Sale 1129 — 2016 Rarities of the World
Sale Date — Tuesday, 31 May, 2016
Category — Confederate States: Postmasters Provisionals, New Orleans thru Unionville
New Orleans La., 2c Red (62X2). Large margins to clear, radiant color, tied by "New Orleans La. 7 Feb." (1862) circular datestamp on blue folded printed circular to members of the Southwestern Bible Society and addressed to Blossom Hill La., few minor age spots, stamp with light diagonal crease at top right and tiny surface scrapesVERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN OUTSTANDING CIRCULAR-RATE USE OF THE RARE NEW ORLEANS 2-CENT RED PROVISIONAL. ONLY TEN COVERS ARE RECORDED IN OUR CENSUS.
New Orleans postmaster J. L. Riddell prepared provisional stamps in June 1861 and advertised them for sale on June 12th. The 2c Red stamps were printed without the marginal inscription "Usable exclusively in the New Orleans Post Office". The 5c and subsequent 2c Blue printings all have the imprint. It is the accepted theory that the 2c Red stamps were printed first, before Riddell added the imprint, and were withheld from use until January 1862 when the supply of 2c Blue stamps was exhausted. The Crown book lists six 2c Red covers, while Dr. Hubert C. Skinner (Congress Book, 1978) recorded eight covers. We have located ten covers.
Ex Freeland and Hill. With 2005 P.F. certificate
