The Buck Boshwit Collection of Confederate States continued...

FRESH AND VERY FINE. A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 5-CENT ON ORANGE KNOXVILLE PROVISIONAL ENTIRE WHICH HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Our review of the Levi records found that only three of the fifteen have been cancelled, all by "Paid" handstamps. (Image)

VERY FINE. THE UNIQUE EXAMPLE OF THE KNOXVILLE 5-CENT PROVISIONAL ON A PATRIOTIC COVER.

The Crown survey records only five examples of this provisional. This is the only patriotic listed.

Ex Hart. Scott value for 47XU5 on patriotic cover. (Image)

FINE AND EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE RE-RATED KNOXVILLE POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL.

Ex Gallagher and Agre. With 1997 C.S.A. certificate. (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. AN IMPRESSIVE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE TWO PANES OF 50 OF THE 2-CENT MEMPHIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL, CONTAINING THE BLOCK OF 46, WHICH IS THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THE ISSUE. A MAGNIFICENT SHOWPIECE.

Ex Meroni and Caspary. The block of 46 was offered in our 1983 Rarities sale. (Image)

VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE AND DESIRABLE 2-CENT MEMPHIS PROVISIONAL USAGE, PAYING THE 2-CENT DROP RATE. THIS IS ONE OF THE FINEST OF ONLY FIFTEEN COVERS RECORDED BY CROWN.

The census by Billy Matz (Confederate Philatelist, Mar. 1967) identified twelve 2c Memphis provisional covers, and the Crown book reported an additional three covers.

With Mozian auction description from 1941 affixed to back which reads in part "Mr. Pratt who plated this stamp and examined most of the known copies, mentioned it is the finest he has ever seen"

Ex Freeland. (Image)

FINE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 2-CENT MEMPHIS PROVISIONAL IN A DISTINCTIVE DARK SHADE AND NICELY TIED ON A LOCALLY-ADDRESSED COVER. ONLY FIFTEEN COVERS RECORDED BY CROWN.

This is the most intense shade we recall seeing on this issue. Scott Retail as full cover. (Image)

VERY FINE APPEARANCE. THE LARGEST RECORDED MULTIPLE OF THE 5-CENT MEMPHIS POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL. WIDELY REGARDED AS ONE OF THE GREATEST OF ALL CONFEDERATE PROVISIONAL MULTIPLES.

The stereotype plate used to print the Memphis 5c provisional in sheets of 50 was created with ten subjects (two rows of five) at right turned 90 degrees clockwise relative to the other 40 subjects. This arrangement is confirmed by the existence of corner-margin multiples that have precisely the same alignment, which would be impossible if the sideways positions resulted from work-and-turn printing. Only a few multiples exist that show this unusual tete-beche format. Multiples are also known that show the work-and-turn printing method, including three tete-beche pairs (vertical head-to-foot, vertical foot-to-foot, and horizontal head-to-foot).

Ex Walcott, Matz and Pope. Illustrated in the Pratt book on page 27. Last offered in our 1983 Rarities sale, where it realized $12,000 hammer. (Image)