3070 – ERIVAN X

Marion, Virginia, 5c black on ruled bluish laid paper, unused, without gum, margins clear on three sides, touching at right, upper margin repaired, small bleached dot on right frame, yet a presentable and fine-appearing example of this rare Confederate provisional issue; with 2023 Civil War Philatelic Society certificate. At the time of the Caspary sale, in which this stamp was offered, bluish paper was not listed in the Scott catalogue, and the Philatelic Foundation considered the stamp "genuine, but whether issued for use on this paper is uncertain." Since that time, a used example has surfaced which has been recognized as genuine, proving that stamps on bluish laid were issued for postal use. A mere eleven 5c Marion provisionals are known on any paper (four on cover, three each on piece and used, and the stamp offered here, the sole unused example).  A rarity of Confederate philately.Provenance: Alfred H. Caspary (H.R. Harmer Sale 990, 1956)