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). Three large to huge margins, just barely in at right, tied by "New Orleans La. 7 Mar." (1862) circular datestamp on cover to local address, left side of cover has long repaired opening tearsFINE APPEARANCE. A RARE DROP-RATE USE OF THE NEW ORLEANS 2-CENT RED PROVISIONAL. ONLY TEN COVERS ARE RECORDED.
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 Zimmerman and Powell.
