Greenwood Depot Va., 10c Black
on Gray Blue (35X1). "Paid" straightline with denomination "Ten
Cents" in ms. and signed "J. Bruce" (Postmaster), uncancelled,
"Greenwood Depot Va. Sep. 17" (1862) circular datestamp on small
orange-buff homemade cover to Rev. Paul Whitehead, Macfarland's P.O. Va.,
light diagonal crease in face of envelope prior to foldingFRESH AND EXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF SIX RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE MARVELOUSLY PRIMITIVE GREENWOOD DEPOT PROVISIONAL, ALL OF WHICH ARE ON COVERS FROM THE REVEREND WHITEHEAD CORRESPONDENCE -- ONLY FIVE ARE AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS.
The six Greenwood Depot provisional covers were discovered by G. M. Bastable in June 1887 (Crown book). They are each addressed to the Rev. Paul Whitehead and have the following 1862 dates: Jul. 31 (ex Caspary), Sep. 17 (this cover), Sep. 21 (ex Hessel), Sep. 25 (ex Hind), tied Oct. 8 (British Library), and tied by indistinct date (ex Caspary). The condition is similar among the six covers -- only two are cancelled (and tied), one of which is in the British Library's Tapling collection.
The 10c rate (raised from 5c) was effective July 1, 1862, and the Greenwood Depot provisional stamps were issued to meet this new rate. Pencil docketing on a few of the Rev. Whitehead covers confirm the year.
Very few post offices east of the Mississippi River issued and used 10c adhesive (A) or press-printed (E) provisionals. This group is as follows: Baton Rouge La. (A - three known), Charleston S.C. (E - unique), Danville Va. (E - probably not used), Fincastle Va. (E - unique), Fredericksburg Va. (A - never used), Greenville Ala. (A - two known), Greenwood Depot Va. (A -six known), Knoxville Tenn. (A - unique, and E - rare used), Marion Va. (A - six known on cover), Nashville Tenn. (A - seven known on cover), Tellico Plains Tenn. (A - never used), and Uniontown Ala. (A - eight known). All other 10c provisionals were used in Texas or were issued as handstamped entires.
Ex Brown and Judd (Image)