10c 1847 Issue, Turned Use with Confederate States 10c Engraved General Issue (U.S. 2, C.S.A. 11). 10c 1847 tied by red square grid cancel, matching "New York Feb. 4" (ca. 1848-50) circular datestamp on blue folded cover to John J. Gresham in Macon Ga., the sheet was turned, recut into an envelope and used approximately 15 years later within the Confederate States, trimmed and refolded with gummed flap on the 1847 side, franked with Confederate States 10c Blue, Die A (11) tied by Macon Ga. double-circle datestamp (ca. 1863-64), addressed to "Mr. Thomas B. Gresham [most likely John's son], Co. B 2nd Ga. Battallion, Sorells (late Wrights) Brigade, Mahone's division, Hills Corps, Army of Northern Virginia", the Confederate stamp unfortunately was partly chewed by pests, approximately three-quarters of the stamp still intact, the 10c 1847 with file fold where cover was refolded for second use, cover with edge wear and opened for display

A UNIQUE AND HISTORIC COVER BEARING THE 10-CENT 1847 ISSUE, SENT DURING THE ANTEBELLUM ERA FROM NEW YORK TO MACON, GEORGIA, TURNED AND RE-USED APPROXIMATELY 15 YEARS LATER DURING THE CIVIL WAR AS A CONFEDERATE COVER FRANKED WITH THE 10-CENT ENGRAVED ISSUE. THIS IS THE ONLY KNOWN 1847 TURNED USE WITH ANOTHER STAMP OF ANY KIND -- MUCH LESS A CONFEDERATE STAMP. AN OUTSTANDING POSTAL HISTORY ARTIFACT.

There exists a large correspondence related to John J. Gresham dating as far back as the 1830's (a disc of scans is included). More importantly, there is a second cover, included with this lot, which serves to confirm this turned use. The second cover is franked with a half-peeled 3c 1851 Issue stamp and was sent to John Gresham in Macon Ga. Like the 1847 cover, the second cover was refolded into an envelope and sent to Thomas B. Gresham with the Macon datestamp -- though it is missing its Confederate stamp.

It is difficult to pinpoint the exact year of use for this cover during the 1847 period as this style of New York datestamp was in use for several years. The Confederate mailing date was either 1863 or 1864.

Turned uses with 1847 stamps are known, but one of the sides is invariably stampless. We record no 1847 turned covers with a second stamp, and a turned use with a Confederate stamp is truly remarkable

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