Fort Valley Ga., 3¢ black entire #148XU1 (CSA Catalog FTV-GA-E01), UNIQUE RERATED PROVISIONAL from the Sternes correspondence prepared by handstamping envelopes with a “PAID / 3” marking (the U.S. rate) and revaluing the marking with a handstamp “5” marking (the new Confederate rate). An undated office postmark was struck on the envelope as a control marking when the 3¢ rate marking was applied to the envelope. Cover is addressed to Mrs. Julia Lowman, Eufala Ala., with letter datelined "Fort Valley July 6th 1861" from Julia’s cousin, M.L. Edgeworth. Sold in the 2012 Siegel Rarities Sale for $3,105. SOLD as part of the Sternes correspondence. Kept on the website to tell the story.

The 3¢ provisionals issued by postmasters in Confederate States prior to the establishment of the Confederate postal system are classified as a separate group in the Scott Catalogue. The presence of the dateless circular control mark establishes provisional status beyond doubt. A second example of the "Paid 3" used on April 12, 1851 (obviously not revalued to 5c) was offered in the Hall collection sold by Siegel in 2001. 2012 CSA certificate. All 3¢ 1861 provisionals are rare.

To create handstamped provisionals, a patron would take a stack of unused envelopes to the post office, pay the postmaster a specified sum and the postmaster would give back the stack of freshly-rated envelopes marked as paid with a control marking so the postmaster could recognize his work when the patron returned to mail a letter. Not until the time of mailing was the envelope stamped with a dated postmark. Additional types of control markings in other post offices included postmasters’ signatures, postmasters’ initials, and special handstamped seals.