Patriotic Covers During The Civil War

Can you recommend a book or download that may contain the patriotic covers of the civil war. I realize there was somewhere around 15000 variations but thought I read there was a published book or two on them and the rarity of each.

Thanks in advance.

Hello,

For patriotic covers from the South you can see - Confederate Patriotic Covers and their Usages by Benjamin Wishnietsky. You can find this on-line at major sites for under $20. Great hardbound book divided by types of covers and full illustrations of each cover.

You can look for - The George Walcott Civil War Patriotic Covers (257pages).This is also available on-line (under $75) and covers union and Confederate covers. It has a detailed listing (over 3,000 covers with photos overlapping) and includes prices paid back in 1934 at auction.

I have both books and they are very useful.

You may be able to find downloads of these if you look around.

Hope this helps,
Hobsun

Hobson, thank you I will search for both books.

Bill Weiss wrote a book on US Patriotic Covers (The Catalog of Union Civil War Patriotic Covers, 1995) that listed more varieties than the Walcott book. Hobsun says that the Walcott book is 257 pages (I don't have a copy) - the Weiss book is 839 pages, and includes a cross-reference to the Walcott numbering. Many of the designs in the Weiss book are not known postally used and many of the illustrations are of 100th anniversary event covers (where collectors used the 100 year-old envelopes to make event covers).
Another resource is the Nutmeg Stamp Auctions catalog for the Bischel collection of Civil War Patriotic Covers Postally Used, June 21-23, 2000. At the time it was promoted as the largest ever collection of used civil war patriotic covers.

The Weiss book can be found as well on-line but often for a significantly higher price in many cases. Look deeper and you can find it cheaper.

A review of the Weiss book with references to the Walcott book can be found at the address below. Rather detailed but it may help you decide if you only want to get one or the other.

https://www.philbansner.com/Philate...ss__william/

Hobsun