Lets see if I can get this right, off the top of my head.
After Abraham Lincoln's inauguration in 1861, a dozen or so of the southern states met to discuss secession. From the conference 7 states left the Union, Alabama being the first. The Confederate capital was set up in Montgomery Alabama, with Jefferson Davis elected as president. John Reagan of Tennessee was Davis' third choice as Postmaster General. No one else wanted the job. Reagan wrote later that the job was so important, if you failed at it, that would be your legacy, and not a good one.
During the transition period, the Confederate government entered into a contract with the United States Post Office Dept. to continue carrying Confederate mail until the CSA Post Office could be established. A deadline of June 1 1861 was set. At that time all CSA postmasters, former USA postmasters would return all US stamps, stamped papers, and money earned from these to the US Post Office. Also on that day, June 1, the government was officially relocated in Richmond VA.
The only problem was the first CSA postage stamps wouldn't be available until mid October of that year. So for about 5 months, local postmasters were allowed to come up with their own methods of signifying the mail had been paid for.
A number of Postmaster Provisionals were created, labels and stamped paper. Most of these are now quite rare and expensive.
Fast forward to a month ago, 2017. I purchased this CSA stampless cover off
ebay, for a pretty decent price
Now, the website of Dr. John Kimbrough in Texas, a well renowned expert states that there were provisionals, AND handstamped PAID enveloped, which are more common. If he's right (ya, ok, he's the expert!) then that's all this is, and would explain the reasonable price. But still.
Dated August 10 1861 in Richmond, if falls smack in the middle of the 'stampless' period. And I think is still a nice addition to my CSA collection.
Posted 10/23/2017 10:42 pm
