Schuyler Rumsey Auctions in San Francisco will sell the highlights of my 50 year accumulation of Arkansas Postal History. This will be part of his "Civil War Sale" February 12-13, 2025. Among other items the sale will include the following
-Arkansas Territory: Two Little Rock Shield covers and covers from the Indian Nations before 1836
-Early stampless covers showing rates, routes, & cancel colors. Also the earliest reported cover from Arkansas to a foreign nation.
-Adhesives. The only reported use of Scott US #1 from Arkansas, and one of 4 covers with US #2 from within the state.
Inland Waterways - A dozen or more covers with packet boat hand stamps or manuscript names that carried Arkansas mail on the Mississippi, Ouachita, and Arkansas rivers.
-Confederate and Union: 1st day of Independent State: (May 16, 1861) spectacular cover with 6 x 1 cent adhesives and two last day (May 31, 1861) covers mailed in the US Postal System
Confederate - Earliest reported Arkansas cover in the Confederate mail system (June 2, 1861). Stampless covers from many towns, CSA adhesives, only reported flag of truce cover from Arkansas to a norther address, highest rated (80 Cents) Arkansas cover in the Confederate system, turned covers, wall paper covers, trans Mississippi express cover.
Union- Wonderful cover mailed in Ohio to Arkansas, intercepted and sent to the Dead Letter office and then returned to the sender. Covers illustrating the operation of the military mail sending Union soldiers letters home, and handling Military Unit and Civilian mail. Only reported use of Scott #71, 30 cents on foreign letter from occupied Little Rock to France. Fort Smith Straight line cancel used in 1864 by military postal officials
Postwar - Several rare or unique uses of the 1869 definitive series from Arkansas.
And there will be multi-cover lots.
I hope all those interested in Arkansas Postal History will examine the sale as it is posted and take a chance to pick up covers that have been off the market for up to 50 years!
Bruce Roberts 01-03-2025