Knoxville Tenn., 10c Red on Orange, Cut to Shape (47XU4). Large margins except where just in at bottom, rich color, unobtrusive strike of circular datestamp (the rim just shows at lower right), small thin spots

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE UNIQUE KNOXVILLE 10-CENT RED POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ON ORANGE PAPER. ONE OF THE GREAT CONFEDERATE PROVISIONAL RARITIES AND ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL DESIGNS USED FOR A PRESS-PRINTED POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL ENTIRE.

The discovery of this 10c envelope design, which is similar to the 5c, is discussed in an article by Peter Powell in the Jan.-March 2005 issue of the Confederate Philatelist. He quotes the Redfield Stamp Weekly of April 30, 1910: “Mr. W.H. Legg has turned up a Knoxville 10 cent red, of the same design as the 5 cent blue. His copy is on white paper and Mr. John Luff, in the course of investigating the specimen, succeeded in discovering a copy of the same stamp on orange.” Legg was an early dealer who passed away in 1915. Powell traces ownership to the famous Worthington collection, then to Lichtenstein. The Red on White next appeared at auction in the Caspary sale, and again in the 1987 auction of Scott Gallagher’s Tennessee collection. The Red on Orange appeared in the 1933 Hind sale. Mr. Powell successfully united both the unique white paper and orange paper examples for the first time since 1917 when Lichtenstein purchased them as part of the Worthington collection.

Ex Luff (discoverer), Worthington, Lichtenstein, Hind and Powell. With 1992 P.F. certificate

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