The collecting of Civil War covers actually began during the war, and one design actually promotes the collecting of the covers! It is said that some publishers continued printing and selling covers after the war ended, but rumors of modern production of these designs are, mostly unfounded.  Patriotic covers from the War Between the States were published by a variety of manufacturers mostly in the North. 

The Civil War was serious business to American citizens, even if they chose to express their sentiments in a humorous way via the mail.  Patriotic covers were enormously popular in 19th Century America.Wars create a need for smartly worded, visually compelling political expression such as patriotic covers.There has to be at least 200 cachet publishers and printers who produced the popular patriotic designs.

Since collecting was a popular pastime, it was only natural that citizens began to collect Civil War patriotic covers.  Special albums were created and sold during the war that made it easy for collectors to mount the envelopes. Today these albums can command as much as $1,000 at auction.

Political activists worked with designers to stir support and sentiment.  To do so, they used patriotic symbols including the American Eagle, the American flag, stars, and the Liberty Bell.  Depictions of soldiers were common as were symbols of ‘Lady Liberty.’  

Designs were predominately printed in red and blue (also to inspire patriotism!) but exist in a wide range of colors, The most highly prized hand-colored designs were produced primarily by the Charles Magnus Company, the F.K. Kimmel Company, and Berlin &  Jones.Very little colored envelope stock was used most covers will be found on white. 

Twenty-five years ago, the lowest-priced unused Civil War patriotic covers could be purchased for a quarter or less.  The affordability of this fascinating branch of collecting makes it extremely accessible to novice collectors and appealing to Civil War enthusiasts.    Even covers that have been posted are offered in the $10-$20 range if their quality is relatively poor or their subject is common.  Rarer designs, however, elicit bids of many thousands of dollars. 

What’s on the design A-List when it comes to Civil War patriotic covers?  President Abraham Lincoln is one of the most expensive, while the Rose of Washington by Charles Magnus is undoubtedly one of the most popular.