#65 Straddle Margin Combination Cover 3c Stamped Env Newton Bateman EFO

Premium Civil War-era postal history item tailored for collectors of classic U.S. positional varieties and Errors, Freaks, and Oddities (EFOs).

This 1860s combination cover features a 3¢ Rose George Washington adhesive (Scott #65) affixed directly over a 3¢ Pink embossed envelope indicia. Both are tied by a bold, matching black duplex target cancel.

The Scott #65 adhesive is a highly desirable **Straddle Margin** piece from the pane gutter. It boasts an exceptionally wide, clean, straight left margin that perfectly preserves the pane boundary line. Instead of a standard straight edge that detracts from value, this authentic positional margin provides clear philatelic evidence of the stamp's placement on the original plate.

The cover is elegantly hand-addressed to Newton Bateman, a prominent 19th-century educator and close personal friend/confidant of Abraham Lincoln during his Springfield years. The lower-left corner includes a sender notation from fellow educator Dr. Edwin Leigh ("E. Leigh").

Both stamps are well-tied and clean. The cover exhibits standard period wear consistent with its age, including minor edge tears along the top flap and gentle toning. The reverse shows a historical dealer pencil notation identifying the positional variation ("imperf below" / straddle alignment). Please review the high-resolution scans for a closer evaluation of the margins and cancel quality.

Packaged securely in an archival-grade sleeve and shipped in a rigid mailer to protect the integrity of the margins.