| 1112 |
 |
 Pittsylvania Court House Va., 5c Dull Red on Wove (66X1). Full rectangular margins just touching tips of ornaments, tied by lightly struck "Pittsylvania C.H. Va.
Sep. 25" (1861) circular datestamp on small yellow cover to Miss Julia Green in Danville Va., backflap removed and very slight reduction at top, stamp with small corner crease ending in tiny tear at bottom left, light toningEXTREMELY FINE. ONE
OF THREE COVERS IN PRIVATE HANDS BEARING A RECTANGULAR-CUT EXAMPLE OF THE PITTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE PROVISIONAL ON WOVE PAPER. ONLY TEN COPIES IN TOTAL ARE RECORDED, INCLUDING SEVEN COVERS. THIS IS THE EARLIEST KNOWN USE. James P. Johnson was
appointed U.S. postmaster of Pittsylvania Court House (known as Chatham today) by President James Buchanan on January 20, 1859. He was appointed C.S.A. postmaster on July 29, 1861 (Richard L. Calhoun, The Confederate Postmaster Provisionals of
Virginia). During his term as postmaster Johnson issued a 5c Red provisional adhesive stamp bearing his name. The typeset design is nearly identical to the Danville typeset provisional, and Danville's postmaster, William D. Coleman, stated that
his stamps were printed at the offices of the Democratic Appeal. For this reason philatelists assume that the same printer produced both postmasters' stamps, substituting one name for the other. The Pittsylvania Court House stamps were printed
on wove and laid papers. Dangerous counterfeits on wove paper were made from type and borders that closely resemble the originals, and these are often counted in census work. The count of genuine examples currently (and correctly) stands at 10 on
Wove (66X1) and 3 on Laid (66X2). Our records of the Pittsylvania Court House 66X1 provisional include the following: CR = cut rectangular, CS = cut to octagonal shape, Ty. I = No space between "T" and "S" of "Cents" Ty.
II = Gap between "T' and "S" of "Cents", 1) CR Ty. I, previously uncancelled on a Nov. 11 cover to Mrs. Ruth Hairston, Cascade Va., steamed from cover with original gum intact on stamp, ex Deats (as a cover, photo in P.F. files), Caspary, Lilly,
2) CS Ty. II, tied on piece, Nov. 22 circular datestamp, ex Caspary, 3) CR Ty. I, cover to Miss Julia Green, Sep. 25, ex Sanford, Duveen, Hind, Clapp, Moody and Hall, the cover offered here, 4) CR Ty. I, cover to Abram Fackler, Nov. 5, ex Caspary, 5)
CR Ty. I, cover to Lt. R. W. Martin, Sep. 27, ex Kilbourne (Siegel Sale 815, lot 135) and Gross, 6) CS Ty. I, cover to John Payne, ex Hessel, 7) CS Ty. I, cover to Sue Henry, Jan. 20 (1862), ex Ferrary , 8) CS Ty. I, cover to Wm. Hunt, Nov. 4, ex
Brooks, Klep , 9) CR Ty. I, cover to Clark & Holt, British Library, Tapling collection , 10) CS Ty. II, tied on piece, Nov. 6, Siegel 1985 Rarities sale. Ex Sanford (mentioned in a Feb. 5, 1893, New York Times article about the sale),
Duveen, Hind, Clapp, Moody and Hall. With 2002 P.F. certificate (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com |
45,000.00
SOLD for $35,000.00
Will close during Public Auction |
| 1113 |
|
 Pittsylvania Court House Va., 5c Dull Red on Laid (66X2). Well-balanced octagonal margins just into tips of ornaments, intense dark shade and impression, laid
lines clearly visible in cross-lighting, tied by bold "Pittsylvania C.H. Va. 20 Dec." (1861) circular datestamp on brown cover to Wm. T. Law in Danville Va., most of backflap removed and small edge mend at upper leftVERY FINE. ONE OF THREE
RECORDED PITTSYLVANIA COURT HOUSE 5-CENT PROVISIONAL STAMPS ON LAID PAPER, TWO OF WHICH HAVE OCTAGONAL MARGINS. ONE OF THE RAREST AND MOST OUTSTANDING OF ALL SOUTHERN POSTMASTERS' PROVISIONALS. James P. Johnson was appointed U.S. postmaster of
Pittsylvania Court House (known as Chatham today) by President James Buchanan on January 20, 1859. He was appointed C.S.A. postmaster on July 29, 1861 (Richard L. Calhoun, The Confederate Postmaster Provisionals of Virginia). During his term
as postmaster Johnson issued a 5c Red provisional adhesive stamp bearing his name. The typeset design is nearly identical to the Danville typeset provisional, and Danville's postmaster, William D. Coleman, stated that his stamps were printed at the
offices of the Democratic Appeal. For this reason philatelists assume that the same printer produced both postmasters' stamps, substituting one name for the other. The Pittsylvania Court House stamps were printed on wove and laid papers.
Dangerous counterfeits on wove paper were made from type and borders that closely resemble the originals, and these are often counted in census work. The count of genuine examples currently (and correctly) stands at 10 on Wove (66X1) and 3 on Laid
(66X2). Ten Pittsylvania C.H. 5c provisionals are known on wove paper, but only three are recorded on laid paper (Scott 66X2). These are as follows: 1) Cut rectangular, Ty. I, cover to Secretary of the Commonwealth, Oct. 9, ex Worthington,
Caspary, Lilly, Gallagher, Kilbourne and Gross, 2) Cut to shape, Ty. I, cover to Geo. Rives, Feb. 1862, Siegel 1983 Rarities sale, 3) Cut to shape, Ty. II, cover to Wm. T. Law, Dec. 20, the cover offered here. The date pattern does not indicate
a specific time period for laid paper, and it is likely that the wove and laid papers were used interchangeably during the printing. Ex Hart, Dr. Graves, "Beverly Hills" and Dr. Green. With 2000 P.F. certificate (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com |
17,500.00
SOLD for $47,500.00
Will close during Public Auction |
