(Courtesy of Wikipedia)

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Scott no. 1c  picturing Pres. Jefferson Davis - 5 cents - issued October 1861 printed by Hoyer & Ludwig

Scott no. 2a featuring Thomas Jefferson - 10 cents -  issued November 1861. Printed by J. T. Patterson & Co.

Scott no. 4  picturing Pres. Jefferson Davis - 5 cents - issued March 1862.

Scott no. 5 featuring Thomas Jefferson - 10 cents - issued around March 1863. Printed by Hoyer & Ludwig.

Scott no. 6  picturing Pres. Jefferson Davis - 5 cents - issued  April 1862. Printed by De La Rue & Co., London England

Scott no. 7  picturing Pres. Jefferson Davisn - 5 cents - issued August 1862. Printed by Archer & Daly.

Scott no. 8 featuring Andrew Jackson - 2 cents - issued May 1863. Printed by Archer & Daly.

Scott no. 11b  picturing Pres. Jefferson Davis - 10 cents - issued April 1863..

Scott no. 12  picturing Pres. Jefferson Davis - 10 cents - issued May 1863

Scott no. 13 featuring George Washington - 20 cents - issued June 1863. Printed by Archer & Daly.

Scott no. 14 featuring John C. Calhoun - 1 cent - never issued. Printed by De La Rue and Co., London England

The Confederate Post Office Department was authorized in February 1861 and became functionally operational on June 1, 1861. In the interim USA postage stamps were valid to a point. After they were invalidated a system of local "postmaster provisionals" were used, some in the form of stamps and some as stamped envelopes until CSA stamps became available. Many cities and towns issued  these but most are quite rare today. Here is an example of a stamp issued by J. L. Riddell postmaster of New Orleans.

Here is an example of a provisional stamped envelope issued by the postmaster in Marietta, Ga.


Official CSA postage stamps became available as early as October 1861. Postmaster provisionals were still used when postage stamps were unavailacle. Here is a collection of covers (envelopes) postally used in the Confederacy, one from each State. Confederate Territories such as Arizona and Indian Territories were also utilized but these covers are extremely rare.