Confederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals - Stamp Auctions
 Lot 207 - Confederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Jonesboro, TN - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XJonesboro, Tennessee, 5c dark blue handstamped envelope, with "Jonesboro Nov 30" c.d.s. overtop, to Kingsport, Tennessee, quite fresh, one of fourteen recorded examples, only six of which are postmarked, scarce and fine; ex-Emerson. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XConfederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Jonesboro, TN |
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 Lot 223 - Confederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Selma, AL - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XSelma, Alabama, 5c black, handstamped envelope with signature of Postmaster William H. Eagar in manuscript, postmarked "Selma / ALA / Jun 11" to Messrs. John T. Hardie & Co in New Orleans, light edge creasing, else a fresh and very fine example of this scarce provisional, with only fourteen such covers recorded in Crown; ex Walcott, Emerson, Brooks, Gehrman, and Worthington. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XConfederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Selma, AL |
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 Lot 202 - Confederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Goliad, TX - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XGoliad, Texas, 10c black on rose, signed "Clarke / PM" large margin at right, else lightly touching in places, affixed to patriotic cover depicting a soldier, tents, and ten-star flag, to Col. D. Hardeman, Santa Gertrudas, Kings Ranch, Texas, backstamped "R.H.W. Co" (Raymond H. Weill), cover with some toning and trivial edge faults, adhesive with vertical crease, yet a Confederate rarity of great renown, having graced several of the most famed collections ever formed; the only on-cover example recorded by Crown, and one of only two examples extant, the other being a used single. ex Ferrary, Hind, Caspary, and Lilly. Illustrated in Dietz "The New Dietz Confederate States Catalog and Handbook"Dietz records that " these provisionals were press-printed from typeset forms in the office of a local newspaper, the Messenger, owned by the Rev. A.M. Cox, a Methodist minister, who set the time and did the printing." H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XConfederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Goliad, TX |
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 Lot 218 - Confederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Nashville, TN - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XNashville, Tennessee, 1861, 5c Brick red, choice single with full to large margins showing small portion frameline of adjoining stamp at lower left, centrally-struck blue "Paid" cancel, trivial nick in lower right margin of no importance, a lovely stamp. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XConfederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Nashville, TN |
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 Lot 213 - Confederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Marion, VA - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XMarion, Virginia, 5c black on ruled bluish laid paper, unused, without gum, margins clear on three sides, touching at right, upper margin repaired, small bleached dot on right frame, yet a presentable and fine-appearing example of this rare Confederate provisional issue; with 2023 Civil War Philatelic Society certificate. At the time of the Caspary sale, in which this stamp was offered, bluish paper was not listed in the Scott catalogue, and the Philatelic Foundation considered the stamp "genuine, but whether issued for use on this paper is uncertain." Since that time, a used example has surfaced which has been recognized as genuine, proving that stamps on bluish laid were issued for postal use. A mere eleven 5c Marion provisionals are known on any paper (four on cover, three each on piece and used, and the stamp offered here, the sole unused example). A rarity of Confederate philately.Provenance: Alfred H. Caspary (H.R. Harmer Sale 990, 1956) H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XConfederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Marion, VA |
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 Lot 229 - Confederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Uniontown, AL - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XUniontown, Alabama, 5c green on embossed paper, from position 4, large to huge margins all around, small razor cut in extreme right margin, tied by indistinct black Uniontown c.d.s. to cover to Lexington, Mississippi, back flap removed and tear to back repaired with hinges, yet a remarkable and rare franking, and the only example recorded in Crown of this provisional on embossed paper; ex Brown, Brooks, Weatherly, Kilbourne, signed Ashbrook. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XConfederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Uniontown, AL |
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 Lot 208 - Confederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Lenoir, NC - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XLenoir, North Carolina, 1861 10c (5c+5c) blue entire, two clear impressions of the 5c woodcut provisional handstamp struck at the top center of a Union Patriotic envelope, with embossed "Union Constitution" with Eagle on backflap, blue target cancel ties both handstamps adjacent "Lenoir N.C. Nov. 11" (1861) c.d.s., manuscript "Paid 10c" at upper left, addressed in the hand of Postmaster James Harper to his son "Lieut. G. W. F. Harper, 58th N.C. Regt., Big Creek Gap, Knoxville Tenn.", pressed vertical fold at center and lightly cleaned, a 3c stamp likely removed from upper right, an exceptional provisional rarity, being the unique 5c+5c double-rate envelope; 1966 Philatelic Foundation certificate no longer accompanies.Illustrated in Dietz, "The Postal Service of the Confederate States of America" (1929, pg 69), Crown, "Surveys of the Confederate Postmasters' Provisionals" (1982 Quarterman reprint, pg 177), "Confederate Philatelist" (Jan-Feb 1980, pg 6). "W.H.C." handstamp (Colson) at lower right, ex "Kilbourne" (1999). The 58th North Carolina Regiment was organized in July, 1862. The 58th participated in the campaigns of the Army of Tennessee from Chickamauga to Atlanta, guarded prisoners at Columbia, Tennessee, during Hood's operations, then moved to South Carolina and skirmished along the Edisto River. Later it returned to North Carolina and saw action at Bentonville. The unit was included in the surrender on April 26, 1865. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XConfederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Lenoir, NC |
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 Lot 224 - Confederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Selma, AL - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XSelma, Alabama, 10c black, handstamped envelope with signature of Postmaster William H. Eagar in manuscript, without postmark, to Messrs. John T. Hardie & Co in New Orleans, a bold strike of this rare provisional, one of only two such covers recorded in Crown, this being by far the finer example, the other with significant piece torn from the top the cover, an exceptional item of Confederate postal history. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XConfederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Selma, AL |
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 Lot 203 - confederate states of america Confederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XHorn Lake, Mississippi, 1861, 3c red postal stationery cover, handstamped PAID in black with “10” in manuscript above, adjacent Horn Lake, Mississippi c.d.s. (Oct), affixed overtop indicia with small black boxed “10” adhesive on very thin bluish pelure paper, to Montgomery, Texas, docketed on flap “Rec’d Oct 30th /61”, tear at upper right into indicia with small sealed tear extending into label, some light toning at right edge, a most unusual item, to date the only recorded example. Very little is known of the origins of this purported Postmaster Provisional. Hugo Dietz in his 1929 “the Postal Service of the Confederate States of America” shows a partial illustration, referring to it as the “Horn Lake, Miss. Curio”, and identifying it as being from the collection of Mr. Fred Green of Fort Sam Houston. Dietz does not comment on its legitimacy, and instead asks the question “Who will define its status?” Despite first being documented nearly 100 years ago, it remains the only known example, and continues to be unlisted in Scott. H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN Xconfederate states of america Confederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals |
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 Lot 219 - Confederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Nashville, TN - H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XNashville, Tennessee, 5c carmine, tete-beche vertical pair, tied to cover by blue "Nashville / Ten. / Sep 6 / 1861" c.d.s., partial matching blue PAID handstamp beside, to Charlston, South Carolina, some light soiling and fading due to attempt at cleaning, three edges trimmed and back professionally restored, various faults and other repairs, a remarkably rare Confederate provisional, one of two recorded examples of the tete-beche pair on cover; with 2022 Civil War Philatelic Society certificate. Provenance: ex-Ferrary (Sale 7, June 14, 1922, lot 51). H. R. Harmer Inc 3070 – ERIVAN XConfederate States Postmasters’ Provisionals Nashville, TN |
