Great Central Fair, Philadelphia, 10¢ Blue, 20¢ Green, 30¢ Black (WV11-WV13), complete set neatly affixed together on cover addressed to "Mr. Bispham, Central Fair P.O.", "Great Central Fair. June 11, 1864" circular datestamp ties 20¢ at right, second clear strike to the left of 10¢ stamp (10¢ and 30¢ uncancelled)

Very Fine overall; light soiling, vertical fold just barely affects 10¢ stamp.

This outstanding rarity of Civil War postal history is one of only two recorded complete covers bearing the full set of three Great Central Fair stamps. A third set is known on backflaps trimmed from an envelope.

On June 13, 1861, President Lincoln signed a document giving the Sanitary Commission semi-official status. Its purpose was to support sick and wounded soldiers. However, funds were not provided to carry on the work, so Sanitary Commission fairs were organized as fundraisers and to enlist volunteers.

The Great Central Fair, held in Philadelphia from June 7 to 28, 1864, was the largest and best-organized of all the fairs. To raise funds, President Lincoln signed 48 copies of a special authorized edition of the Emancipation Proclamation; 26 are known to survive--Siegel sold one of the last in private hands in 2012 for $2,127,500. The Philadelphia fair was the only one attended by Lincoln, whose passionate speech caused such an outpouring of emotions among spectators that officials decided it would be dangerous for him to attend another.

Eight Sanitary Fairs issued stamps, but the Philadelphia fair produced stamps that exceed all others in their complexity and beauty. They were printed by Butler and Carpenter of Philadelphia (Carpenter was a member of the Post Office Committee of the fair). It depicts an eagle at center, similar to the James A. Clark Match stamp (Scott RO62). 34 stars were added to the background, for each of the states in the Union prior to the onset of the Civil War. These are also the only perforated Sanitary Fair stamps.

Three denominations were printed--10¢, 20¢ and 30¢--and the stamps were valid for use within the fair. Additional postage stamps were required for delivery within or beyond Philadelphia. The stamps were sold by young ladies at the fair's post office booth, who would write a poem or note to the addressee--the length depended on the denomination purchased. Four thousand such enclosures were prepared in advance. We record only two covers bearing a complete set of the Great Central Fair stamps, plus a back panel of a cover bearing a set.

Ex Marjorie and Alvin R. Kantor, and illustrated in their book, Sanitary Fairs: A Philatelic and Historical Study of Civil War Benevolences (fig. 113).

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