Pleasant Shade Va., 5c Blue
(67X1). Unused (no gum), large margins to just touching tips of
ornaments, minute thin speck, Very Fine appearance, signed Charles Coster,
well-known 19th century dealer in U.S. locals and Confederate provisionals
(Image)
Pleasant Shade Va., 5c Blue
(67X1). Position 1, top left corner sheet margin and large margins all
around, faint gum toning, tied by clearly-struck greenish-blue "Pleasant
Shade Va. Apr. 14" (1862) circular datestamp on grayish-manila homemade
cover to Petersburg Va., from the Donnan correspondence (from which the
unique pair on cover originates), neat receipt docketing, cover slightly
torn upon opening at upper right corner, but the stamp is
unaffectedEXTREMELY FINE STAMP AND ATTRACTIVELY TIED ON COVER. ONE OF THE FINEST RECORDED USED EXAMPLES OF THE PLEASANT SHADE POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL AND ONE OF THREE COVERS AVAILABLE TO COLLECTORS.
The Pleasant Shade provisional was produced for Postmaster R. E. Davis by A. F. Crutchfield & Co. of Petersburg Va., publisher of the Daily Express and printer of the Petersburg provisional. The same typeset form was used for the Pleasant Shade stamp. With an 1860 population of 57, the small Pleasant Shade post office (1860-66) evidently had very little demand for the stamps. It is far rarer in used condition than unused. We record at least eleven unused singles (including one in the British Library collection), in addition to an unused pair and block of six. There are three singles known on covers, dated as follows: Dec. 22 (1861), Tapling collection, British Library, Apr. 14 (1862), the cover offered here, and May 21 (1862), ex Ferrary, Caspary. In addition to the three singles on covers, there is the unique pair on cover, dated Nov. 24 (1861), which is also the earliest recorded usage. We record only two examples used off cover: a stamp tied on piece, ex Caspary and Weatherly, and a sound stamp sold in our Sale 810 for $21,000 hammer.
Ex Caspary (where acquired by the Kilbournes) (Image)