Civil War Patriotic Cover Eagle Shield Star Spangled Banner Washington DC 3c For Sale

Civil War Patriotic Cover Eagle Shield Star Spangled Banner Washington DC 3c
Original Civil War Union patriotic cover, featuring a striking red-and-blue Federal eagle carrying an American shield.
Beneath the eagle are lines from the fourth stanza of Francis Scott Key's “The Star-Spangled Banner”:
“Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,And this be our motto—‘IN GOD IS OUR TRUST.’And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall waveO’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.”
The design has been catalogued as Walcott-Laurence 2506-29V, Bischel 4541, and a variant of Weiss E-L-170. An independently documented example matches the eagle-and-shield design, placement of the verse, red-and-blue printing and buff envelope.
The quotation is especially evocative of the Civil War period. “The Star-Spangled Banner” became an important expression of Union patriotism during the war, with the national flag serving as a powerful symbol of loyalty to the Union.
Franked with a 3¢ Washington stamp and cancelled with a somewhat smudged but decipherable WASHINGTON, D.C. circular date stamp.
Addressed in period handwriting to: Mrs. Betsey Gurney, East Abington, Mass.
The cover is in decent overall condition for a used Civil War patriotic envelope, with attractive and substantially complete red-and-blue artwork. There is age toning, scattered soiling and handling wear, particularly around the upper-left corner and stamp. Please examine the photographs closely for condition.
From the collection of Dr. Allan C. “Doc” Johnson (1889-1941) of Clinton, Massachusetts, an active stamp collector during the early 20th century. Doc's collection has remained with his family for more than eight decades.
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