Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

The Milton Mitchell Collection of United States 3-Cent 1861-68 Issues continued...

**Civil War Usages**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description	Est/Cat	Realized
169		"No Mail Service". Clear strike of straightline handstamp (applied at Memphis Tenn.), additional "Mails Suspended" oval handstamp (applied at Washington D.C. Dead Letter Office) on small cover to Holly Springs Miss., 3c Rose (65) tied by large cork grid, "New-York Nov. 20, 1863" double-circle datestamp, sender's routing instructions "via Memphis Tenn.", "Memphis Tenn. Dec. 2" duplex backstamp, with original enclosure discussing the whereabouts of a relative of the famous Maury family who was presumed drowned, small sealed edge tear at upper left VERY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE "NO MAIL SERVICE" HANDSTAMP, WHICH WAS APPLIED AT MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE. During and for a brief period after the Civil War, Federal distributing post offices for mail to Southern locations were responsible for handling letters that could not be delivered due to interruption of service, because either the route was closed or the destination office was held by Confederates. The offices at Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans used specific markings to indicate suspension of mail service. According to a well-reasoned theory developed by Benjamin Wishnietsky ("Thoughts on 'Mails Suspended'", Confederate Philatelist, July-August 1983), the three principal offices used handstamps reading "Mails Suspended" (Nashville), "No Mail Service" (Memphis) or "Cannot Be Forwarded" (New Orleans). Mr. Wishnietsky's theory, with covers offered as evidence, further attributes the familiar "Mails Suspended" oval to the Dead Letter Office at Washington (an identical marking may also have been used at New York City). The oval was used on mail returned from the distributing offices to explain why the letter was being returned to the sender. The oval does not appear on "Mails Suspended" covers from Nashville, because it would be redundant. However, the oval is found on all covers from New Orleans ("Cannot Be Forwarded") and this only-recorded cover from Memphis. Ex Finney. From our 1982 Rarities sale (realized $5,500 hammer). With 1982 S.P.A. certificate. (Image)	E. 4,000-5,000	8,000.00
170		"Mails Suspended". Clearly struck straightline handstamp with bars at top and bottom on cover to Tuscaloosa Ala., 3c Rose (65) tied by circle of wedges and "Nashville Ten. Mar. 20" circular datestamp, purple ms. "Examined and approved Chas. A. Beckert, Capt. & Prov. M." censor's marking, bold "Nashville Ten. Jun. 28" double-circle datestamp on back, slightly reduced at top and missing top flap, stamp defective, otherwise Fine, extremely rare marking, censor markings are not usually found on "Mails Suspended" covers and in this case strongly indicates a prison origin (possibly at Nashville) (Image)	E. 1,000-1,500	1,050.00
171		"Mails Suspended". Clear strike of oval handstamp with framed "Cannot be Forwarded" on yellow cover to Bayou Goula La., 3c Rose (65) tied by segmented cork, red "Boston Mass. Sep. 28" double-circle datestamp, back of cover with "New Orleans La. Free Oct. 25, 1862" double-circle datestamp, opened by the post office to try and determine sender's address, small edge tear at right, Very Fine, a beautiful cover with a rare combination of markings, the "Mails Suspended" is believed to have been applied at the Washington Dead Letter Office (Image)	E. 1,500-2,000	3,500.00
172		"Mails Suspended". Neat blue oval handstamp on orange cover to Union Point Ga., 3c Rose (65) tied by "Elmira N.Y. May 15, 1862" double-circle datestamp, Very Fine, this marking is believed to have been struck in blue at New York City (Image)	E. 1,000-1,500	1,500.00
173		3c Rose (65). Rich color, tied by well-struck "Dead Letter Office P.O.DPt." double oval handstamp on cover to Baltimore Md., matching "Washington D.C. Aug. 12, 1862" double-circle datestamp and "Due 6cts" handstamp, pencil "R", Very Fine, the absence of a cancel on the 3c stamp suggests that this may have been sent to Baltimore inside another cover (prisoner's mail?) or that the addressee was recognized as fraudulent -- we see no other explanation for the D.L.O. treatment (Image)	E. 300-400	550.00
174		3c Rose (65). Tied by bold Shield fancy cancel, "Attleborough Ms. Jul. 20" circular datestamp on multicolored Magnus Camp Scene Patriotic cover to Foxborough Mass., with part of original Magnus enclosure depicting Siege and Capture of Fort Donelson and dated 1863, few perfs at top affected from placement at edge of cover EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE MULTICOLORED MAGNUS PATRIOTIC COVER WITH A SHIELD FANCY CANCELLATION, COUPLED WITH A MAGNUS LETTERSHEET. The presence of a Civil War thematic fancy cancellation on a patriotic is always desirable and very rare. This elaborate Magnus design, used in conjunction with the distinctive Attleborough Shield and matched with a large portion of the original Magnus battle-scene lettersheet, is nothing less than a work of art. In our opinion, based on our experience and a review of Levi records, this is one of the most spectacular Civil War covers extant, appealing to both patriotic and fancy cancel collectors. (Image)	E. 7,500-10,000	7,500.00
175		3c Rose (65). Tied by "Washington D.C. Feb. 14, 1863" circular datestamp on red and green Romeo and Juliet Valentine to Waterbury Conn., with original enclosure which has hand-drawn sketch of soldier delivering a Valentine, some minor edgewear incl. top flap reattached by hinge, Very Fine, scarce and colorful valentine with the original enclosure (Image)	E. 2,000-3,000	2,300.00
176		3c Rose (65). Tied by neat "Memphis Ten. Feb. 25, 1863" double-circle datestamp on orange Romeo and Juliet Valentine to Davenport Iowa, with enclosure depicting seated soldier at a camp desk, docketing on back of cover reads "Elizabeth Russell's first valentine sent from the South (at the line of the Civil War) by Capt. Kendrick. She was about six", missing bottom flap and few small edge tears, otherwise Fine, a beautiful cover (Image)	E. 1,500-2,000	2,300.00
177		3c Rose (65). S.e. at left, tied by "Washington D.C. Nov. 21, 1861" circular datestamp with yeardate inverted on red and blue State of New Hampshire Union Patriotic cover to Milford N.H., slightly reduced at right into perfs, otherwise Fine, colorful usage (Image)	E. 300-400	160.00
178		3c Rose (65). Tied by bold "Washington D.C. May 20, 1862" double-circle datestamp on red and blue Wounded Zouave and Nurse Patriotic cover to Gilboa N.Y., few tiny sealed tears at bottom, otherwise Very Fine (Image)	E. 300-400	230.00
179		3c Rose Pink (64b). Tied by one of two clear strikes of "Ship Island/Miss." two-line handstamp on red and blue Star and Shield Patriotic cover to East Barnard Vt., slightly reduced at left, minor edgewear, otherwise Fine, Ship Island is in the Gulf of Mexico off of Biloxi Miss. and was used a a base for Union troops attacking Confederate ports (Image)	E. 300-400	290.00

