Victoria Tex., 10c Red Brown
on Green (88X2). Two huge margins, touched at right and bottom, tied by
"Victoria Tex. Mar. 30" (1863) circular datestamp on blue folded letter to
J. San Roman, Brownsville, Tex., contents regarding goods from Matamoros,
Mexico, very faint toningEXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF TWO RECORDED COVERS BEARING THE VICTORIA 10-CENT POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL, OF WHICH ONLY FOUR EXAMPLES ARE KNOWN. THIS AND THE OTHER 10-CENT ARE THE ONLY RECORDED COVERS FOR ANY OF THE VICTORIA PROVISIONALS.
Our records contain four examples of the Victoria 10c Type I (large thin numerals): 1) Mar. 30, 1863 cover to J. San Roman, offered here, ex Brooks, Weatherly, 2) Jun. 23 (1863) cover to C. Hellenkamp, ex Caspary and Muzzy, 3) Unused stamp with small repair, ex Hessel, and 4) a severely damaged stamp with one third of lower right missing when discovered by A. Steves (P.F. photo files). The two covers bearing the 10c Type I are the only covers recorded for any of the Victoria provisionals. The ex-Caspary cover was acquired by John R. Boker Jr. in the 1967 Muzzy sale and has not since been offered publicly. This cover was acquired by Harold C. Brooks privately and sold to A. Earl Weatherly in another private transaction. The Kilbournes acquired the cover directly from Weatherly, therefore, it has never appeared at public auction. Considering that the last public transaction involving one of the two known Victoria provisional covers took place in 1967, the "current" Scott value of $17,500 should be weighed against more relevant market factors.
Illustrated in Ashbrook article on the Brooks collection (Stamp Specialist, Black Book, 1945). Ex Brooks and Weatherly (acquired by the Kilbournes in 1963) (Image)
Victoria Tex., 5c Red Brown on
Green (88X1). Some original gum, two large margins (top right), touched
at left and bottom, vertical creaseONE OF FOUR RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE VICTORIA 5-CENT POSTMASTER'S PROVISIONAL.
In addition to the stamp offered here, we record a top-left margin stamp also described as having original gum (ex Hessel, "small faults"), an unused top-right stamp in the Hind sale, and a left-margin uncancelled stamp, ex Steves (P.F. photo files). No cancelled Victoria 5c stamps or on-cover examples are known.
Ex Caspary and Lilly (where acquired by the Kilbournes) (Image)
Victoria Tex., 10c Red Brown
on Green (88X2). Unused, margins clear to just into frameline, small
thinA FINE-APPEARING EXAMPLE OF THIS MAJOR CONFEDERATE RARITY. ONLY TWO OF THE FOUR RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE VICTORIA 10-CENT TYPE II ARE UNUSED.
We record four examples of the Victoria 10c Type II (bold slanting numerals): 1) Unused, small thin, the stamp offered here, ex Ferrary, Hind, Brooks and Moody, 2) Unused, sound, Siegel 1968 Rarities sale, 3) Used, part of cds at lower right, pinhole, ex Sotheby Parke Bernet sale, Apr. 15, 1979, and 4) Used, part of cds with "Oct" month, extensively repaired across lower right, ex Caspary.
Illustrated in 1929 Dietz book. Ex Ferrary, Hind, Brooks and Moody (Image)