Athens Ga., 5c Purple, Tete-Beche Pair (5X1a). Types I and II in foot-to-foot vertical pair, large to full margins all around, uniform shades from two separate work-and-turn impressions, tied by lightly struck grid cancels, "Athens Ga. Paid Nov. 25" (1861) circular datestamp on oversize manila cover to Dr. E. D. Newton, General Hospital, Richmond Va., over-500 miles rate, reduced at left and small stain at bottom of cover

EXTREMELY FINE PAIR ON AN ATTRACTIVE COVER. ONE OF FOUR RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE ATHENS PROVISIONAL TETE-BECHE VARIETY.

Only four post offices are known to have produced tete-beche provisional varieties: Athens, Macon, Memphis and Nashville. In each case the tete-beche multiple was created by the work-and-turn printing method, as opposed to an inverted cliche among subjects on the plate. All are extremely rare.

Of the Athens 5c tete-beche, we record four covers and the Crown census at the Civil War Philatelic Society website concurs. They are:

1) Nov. 14 (1861) to Capt. George Hillyer, one stamp with piece out, Sale 1146, lot 1594

2) Nov. 25 (1861) to Dr. E. D. Newton, ex Brooks, Solomon, Ballard and "D.K." collection, the cover offered here

3) Dec. 2 (1861) to Capt. Porter King, ex Brooks, Weatherly, Kilbourne and "D.K." collection (Sale 1022, lot 1004)

4) Jan. 6 (1862) to A. H. Stephens, ex Ferrary, Caspary, Lilly and Haub.

There are three additional off-cover tete-beche pairs. This cover has the same date and address as the cover with a pair listed in the Charles J. Phillips census (Crown book, page 19) as belonging to Harold C. Brooks. The cover offered in Sale 1022 (lot 1004) is also from the Brooks collection, and neither cover was offered in the Laurence & Stryker sale of the Brooks Confederate States collection (April 24, 1943). Some of the collection was sold privately. There is a notation on the back of this cover "C. S. Watson Co." in Brooks' hand.

Ex Brooks, Solomon, Ballard and "D.K." collection. With 2009 P.F. certificate.

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