Sale 1244 — The Arthur S. Przybyl Collection of United States, Confederate States and Hawaii
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 9-10 November, 2021
Category — Confederate States, Postmasters' Provisionals
Marion, Virginia, 5c Black (55X1). Huge margins all around, tied by bold "Marion Va. Jun. 7" (1861 but not year-dated) circular datestamp on restored blue cover to Rural Retreat Va., front and backflaps separated and affixed to another envelope, some concealed edge faults in cover, tiny tear in extreme top margin of stamp (could be trimmed and still leave a huge margin)VERY FINE STAMP AND ATTRACTIVE COVER. ONE OF THREE MARION 5-CENT PROVISIONAL COVERS IN PRIVATE HANDS. THE EARLIEST RECORDED USE OF THE MARION PROVISIONAL AND AN OUTSTANDING RARITY.
The Marion Va. 5c and 10c provisional stamps, with their distinctive "Check" label at top, were issued by Postmaster J. H. Francis in 1861. The stamps were printed in two steps: first, the typeset form containing the border and words "P. Office, Marion, Va., Check. Paid" were impressed; then the values, "5" or "10" were handstamped on the blank center. Postmaster Francis described his stamps in a January 1880 letter to August Dietz, and he offered to make more from the "die" which he still possessed. Various "reprints" made from the typeset form were made by John W. Scott, including 2c, 15c and 20c values that have never been seen genuinely used.
Genuine Marion provisional stamps are extremely rare. Our records contain a total of 10 examples of the 5c, including 4 covers (one of which is in the British Library's Tapling collection), 3 stamps remaining on pieces, 2 used off cover and an unused example on bluish paper (of uncertain status, but counted in our census). The four recorded covers are dated as follows: Jun. 7 (1861), the cover offered here; Jun. 11 (1861), ex Haas; Jan. 24 (1862), ex Hessel; and Mar. 31 (1862), British Library, Tapling Collection. Although the cover offered here could benefit from expert attention to properly restore edge faults in the envelope, the stamp itself is superb, and the cover is colorful and attractive. Stanley B. Ashbrook described this cover in his article on the Brooks collection in Stamp Specialist (Black Book, 1945) as follows: "quite a fine example of the 5c black on white on a cover showing an extremely early use, viz: 'June 7,' presumably 1861."
Signed Ashbrook. Ex Brooks, Weatherly, Kilbourne and Gross. Scott value $20,000.00
