Sale 3039: The "ERIVAN" Collection of United and Confederate States Postal History Part IV

30X3, Gonzales, Texas, 1865 (10c) Gold on black, single tied on an envelope by two pen strokes with a Gonzales Tex double circle date stamp and an ms "5", addressed to "TM Harwood/ care Breeden & Fox/Richmond Virginia", notation on the back "The saddle has not come/ it is not at store nor/ the Express office/ A Peterson" (different handwriting than the address), stamp margins to just cutting and with a light scuff, envelope opened and bit reduced at right with 6mm sealed edge break at the top and some edge wrinkling with a tiny edge break at the bottom, Fine appearance and quite rare with the Deaton census recording just two covers with this franking (Scott $50,000)rnCharles Deaton in his 2012 book, The Great Texas Stamp Collection, notes the existence of only two covers bearing this stamp (with one additional dubious cover not counted). The stamp on both of the covers is pen cancelled. Gonzales, Texas used advertising labels from the firm of Coleman & Law as provisional stamps twice during the Civil War (first as 5c stamps in 1861 and later as 10c stamps in 1864-65). John V. Law, co-owner of the firm, also served as the town's postmaster. As these labels were also attached to the insides of books (and perhaps medicine bottles) there have been numerous counterfeit covers produced over the years, and genuine uses on cover remain exceedingly scarce. The other cover bearing this stamp was last offered as part of the collection of Dr. Ralph Brandon (R.A. Siegel Sale 1073, 2014).Confederate States Postmasters' Provisionals