Recalling pleasant things and taking the time to dwell on them.
Iowa: Civil War Era.
(C-0036)U.S. #26 Series of 1857-61 3¢ Washington Type III Earliest Known Use: September 14, 1857 Postmarked in Iowa City on August 3, 1857 This postal cover from The Clark House in Iowa City is addressed to Samuel McFarland, Esq. in Mt. Pleasant (Henry County), Iowa.(C-0036)(C-0239)U.S. #65 Series of 1861-62 3¢ Washington to Troy, PennsylvaniaPostmarked November 18, 1861 in Iowa City, Iowa.(C-0217)1862 Postal Cover – Embossed U.S. #U37 3¢ WashingtonPostmarked July 18, 1862 in Iowa City.(C-0217)Circa 1862. U.S. #26 Series of 1857-61 3¢ Washington Type III Earliest Known Use: September 14, 1857. (Collector’s note: this rare cover sold on Ebay in November 2020 for $90). It’s a rare embossed postal cover created for The Iowa City Republican newspaper and dates to 1862. The Republican began in 1848 as the Iowa Republican (succeeding the Iowa Standard), then renamed the Iowa Weekly Republican in 1855, and the Iowa City Republican in 1862. In 1922, it became the Johnson County News before ceasing publication in 1923.(C-0031)U.S. #63 Series of 1861-62 1¢ Franklin Earliest Known Use: August 17, 1861 This rare cover is addressed to Msgr Bloomfield – Belfast – Lee County, Iowa. It is postmarked in Palmyra, MO and on the back of the letter, writing indicates the letter was written by C.N.B. (Chauncey Noble Bloomfield) in Palmyra, MO on September 2, 1862. The cover appears to originally have had a second stamp attached & postmarked, probably a 2-center.(C-0243)U.S. #65 Series of 1861-62 3¢ Washington to Burlington, IAPostmarked Dec 19 (1862?) in Chicago.
(C-0243a) Letter dated March 30, 1854 from William Cooper. In May 2021, I purchased on Ebay the postal cover pictured above (C-0243), which is postmarked in Chicago and addressed to P. Henry Smythe in Burlington, Iowa. The cover included this letter, but because of the date discrepancies, I can’t be certain if William Cooper has any connection with Smythe. The postal cover is postmarked December 19 and uses U.S. #65 Series of 1861-62 3¢ Washington for postage. The earliest this cover could have been mailed was 1861/1862. The letter is dated March 30, 1854. How the two came together is a mystery we’ll probably never know unless we can find a connection between Smythe (a lawyer who was living in Tennessee in 1854, moved to Cleveland in 1855, and then moved to Burlington in 1857) and Cooper.
(C-0254)U.S. #65 Series of 1861-62 3¢ Washington to Burlington, IAPostmarked Mar 3, 1862 in Philadelphia, PA.(C-0212)U.S. #65 Series of 1861-62 3¢ Washington to Columbus City, IAPostmarked Dec 11 (1862?) in Burlington, Iowa.(C-0212)(C-0030)U.S. #65 Series of 1861-62 3¢ WashingtonEarliest Known Use: August 18, 1861 This rare letter and cover is written by Albert R. Anderson, addressed to his younger brother, Harvey W. Anderson, Co. K, 4th Iowa Infantry, Helena Ark. Postmarked in Iowa City on February 3, 1863. The cover states: via Cairo (Illinois) and was postmarked in Cairo on February 5, 1863, and addressed to the attention of (Care Capt. Cramer) Joseph Cramer, Head of Company K.This second stamp-less cover (found on-line) was postmarked December 27, (1862) in Clarinda, Iowa – home of Albert R. and Harvey W. Anderson.(C-0032)U.S. #65 Series of 1861-62 3¢ Washington. Earliest Known Use: August 18, 1861 Our cover is postmarked June 21 (1864?) Carrolton Station, and is addressed to Msgr Emmer Westcott (1838-1918), Iowa City, Iowa(S-0075) This rare CDV (circa 1865) in our collection comes from Isaac Wetherby’s studio, and includes a U.S. Revenue stamp issued during the 1860’s to help raise funds for the Civil War.(S-0075)U.S. #R6 1862-71 Revenue ‘Bank Check’ 2¢ Washington. For more info on Revenue stamps, click here. (C-0033)Personal letter & envelope postmarked October 11 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The letter is dated 1865 and uses two Black Jack stamps U.S. #73 Series of 1861-66 2¢ JacksonEarliest Known Use: July 1, 1863 (C-0033) In 1863, when Congress established a prepaid rate of two cents for drop letters, this stamp, picturing our 7th President, Andrew Jackson, was put into use. Nicknamed “Black Jack,” this stamp is one of the most popular U.S. issues. The design is unusual in that a full-face portrait takes up all but a small portion of the stamp. For this reason, collectors also refer to it as “Big Head.” Interestingly, the 1863 Confederate 2¢ stamp uses the same portrait, which is attributed to a painting by Miner Kilbourne Kellogg.(C-0034)U.S. #65 Series of 1861-62 3¢ Washington Civil War Era – Iowa City “Bulls-Eye” postmarks. While mail between the North and South decreased during the war, there was an overall increase in volume as soldiers and their families communicated with each other. The 3¢ Washington stamp satisfied the domestic first class rate for mail sent less than 3,000 miles. Although a large quantity was printed, the 3¢ Washington stamp was produced with 26 plates. There are also several shades and the stamp is also prized for the variety of cancellations used, including these “Bulls-eye” postmarks found on our two envelopes mailed from Iowa City on Sept 25, 1865 and Jan 12, 1866 (below).(C-0035)U.S. #65 Series of 1861-62 3¢ WashingtonEarliest Known Use: August 18, 1861 Postmarked Jan 12, 1866?(C-0207 – C-0210)U.S. #65 Series of 1861-62 3¢ WashingtonEarliest Known Use: August 18, 1861 These four rare covers are addressed to David Newton Heizer of Kossuth, Iowa. All postmarked in Iowa City between 1865 and 1871, one is from a cousin while Heizer is serving in the Civil War (via Cairo, IL). The other three are addressed to him after returning home, while taking classes at SUI. Click here to see the entire Heizer collection.(C-0308)U.S. #65 Series of 1861-62 3¢ WashingtonEarliest Known Use: August 18, 1861
Our Iowa Heritage 