It's not often that a piece of postal history goes on auction that also is of genealogical interest. There is an ad by the Robert A Siegel auction house of New York City in the August 14, 2000 issue of Linn's Stamp News. The house will be auctioning a collection of postal history items related to New Orleans during the Civil War. The ad has a photograph (unfortunately in black and white) of one envelope that is addressed to: Rev OB Shockley, President; JW Shoppach, (title unclear); and TG Hockersmith (title unclear); Saline Cy Bible Society; Benton, Saline Cy, Ark. I'm not certain of the initials. The stamp on the envelope is a New Orleans 2 cent Postmaster Provisional. The 2000 Scott Catalog lists two values for the stamp if affixed to an envelope: $3,500 if the stamp is blue (issued 1861), and $25,000 if the stamp is red (issued 1862). Sometimes that old correspondence can be worth something! Fred San Antonio, TX