Civil War Usages

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

Est/Cat

Realized

169

"No Mail Service". Clear strike of straightline handstamp (applied at Memphis Tenn.), additional "Mails Suspended" oval handstamp (applied at Washington D.C. Dead Letter Office) on small cover to Holly Springs Miss., 3c Rose (65) tied by large cork grid, "New-York Nov. 20, 1863" double-circle datestamp, sender's routing instructions "via Memphis Tenn.", "Memphis Tenn. Dec. 2" duplex backstamp, with original enclosure discussing the whereabouts of a relative of the famous Maury family who was presumed drowned, small sealed edge tear at upper left

VERY FINE. THE ONLY RECORDED EXAMPLE OF THE "NO MAIL SERVICE" HANDSTAMP, WHICH WAS APPLIED AT MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

During and for a brief period after the Civil War, Federal distributing post offices for mail to Southern locations were responsible for handling letters that could not be delivered due to interruption of service, because either the route was closed or the destination office was held by Confederates. The offices at Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans used specific markings to indicate suspension of mail service.

According to a well-reasoned theory developed by Benjamin Wishnietsky ("Thoughts on 'Mails Suspended'", Confederate Philatelist, July-August 1983), the three principal offices used handstamps reading "Mails Suspended" (Nashville), "No Mail Service" (Memphis) or "Cannot Be Forwarded" (New Orleans). Mr. Wishnietsky's theory, with covers offered as evidence, further attributes the familiar "Mails Suspended" oval to the Dead Letter Office at Washington (an identical marking may also have been used at New York City). The oval was used on mail returned from the distributing offices to explain why the letter was being returned to the sender. The oval does not appear on "Mails Suspended" covers from Nashville, because it would be redundant. However, the oval is found on all covers from New Orleans ("Cannot Be Forwarded") and this only-recorded cover from Memphis.

