Lot
4051 
Confederacy, SouthN. Letter Unpaid, bold strike of two-line handstamp ties 3¢ dull red, type III (26), natural s.e. at right with corner flaw and additional manuscript cancel, on small cover to Richfield Springs N.Y., matching bold strike of blue "DUE 3" straightline and Louisville Ky. duplex on backflap (part of which is torn away), originated in C.S.A. with clear strike of "Murfreesborough N.C. Jul. 6" cds with matching sharp "Paid" and "10" rate handstamps; light waterstains at bottom, Very Fine, Special Routes Census No. SLU-24, ex-MacBride, Nunnelley, Walske. Scott No. 26 Estimate $10,000 - 15,000.
A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE "SOUTHERN LETTER UNPAID" HANDSTAMP USED TO CANCEL THE U.S. 3¢ 1857 ISSUE.
United States postage stamps affixed in the South (and entires used from the South) were regarded as contraband and were refused as prepayment. On June 24, Dr. J. J. Speed, the postmaster at Louisville, was advised to forward letters from the South to the loyal states after removing postage. With approximately 5,000 such letters accumulating at Louisville by this date, Postmaster Speed employed a more practical means of invalidating postage by creating the "Southern Letter Unpaid" handstamp. According to the census in Special Routes, there are 29 "Southn. Letter Unpaid" covers recorded in the Special Routes book (No. 25 has been deleted as a fake since publication). Only 13 of these covers have the 3¢ U.S. adhesive stamp used to pay the U.S. domestic rate.
Realized: $9,500