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 Rheatown Tenn., 5c Red (69X1). Position 2 in setting, Type II with distinctive inverted ornament at top right, huge margins, deep shade, neat manuscript cancel,
"Rheatown Ten. Jun. 20" (1861) circular datestamp on small cover to "Lieut. D. R. Wilson, Knoxville Tenn., care of Col. J. B. McIntyre", two pressed creases in cover clear of stamp, address slightly faded, stamp has tiny corner margin crease
at bottom rightVERY FINE. THE EARLIEST KNOWN USE AND ONE OF THE FINEST OF THE FIVE RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE RHEATOWN POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL. The 5c provisional stamps issued by C.S.A. Postmaster David Pence were printed by the same
printer who produced the Tellico Plains, Tennessee, provisional. The June dates recorded for the Rheatown suggest that it came first, and the postmaster's own recollections place the issue in "midsummer 1861" (see Crown book, page 307). Although
dated examples show use into April 1862, a relatively long period of time, the issue is extremely rare. The same basic type form containing three subjects was used for the Rheatown and Tellico Plains provisionals. For the Rheatown, all three
were 5c denominations. The inside border at the top of each stamp is made up of seven ornaments, the unique arrangement of these ornaments in each subject enables philatelists to identify the position of any stamp. Our records contain at least a
half-dozen off-cover examples of the Rheatown 5c, including an unused pair, the only known multiple. The five covers and one dated piece we record are as follows (in chronological order, type identified): 1) Jun. 20 (1861), Ty. II, cover to Lt. D. R.
Wilson, ex Worthington (his source code on back "11/26/04 Luff BISSS"), Caspary, Antrim, Weatherly and Kilbourne, the cover offered here, 2) Jun. 30 (1861), Ty. I, small cover, faint address, Siegel 1984 Rarities sale, 3) Feb. 8 (1862), Ty. III,
lady's embossed cover to Eliz. Devault, the only tied example, ex Caspary, Gallagher, 4) Feb. 13 (1862), Ty. II, on piece (upper half of cover), ex Steves, Crown book, 5) Feb. 15 (1862), Ty. I, cover to David Cleage, circular datestamp struck twice,
ex Caspary, and 6) Apr. 9 (1862), Ty. II, cover to Wm. Brown, ex MacBride, Dr. Graves, Boshwit. Ex Worthington (his source code on back "11/26/04 Luff BISSS"), Caspary, Antrim, Weatherly and Kilbourne (Image) Search for comparables at SiegelAuctions.com |
20,000.00
SOLD for $14,500.00
Will close during Public Auction |
