louisville datestamp.

There are 29 "Southn. Letter Unpaid" covers recorded in the Special Routes book (No. 25 has been deleted as a fake since publication), only two of which have a Southern Postmaster's Provisional stamps (both New Orleans). There is one other New Orleans provisional cover known that was addressed to Louisville, carried by American Letter Express from Nashville, but it bears only the "Due 3" marking and was not marked "Southn. Letter Unpaid" because it was delivered locally in Louisville.

Special Routes Census No. SLU-14. Illustrated in National Philatelic Museum 1857 Perforation Centennial book and Special Routes (p. 17). Ex Worthington, Caspary, Lightner, Matz, Haas, Ishikawa and Walske. With 2010 P.F. certificate (Image)

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E. 75,000-100,000

SOLD for $90,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

1088

New Orleans La., 5c Ocher (62X3b). Huge margins including portion of adjoining stamp at top, beautiful rich shade, tied by clear strike of "New Orleans La. 11 Aug." (1861) circular datestamp on bright yellow cover to "Genl. G. W. Munday, Clinton La.", tiny trivial cover edge tear at top

EXTREMELY FINE GEM EXAMPLE OF THE NEW ORLEANS 5-CENT PROVISIONAL IN THE SCARCE OCHER SHADE ON AN ATTRACTIVE COVER.

G. W. Munday was commissioned major-general of the militia before the war.

Ex Grant, Meroni, Freeland and Dr. Graves. A pair is also known on cover on this date from the same sender (ex Worthington, Caspary and Dr. Green) (Image)

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2,750.00

SOLD for $2,100.00
Will close during Public Auction

1089

New Orleans La., 5c Red Brown on Bluish (62X4). Enormous margins all around including "New Orlean(s)" portion of imprint at bottom and part of adjoining stamp at top, neat strike of "PD 5 CTS./N.O.P.O." two-line handstamp (which was also used to make provisional envelopes), few creases and small thin spots, Extremely Fine appearance and a spectacular stamp, ex Hill (Image)

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E. 500-750

SOLD for $550.00
Will close during Public Auction

1090

New Orleans La., 5c Red Brown on Bluish (62X4). Horizontal pair, large margins on three sides, just touched at bottom, rich color, tied by "New Orleans La. 20 Oct." (1861) circular datestamp on cover addressed to "Mr. Clarence Morfit, Richmond, Virginia, C.S.A." (unusual use of "C.S.A." in address), with red and blue 11-Star Confederate Flag Patriotic design and poetic verse at right "Stand firmly by your cannon/Let ball and grape-shot fly./And trust in God and Davis/But keep your powder dry", imprint along left edge "Sold by G. Ellis, Post Office News Depot, N.O.", pristine condition

EXTREMELY FINE. A SPECTACULAR CONFEDERATE 11-STAR FLAG PATRIOTIC COVER WITH A PAIR OF THE NEW ORLEANS 5-CENT PROVISIONAL PAYING THE OVER-500 MILES RATE TO RICHMOND, VIRGINIA. THE SENDER CHOSE TO USE PATRIOTIC STATIONERY AND TO IDENTIFY VIRGINIA AS PART OF THE "C.S.A."

Capt. Clarence Morfit was the Assistant Quartermaster for Confederate prisons in Richmond, Virginia.

We are aware of eight patriotic covers with the 5c New Orleans provisional stamp, including red and blue Flag and Cannon designs and the unique "Soldier" design in black.

Ex Matthies, Freeland and Dr. Graves (Image)

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E. 10,000-15,000

SOLD for $28,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

1091

New Orleans La., 5c Red Brown on Bluish (62X4). Three huge margins, ample to clear at bottom, rich color, tied by "New Orleans La. 7 Sep." (1861) circular datestamp on small oblong cover with red and blue 10-Star Confederate Flag Patriotic design, to Donaldsonville La., slightly reduced at top, piece of backflap missing, vertical crease clear of stamp

VERY FINE. A COLORFUL AND EXTREMELY RARE USE OF THE NEW ORLEANS PROVISIONAL ON A CONFEDERATE 10-STAR FLAG PATRIOTIC.

We are aware of eight patriotic covers with the 5c New Orleans provisional stamp, including red and blue Flag and Cannon designs and the unique "Soldier" design in black. The 10-Star Flag on this cover has a distinctive pattern of stars, another example used from Evergreen La. is shown in the Wishnietsky book on Confederate patriotics (page 56). The design was later modified by adding an eleventh star to the center. Two different imprints are recorded: 10-Star with "J. K. Sutterley, Bookseller, under the St. Charles Hotel, N.O." (Grant collection, John A. Fox sale, Mar. 11, 1959, lot 137) and 11-star with "R. Coburn, Bookseller, N.O." (Wishnietsky, page 69).

Ex Emerson and Hall. With 2000 P.F. certificate (Image)

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E. 7,500-10,000

SOLD for $15,500.00
Will close during Public Auction

1092

New Orleans La., 5c Red Brown on Bluish (62X4). Three large to huge margins, barely in at top, tied by "New Orleans La. 21 Nov." (1861) circular datestamp on cover to Vicksburg Miss. with L. W. Lyons & Co. clothing and furnishing goods illustrated advertising corner card, marvelously detailed depiction of building with people, horses and wagons on street, lengthy description of goods sold including "Paris, London & New York Fashions", sender's notation "Via Rail Road", possibly reflecting wartime disruption of steamboat route up the Mississippi River

EXTREMELY FINE. A MAGNIFICENT AND RARE ADVERTISING COVER WITH THE NEW ORLEANS PROVISIONAL. ONLY ONE OTHER SIMILAR COVER IS RECORDED.

We sold another cover from the same correspondence with an identical corner card in our sale of the Kilbourne collection.

Ex Dr. Graves (Image)

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E. 5,000-7,500

SOLD for $15,000.00
Will close during Public Auction

1093

New Orleans La., 5c Red Brown on Bluish (62X4). Horizontal pair, huge margins to clear at top of left stamp, tied by "New Orleans La. 13 Nov." (1861) circular datestamp on cover to Capt. Victor Maurin, Donaldson Artillery, at Richmond Va., with A. J. Powell "Plantation Broker" illustrated overall lithographed advertising design in gray, sender's route directive "Via Augusta", reduced at left, otherwise Very Fine, advertising covers with reference to plantations or cotton are quite desirable (Image)

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E. 750-1,000

SOLD for $2,400.00
Will close during Public Auction

1094

New Orleans La., 5c Red Brown on Bluish (62X4). Horizontal strips of six and four, Positions 11-16, 19-22, margins vary from huge to slightly in, uncancelled, paying five-times 10c rate on legal-size orange cover originally containing depositions to District Court in Clarksville Tex., reverse with manuscript "Rec'd this package from the hand of Wm. Shannon, Notary public, New Orleans August 27th 1861" and signed by Postmaster J. L. Riddell with "New Orleans La. Aug. 27, 1861" double-circle datestamp (probably applied by Riddell himself), cover has large green seal tied by Shannon's signature and manuscript "Notary", minor corner flaws from mounting noted for accuracy only and are not mentioned on accompanying certificate

VERY FINE. THIS IS THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THE NEW ORLEANS 5-CENT POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL USED ON COVER.

We are aware of covers bearing a vertical strip of five, a horizontal strip of five (end stamp deeply cut into) and two blocks of four. A block of six and vertical strip of five also exist off cover.

Ex Dr. Skinner. With 2001 P.F. certificate (Image)

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E. 3,000-4,000

SOLD for $3,250.00
Will close during Public Auction