24c Gray Lilac (37). Used with 1c Blue, Ty. V (24) and 10c Green, Ty. V (35), tied by blue grids and matching "Louisville Ky. Aug. 20" (1861) double-circle datestamp on blue folded letter datelined "New Orleans La. 13 August 1861" from the Confederate State of Louisiana to St. Gall, Switzerland, via Adam's Thru-the-Lines Express, sender's routing "Per First Steamer" and pencil "Prus. Clos. Mail 35" (probably applied by Adam's office in Louisville) partly covered by stamps, another pencil notation beneath stamps is difficult to read but might be an express notation, lightly struck red New York transit datestamp (Aug. 24) at right and red ms. "12" credit, red framed "Aachen Franco" transit handstamp, magenta ms. rate at lower left for German transit, various transit and receiving backstamps, light horizontal file fold well away from stamps

VERY FINE. A UNIQUE USE OF THIS COLORFUL COMBINATION OF 1857-60 ISSUES TO PAY THE 35-CENT PRUSSIAN CLOSED MAIL RATE ON A LETTER TO SWITZERLAND, CARRIED BY ADAM'S EXPRESS THRU THE LINES FROM CONFEDERATE NEW ORLEANS TO LOUISVILLE AND THEN BY UNITED STATES MAIL TO SWITZERLAND.

This well-known Civil War period cover originated in Confederate New Orleans on August 13, 1861, and was sent inside an outer cover by Adam's Express to Louisville, Kentucky. At the Adam's Louisville office, it was marked "Prus. Clos. Mail 35" and stamped with 35c postage for the Prussian Closed Mail rate. Adams did not apply a datestamp to this inner cover before putting it into the Louisville post office for transmission by Federal mail to New York City, the port of departure. From New York it was probably carried on the HAPAG Line's Bavaria, departing August 24.

After the suspension of mail service between the U.S. and Confederate States, U.S. stamps affixed to mail originating in the Confederate States were considered contraband and not accepted at the Louisville post office, which required Adams to affix stamps from its own supply. The demonetization of old U.S. stamps in the North went into effect shortly after this cover was mailed from Louisville. The exchange period in Louisville began August 22nd for three days; beginning on August 25th, stamps other than the new 1861 Issue would no longer be accepted by the Louisville post office.

Ex Gibson and Kapiloff.

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