The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-27
RARE CONFEDERATE STAMPS
SEVERAL ISSUES WORTH FROM
 S1,OOO to e1, ,50O.

SEVERAL ISSUES WORTH FROM si,ooo to si.Soe.
 These are the Local Stamps Issued ny Pc~tmasters at the BeEinning of the war-On1y Single Specimens Known of Some Varieties.
 Mostly Simple in
 k Design. Among the rarest of postage stamps are the homeiy Confederate issues used on letters transported through the South in the early years of the civil war. Nearly every one of them is un- pleasing to the eye. yet they are treas- ured specimens in the collections of those fortunate enough to possess themf At the beginning of the war no reg ular Confederate stamps were on hand. and the postmasters were authorized to receive money in payment for the post age on letters to be forwarded. Small change was scarce, and in order to fa- cilitate matters postmasters issued To- cal stamps of their own design and sold them to patrons a number at time. These stamps could thereafter be pre- sented to the postmaster in payment of postage. Confederate provisional stamps and en velopes include IA different varieties. and the majority are held at a very high premium. Of many varieties not more than one specimen is known, ai- though it is not at all improbable that i other specimens of some of these rari-' ties are now resting on old war time letters, slowed away and forgotten. So scarce are the stamps and so rare- ly do they come up for sale that the standard catalogues do not mention the prices at which they are held. When a specimen does come to light 1t usual ly changes hands at private sale and thus not even expert collectors are al of rare issues. In what follows most of the estimates of the value of the stamps mentioned were supplied by E. M. Carpenter and A. w. Batcheller. | i Leading the rare Confederate stamps are the varieties of Goliad. Tex. Eight varieties are known. All are practical ly unobtainable.
 The scarcest are the five-cent gray and the ten-cent red. with the name | "Goliad" misspelIed at the top of a square of ornamental type border. In the centre is the denomination. either "5" or "10.' at the bott0n being the word Postage" At the left hand side l Is the name of the postmaster, "J A. l Clarke" On the opposite side is the | word Postmaster" Both of these rarities are valued at
 
 l ination of Eve and ten cents, without the name of the postmaster. Is valued at $1 .000 when 1t appears on pink pa per, while on ordinary paper speci. men is quoted at $500. The five-cent and the ten-cent dark blue are likewise valued at $500 apiece.
 Tn the S1,500 class is five-cent blue stamp issued at Livingston, Ala. It Is rather ornamental in pattern. At eith- : CT side is the inscription Livingston Postmaster" In the centre. on shield, is the numeral "5," with the sun and spreading rays overhead. while at inc extreme top and bottom are the words Paid" and Gents.
 Also of the same value IS rated the two-cent green gray green stamp p,r,oa o, Macon. Ga. This shows the words TWO cents" in the centre of small rectang- ular stamp of ornate border. The stamn Is unpr etentious In design, but Ia scarcest of all the stamps issued at Macon. ,,a
 Three other types were issued at Ma con. all of the denomination Of cents The design was someWnat ,, souare frames of typeset border, "ith inc words Five Cents in two nnes i, one design contained the additional words "Postoffice. Macon. Ga: This in gray blue is worth SS5' whiie 2 l ir cray green the value Is placed at so5 The Scent yellow with erha'he., al border is valued at s6o' wn,Ie 'ae " scent yellow with plain border quoted at $40. ,.s,,a OS the six varieties of stamps issueu .. New orleans only two are rare the k-cent red on .white paper. ana .ne
 cent, red on blue paper. Al the top aug sottoyn of these stamps Is the name oi Ina nostmaster, J. L. Riddell.
 Tn the center is the figure D., apoN .
 
 which is the word faid anu semi. .rants" surrounding this in two semi- circles the ends of which almost meet ana the words New Orleans In the ',a,ar ana "Post Office" in the lower .ar,il uppi circle. The red on white stamp ia valued at s1.00o. the red on plue a' $500. .,aun is one
 ne ne norv rare specimens. There are several varieties, the genral design ne- iny that of a square made up or orha- mental type border. .bo
 At the top of the rare green are the words in small type "P. A. batoil Rouge. La" Below this in one me is inc name of the postmaster J. Mc- Cormick. ,oon rwo o+har designs of the five-cent denonh- nation, made up of poruer, with tns name of the postoffice at the top ai1u tho postmaSter at the bottom, put '" i'
 out the words "Paid' and cents at sither side of the large numeral' the colors being green and carmine, are valued at $60 and s10o each.
 A collector in Washington recently found one of the five-cent red stamps issued at Pittsylvania Court House. Va The postmaster at that time was J. r. Johnston. and his name was at the bot tom of the stamp. which Is elaborate Ill design. - .p.ia F
 At the top is the customary Paid cents." The value of this rarity, which ia the only known variety issued at this postoffice. Is $500
 Gonzales, Tex, furnished two stamps which are among the scarcest or ehe Confederate issues. The design ol both showed a small rectangle, with inc firm name of Coleman X Law, Booksellers and Druggists" at the bot tom being Gonzales, Tex. TWO va. rieties of this are known, the hve ana the ten-cent, the former colored gold and dark blue. the latter gold and gar net These are estimated to be worth S1,000 each.
 Tho fiye-cent black stamp issued at Grove Hill. Ala Is of very crude de- sipn. If is still larger than the aver age of the provisional issues, with the inscrintion "Po At Grove Hill, Ala.'' Tn the center is the word Paid, below in two lines being "5 Cents This stamp is valued at $1,o0o.
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