Ex Finney. From our 1982 Rarities sale (realized $5,500 hammer). With 1982 S.P.A. certificate. (Image)

E. 4,000-5,000

8,000.00

170

"Mails Suspended". Clearly struck straightline handstamp with bars at top and bottom on cover to Tuscaloosa Ala., 3c Rose (65) tied by circle of wedges and "Nashville Ten. Mar. 20" circular datestamp, purple ms. "Examined and approved Chas. A. Beckert, Capt. & Prov. M." censor's marking, bold "Nashville Ten. Jun. 28" double-circle datestamp on back, slightly reduced at top and missing top flap, stamp defective, otherwise Fine, extremely rare marking, censor markings are not usually found on "Mails Suspended" covers and in this case strongly indicates a prison origin (possibly at Nashville) (Image)

E. 1,000-1,500

1,050.00

171

"Mails Suspended". Clear strike of oval handstamp with framed "Cannot be Forwarded" on yellow cover to Bayou Goula La., 3c Rose (65) tied by segmented cork, red "Boston Mass. Sep. 28" double-circle datestamp, back of cover with "New Orleans La. Free Oct. 25, 1862" double-circle datestamp, opened by the post office to try and determine sender's address, small edge tear at right, Very Fine, a beautiful cover with a rare combination of markings, the "Mails Suspended" is believed to have been applied at the Washington Dead Letter Office (Image)

E. 1,500-2,000

3,500.00

172

"Mails Suspended". Neat blue oval handstamp on orange cover to Union Point Ga., 3c Rose (65) tied by "Elmira N.Y. May 15, 1862" double-circle datestamp, Very Fine, this marking is believed to have been struck in blue at New York City (Image)

E. 1,000-1,500

1,500.00

173

3c Rose (65). Rich color, tied by well-struck "Dead Letter Office P.O.DPt." double oval handstamp on cover to Baltimore Md., matching "Washington D.C. Aug. 12, 1862" double-circle datestamp and "Due 6cts" handstamp, pencil "R", Very Fine, the absence of a cancel on the 3c stamp suggests that this may have been sent to Baltimore inside another cover (prisoner's mail?) or that the addressee was recognized as fraudulent -- we see no other explanation for the D.L.O. treatment (Image)

E. 300-400

550.00

174

3c Rose (65). Tied by bold Shield fancy cancel, "Attleborough Ms. Jul. 20" circular datestamp on multicolored Magnus Camp Scene Patriotic cover to Foxborough Mass., with part of original Magnus enclosure depicting Siege and Capture of Fort Donelson and dated 1863, few perfs at top affected from placement at edge of cover

EXTREMELY FINE. A BEAUTIFUL AND RARE MULTICOLORED MAGNUS PATRIOTIC COVER WITH A SHIELD FANCY CANCELLATION, COUPLED WITH A MAGNUS LETTERSHEET.

The presence of a Civil War thematic fancy cancellation on a patriotic is always desirable and very rare. This elaborate Magnus design, used in conjunction with the distinctive Attleborough Shield and matched with a large portion of the original Magnus battle-scene lettersheet, is nothing less than a work of art. In our opinion, based on our experience and a review of Levi records, this is one of the most spectacular Civil War covers extant, appealing to both patriotic and fancy cancel collectors. (Image)

E. 7,500-10,000

7,500.00

175

3c Rose (65). Tied by "Washington D.C. Feb. 14, 1863" circular datestamp on red and green Romeo and Juliet Valentine to Waterbury Conn., with original enclosure which has hand-drawn sketch of soldier delivering a Valentine, some minor edgewear incl. top flap reattached by hinge, Very Fine, scarce and colorful valentine with the original enclosure (Image)

E. 2,000-3,000

2,300.00

176

3c Rose (65). Tied by neat "Memphis Ten. Feb. 25, 1863" double-circle datestamp on orange Romeo and Juliet Valentine to Davenport Iowa, with enclosure depicting seated soldier at a camp desk, docketing on back of cover reads "Elizabeth Russell's first valentine sent from the South (at the line of the Civil War) by Capt. Kendrick. She was about six", missing bottom flap and few small edge tears, otherwise Fine, a beautiful cover (Image)

E. 1,500-2,000

2,300.00

177

3c Rose (65). S.e. at left, tied by "Washington D.C. Nov. 21, 1861" circular datestamp with yeardate inverted on red and blue State of New Hampshire Union Patriotic cover to Milford N.H., slightly reduced at right into perfs, otherwise Fine, colorful usage (Image)

E. 300-400

160.00

178

3c Rose (65). Tied by bold "Washington D.C. May 20, 1862" double-circle datestamp on red and blue Wounded Zouave and Nurse Patriotic cover to Gilboa N.Y., few tiny sealed tears at bottom, otherwise Very Fine (Image)

E. 300-400

230.00

179

3c Rose Pink (64b). Tied by one of two clear strikes of "Ship Island/Miss." two-line handstamp on red and blue Star and Shield Patriotic cover to East Barnard Vt., slightly reduced at left, minor edgewear, otherwise Fine, Ship Island is in the Gulf of Mexico off of Biloxi Miss. and was used a a base for Union troops attacking Confederate ports (Image)

E. 300-400

290.00