3070 – ERIVAN X

Waxahachie, Texas, circa 1863, “PAID 10” in circle, struck on blue-bordered textured hexagonal label, affixed to cover front postmarked Waxahachie TEX (Jan 12), to Clement R. Johns in Austin, Texas, two horizontal filing folds, two light “W.H.C.” (Warren H. Colson) handstamps at lower right, previous Philatelic Foundation identification number label affixed to reverse, a most unusual and storied item, the only example recorded to date; 1994 Philatelic Foundation certificate no longer accompanies. This example, along with the Wharton, Texas cover offered in the following lot, first made its appearance in the renowned Ferrary collection, where they were sold as part of a larger accumulation, this particular example being described only as a “stamp on piece” and misspelled “Waxahachir” (June, 1922, lot 114). It later found its way to famed dealer Warren H. Colson, confirmed by his two handstamps at the lower right of the piece. The cover made a more public appearance in the 1990s, when it was exhibited as part of the collection of Dallas collector John Hill, who displayed it and the cover in the following lot after they had obtained certificates attesting to their genuineness from the Philatelic Foundation in 1994. It later found its way to dealer Andrew Levitt, this being the first occasion since when it has appeared on the public market.Despite this provenance, this “Provisional” remains a matter of much debate among specialists. It is unlisted in Scott, and was not referenced by Dietz, nor was it among the stamps recorded in the census’ of Phillips, Hart, or Crown. A colourful history of this cover is recounted in “The Great Texas Stamp Collection” by Charles W. Deaton.A storied piece of Confederate philatelic history, still today a matter of much debate and conjecture.