Lot
4052 
Confederacy, SouthN. Letter Unpaid, neat strike of blue two-line handstamp ties U.S. 1857, 3¢ dull red, on 1861 cover addressed to Princeton, N.J., matching blue "Louisville Ky. Jul 10" cds and large "Due 3" straightline handstamp, stamp also tied by indistinct "Morristown Ten. Jul 6" cds; most of flap missing and small edge faults, perf flaws and tiny scissor cut at left, Fine, Special Routes Census No. SLU-21, ex-Warm, Walske; with clear 1988 P.F. certificate. Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
A RARE EXAMPLE OF THE "SOUTHERN LETTER UNPAID" HANDSTAMP USED TO CANCEL THE UNITED STATES 3¢ 1857 ISSUE.
Steven C. Walske's recently published analysis of mail service at the onset of the Civil War provides new information about circumstances surrounding the use of the coveted "Southern Letter Unpaid" marking. Postmaster General Blair's May 27 suspension order prohibited post offices from forwarding southbound mail to disloyal Southern states. However, northbound mail continued to be sent via Louisville. Through June 6, northbound mails were forwarded to Louisville from Memphis or Nashville. From June 7 through 12, only the Nashville post office forwarded mail to Louisville, and Louisville continued to forward mail north. With the resignation of W. D. McNish as Nashville's Federal postmaster on June 12, "Louisville held the mails still being sent north by the discontinued post office at Nashville. This held mail later became the well-known 'Southern Letter Unpaid' mail" (Walske).
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.
Immediately after receiving instructions from Washington to forward the held mail, the Louisville post office began marking letters. Some of these have circular datestamps (June 27, 28 and 29 being the most common dates), while others have no Louisville datestamp. The Louisville office continued to use the June 29 datestamp until the end of the Southern Letter Unpaid period on July 12.
Realized: $7,500