Beaumont Tex., 10c Black on
Yellow (12X1). Position with "Beaumont" showing broken "T" and no
period or comma after name, large margins to just touched at bottom right
corner, tied by "Beaumont Tex" circular town handstamp with "June
11" (1864) date in ms. (touches and ties edge of stamp), "Paid"
straightline handstamp on adversity cover made from Confederate naval form,
addressed to Mrs. Mary P. Watson at San Augustine Tex., ms. "OB"
(official Business) endorsement crossed out, the cover was turned and
addressed back to "C. S. Watson, C.S. Str. Sachem, Sabine Pass,
Texas", "San Augustine Tex. Jun. 20" (1864) circular datestamp, "Paid"
and "10" handstamps, right side reduced but not affecting stamp, bottom
right corner clipped, paper has been added to edge to improve appearance,
small erosion spot in "W" of addressA VERY FINE BEAUMONT 10-CENT PROVISIONAL ON YELLOW PAPER -- ONE OF FIVE KNOWN EXAMPLES OF THIS RARITY -- USED ON A TURNED ADVERSITY COVER FROM A MEMBER OF THE TEXAS MARINE BRIGADE ABOARD THE C.S.S. SACHEM. THIS IS THE ONLY COVER KNOWN WITH THE BEAUMONT PROVISIONAL TIED BY THE TOWN MARKING.
The Beaumont provisionals were issued on Pink (two shades) and Yellow paper. Only 21 of any kind are recorded, including the unique Large 10c on Yellow (on cover), 5 of the Small 10c on Yellow (each on cover), and 15 of the Small 10c on Pink (12 covers, 3 off cover). Most of the recorded covers are faulty, and only four have postmarks of any kind tying the stamps, this is the only cover known with the handstamped marking tying the provisional.
The five Small 10c Yellow covers we record are as follows: 1) ms. "X" cancel, not tied, ms. Apr. 9, 1864 date, to Mary J. Watson, San Augustine Tex., ex Hind, 2) tied by rimless town with ms. Jun. 11 (1864) date on turned cover to Mary J. Watson, San Augustine Tex., ex Caspary, Weatherly, the cover offered here, 3) uncancelled, used on turned cover to Mrs. Wm. B. Duncan, Liberty Tex., ex Caspary, Lilly, 4) ms. "X" cancel, not tied, used on cover to Cypress City Tex., Siegel Sale 226, and 5) ms. "10" cancel, not tied, rimless town with ms. Nov. 12 (1864) date on cover to James C. McKnight, Palestine Tex., 1864 docketing, ex Ferrary.
Although the Dietz catalogue identifies this June 11 cover as the earliest known use in 1861, it is actually the second earliest use in 1864 -- the earliest cover is dated April 14, 1864, and bears a Small 10c on Yellow (ex Hind).
The inside address to the C.S.S. Sachem at Sabine Pass is the key to establishing this cover as an 1864 usage. The Sachem was one of two Federal gunboats captured by the Confederates at the famous Battle of Sabine Pass in September 1863. Sachem became part of the Texas Marine Department and served the Confederate army at Sabine Pass. In the spring of 1864, she was turned into a blockade runner under the command of John Davidson.
Ex Caspary and Weatherly (acquired privately by the Kilbournes) (Image)
Beaumont Tex., 10c Black on
Pink (12X2). Bottom right corner position with "Beaumont" showing
broken "T", light pink paper, enormous margins including part of frameline
of adjoining stamp above, cleanly-cut margins at bottom and right and rough
separation at top and left (touches at one point), tied by pen
stroke with matching "June 18" (1864) ms. date on buff cover to
Mrs. S. L. Lloyd, Houston Tex., small piece of backflap torn away, tiny
edge tear at top, stamp has light wrinkling in right margin but is sound
and superbEXTREMELY FINE. ARGUABLY THE FINEST OF THE TWELVE RECORDED BEAUMONT 10-CENT PINK PROVISIONAL COVERS AND ONE OF ONLY FOUR TIED EXAMPLES OF ANY BEAUMONT PROVISIONAL.
Our records contain 15 of the Beaumont 10c on Pink, including 12 covers. Of these, two others may be considered on a par with this cover: the Jul. 16 cover with a corner-margin stamp (cover restored around edges, ex Hill -- recently stolen in Florida and still unrecovered) and the Oct. 25 cover (ex "Camina", Siegel Sale 757 -- stamp has smaller margins and is not tied). By virtue of the stamp's margins, the tying cancel and the its completely sound condition, this cover is arguably the finest of the group. The condition of the other 10c Pink covers is generally quite poor, with stamps repaired or torn into the design, and several with stamps cut out and reattached to the envelope.
Ex Hind, Caspary (to John R. Hill, Jr.) and Hill (acquired by the Kilbournes from the 1964 H. R. Harmer sale) (Image)
Beaumont Tex., 10c Black on
Pink (12X2). Dark Pink paper, upper right position with left frame
pieces in long-short-long configuration, margins slightly in but framelines
show on all four sides, typical pen stroke cancel (no tied), matching
"June 28" ms. postmark on fresh buff cover to Mrs. S. L. Lloyd,
Houston Tex., small piece of flap torn awayFINE STAMP AND CHOICE ATTRACTIVE COVER. ONE OF SIX SOUND EXAMPLES OF THE BEAUMONT 10-CENT PINK PROVISIONAL KNOWN ON COVER. AN IMPORTANT AND DESIRABLE CONFEDERATE RARITY.
Of the 14 recorded 10c Pink examples, only 12 are known on cover and 6 of the stamps on covers have faults or serious repairs. Two of the covers with sound stamps are defective, leaving just four covers available to collectors who desire a sound stamp on a sound cover.
Ex Moody (Image)