拍項 116 同盟國

Victoria Tex., 10c Red Brown on Green, Type I, Large Thin Numerals (88X2). Two huge margins, touched at right and bottom — presumably from the top left corner of sheet or setting, this position shows the dropped period after "M" of "P.M." — tied by "Victoria Tex. Mar. 30" (1863) circular datestamp on blue folded letter from Levi & Stern to J. San Roman, Brownsville, Tex., contents regarding goods from Matamoros, Mexico, very faint toning around edges of stamp, right side of stamp has a crease or sealed tear that breaks glazed surface (not noted on certificate or in past descriptions), some internal dampstaining

EXTREMELY FINE APPEARANCE. ONE OF TWO RECORDED VICTORIA 10-CENT POSTMASTER’S PROVISIONAL COVERS—THESE ARE THE ONLY RECORDED COVERS WITH ANY OF THE VICTORIA PROVISIONALS.

According to Deaton (p. 56) and other sources, James A. Moody migrated from Nova Scotia to Texas in 1835 and settled in Victoria, where he served as mayor, district clerk, and justice of the peace. Victoria's first post office was established in 1838 and Moody was appointed the first postmaster, serving continuously during the Republic period. After Texas became a state, he was appointed U.S. postmaster on May 22, 1846, and served through the Civil War, receiving his appointment as a C.S.A. postmaster on July 12, 1861. Moody was the Confederate postmaster until he was replaced by R. H. Coleman (C.S.A. postmaster) on April 17, 1865, just as the war was nearing its conclusion. After the war, James J. Hall was appointed U.S. postmaster on Oct. 18, 1865, and he was replaced by Rev. John H. Thurmond on Jan. 5, 1866.

Moody issued 5c and 10c provisional stamps bearing his name. Deaton reports that the stamps were printed at the newspaper offices of the Victoria Advocate, published by S. A. White. All of the stamps were printed from a typeset form on green paper. The 5c and 10c settings with large thin numerals are quite similar in composition. The second 10c setting has a small italic numeral "10".

The CWPS census records the following 5c and 10c Type I (Large Thin Numerals) stamps:

5c Red Brown on Green, Type I, Large Thin Numerals (88X1)—5 total (all unused):VIC-TX-A01-001: Original gum, sound, top right corner margins, ex Ferrary, Hind, Hall, "D.K." collection and Sharrer (Sale 1035, lot 92), offered in this sale as lot 111VIC-TX-A01-006: Part original gum, top right corner margins, vertical crease, ex Caspary, Lilly, Kilbourne and Haub ("Erivan"), offered in this sale as lot 114VIC-TX-A01-002: Small part original gum, top left corner margins, small thins and light crease, ex Hessel and Dr. Brandon (Sale 1073, lot 350), offered in this sale as lot 112VIC-TX-A01-005: Unused (no gum), bottom right corner margins, light chipping of surface coating, natural paper bubble at right, acquired by H. E. Harris and put into reference collection as a counterfeit, collection sold to Carl Kane and then to Glen LaFontaine, certified genuine in 2008 and sold to Rex Felton, sold in Sale 1016 (lot 645), Sale 1048 (lot 419) and Sale 1225 (lot 139), offered in this sale as lot 113VIC-TX-A01-012: Unused (no gum), margin at right, other sides clear to touching, repaired, 1985 Rarities (Sale 645, lot 423)

10c Red Brown on Green, Type I, Large Thin Numerals (88X2)—5 total (3 unused off cover, 2 on separate covers):VIC-TX-A02-007: Unused (no gum), mostly clear margins, thin and crease ending in a small tear, acquired by H. E. Harris and put into reference collection as a counterfeit, collection sold to Carl Kane and then to Glen LaFontaine, certified genuine in 2008 and sold to Rex Felton, sold in Sales 1016 (lot 646) and 1048 (lot 420), ex Ambassador Middendorf (Sale 1225, lot 139), offered in this sale as lot 115VIC-TX-A02-010: Unused (no gum), bottom right corner margins, faults, discovered by Steves, ex HesselVIC-TX-A02-014: Unused (no gum), one-third of design at right missing and restored, discovered by Steves, ex "Penguin" (Sale 1364, lot 1144) and Sale 1330 (lot 601)VIC-TX-A02a (with "PAID")-009: Tied by red Jun. 23 (1863) datestamp and "PAID" on cover to "C. Hellenkamp Esqr., Lagrange" (C. Helmcamp, La Grange Tex.), first Victoria provisional discovered, acquired by Steves from the addressee's granddaughter, Mrs. Arthur Guenther (of San Antonio), and reported in September 1893 Mekeel's; ex Caspary (purchased Aug. 20, 1904 from New England Stamp Co.), Muzzy, Boker, Haub ("Erivan"), "Magnolia" collection (Sale 1372, lot 2193)VIC-TX-A02b (with "PAID" and "10")-008: Tied by Mar. 30 (1863) datestamp with "PAID" and "10" on folded letter to J. San Roman, Brownsville Tex., crease or sealed tear in stamp at right, ex Brooks, Weatherly, Kilbourne, Gross, "D.K." collection (Sale 1022, lot 1123), the cover offered here

The two covers bearing the 10c Type I (nos. 008 and 009 in CWPS census) are the only covers recorded with any of the Victoria provisionals. The June 23 cover ("Magnolia", Sale 1372, lot 2193) was the first discovery of a Victoria postmaster's provisional stamp. It was acquired by Albert Steves from Mrs. Arthur Guenther of San Antonio, the granddaughter of Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Helmcamp (1813-1898), a German immigrant from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, who settled in La Grange, Texas. Steves reported the find in the September 1893 edition of Mekeel's. Eleven years later, on August 20, 1904, the cover was purchased by Alfred H. Caspary from the New England Stamp Co., where Warren H. Colson was employed (Caspary noted the source on the back).

The cover offered here was acquired by Harold C. Brooks and sold to A. Earl Weatherly in another private transaction. Charles and Lucy Kilbourne acquired the cover directly from Weatherly in 1963. It was next sold in our 1999 Kilbourne sale and purchased by Charles and Tracy Shreve for William H. Gross for $105,000 (Sale 815, lot 156). "D.K." acquired the cover in the 2009 Spink-Shreves sale of the Gross Confederate States collection for $95,000 hammer. It was sold in our sale of the "D.K." collection in 2012 to Christopher Rupp, and then privately to "Magnolia."

CWPS census no. VIC-TX-A02b-008. Illustrated in Ashbrook article on the Brooks collection (Stamp Specialist, Black Book, 1945). Source notation "Nassau 1940" on back (believed to be Weatherly's). Ex Brooks, Weatherly, Kilbourne, Gross and "D.K." collection (Sale 1022, lot 1123). With 2010 P.F. certificate noting faint toning around edges of stamp. Scott value $90,000.