U.S. & Worldwide Stamps & Postal History
December 15-16, 2020
Welcome to our December 15-16, 2020 Auction which will be held live via CherrystoneLIVE. The sale has over 1,000 lots and features United States and European countries, including Austria, France and Colonies, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain, and others. Great Britain and British Commonwealth are well represented, covering all Reigns with many high values and sets from Aden to Zululand. Also featured is a section of 100 lots containing the Joe Taylor Postal History collection of Allied Intervention in Russia. The auction concludes with a strong selection of 120+ large lots and collections ranging from single country albums to specialized collections, multi-carton worldwide properties and large cover lots.
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #4539 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1918 (15 Sep) cover (with letter) endorsed "Soldier's Mail, Infantry A.E.F. Siberia" and addressed to Berkeley, without any postal markings, but bearing a boxed "A.E.F. Siberia Censored, Captain, 31st Infantry" cachet, one of only three recorded. The letter itself is also handstamped "Captain 31st Infantry and signed, part of the contents excised, with the routing via A.E.F. Siberia c/o Depot Quarter Master, S.F., Calif.", fine (Until the arrival of the first cancel on September 25, 1918, mail was censored and countersigned after reading the letter)  | Price Realized $240.00 |
 | Lot #4540 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1918 (Oct) two Japanese envelopes, beautifully illustrated, each with letter of contents, endorsed "Soldier's Mail Vladivostok, Siberia", U.S. Postal Agency Siberia and A.E.F. Siberia Censored markings, sent to Seattle, fine-v.f. | Price Realized $260.00 |
 | Lot #4541 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1918 (27 Dec) cover franked with 3c violet, canceled U.S. Postal Agency Siberia, with boxed censor cachet and signature, addressed to Rev. W.M. Zumbro, Madura, India, with Hong Kong (23 Jan 1919), 8 Feb transit and 13 Feb arrival pmks on back, cover mending and minor faults, most uncommon destination (Founded as a missionary in 1841 by the American Mission, the American College was shifted to Madura by Rev. W.M. Zumbro, its second principal, who had his formal education at University of Michigan, University of Columbia and Yale University) | Price Realized $600.00 |
 | Lot #4542 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1918 (23 Oct) cover (opened for display) from Vladivostok to USA, franked with imperforate strip of 6x5k Imperial Arms (small faults), written by a member of the U.S. Russian Railway Service Corps, with letter written at "First River, Siberia" ( Pervaya Retschka), with "Opened by Censor No.11" seal by A.E.F. Siberia Military Intelligence, some cover wear, fine example of early censor | Price Realized $500.00 |
 | Lot #4543 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1918 (11 Oct) picture postcard from Manchuria to USA, franked with imperforate 5k and 15k Imperial Arms, written by a member of the U.S. Russian Railway Service Corps, with Manchuria departure cds and violet "Passed by Censor 1479" applied in San Francisco. The U.S. government considered the members of the R.R.S.C. as civilian railway workers, so the free-franking privilege was not allowed. They used either the Russian Postal system or the U.S. Postal Service Siberia | Price Realized $160.00 |
 | Lot #4544 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1918 (25 Dec) War Department Headquarters American Expeditionary Forces Siberia official cover to Washington, D.C., endorsed Soldier's Mail, with "U.S. Postal Agency Siberia" duplex cancel, boxed "A.E.F. Siberia Censored" handstamp and signed "O.P. Robinson, Lt. Col U.S.", fine and early usage of the U.S. Postal Agency cds (used from December 15, 1918 to April 14, 1920) | Price Realized $160.00 |
 | Lot #4545 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1919 (19 Apr) Japanese picture postcard ("a modest supporter of the Allies / Enfant Japonais"), endorsed "Soldier's Mail A.E.F. Siberia", sent to Greenville, ILL, with duplex "U.S. Postal Service Siberia" cds and boxed censor handstamp, little toning and minor card crease, unusual | Price Realized $150.00 |
 | Lot #4546 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1919 (28 Aug) patriotic picture postcard from New Cambria, Ks, franked with 1c green, departure cancel alongside, addressed to a soldier with A.E.F. Siberia, October 7 "U.S. Postal Agency Siberia" arrival pmk, fine example of incoming mail to U.S. Forces in Siberia | Price Realized $260.00 |
 | Lot #4547 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1919 (23 Nov) U.S. Postal Agency Siberia, cover endorsed "Nurse's Mail A.E.F. Siberia", with censor's handstamp and signature below, with accompanying American Red Cross Commission to Siberia Camp Service letter, backflap missing, otherwise fine | Price Realized $160.00 |
 | Lot #4548 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1919 (18 Feb) picture postcard from St. Michel, France, endorsed "Officer's Mail", with U.S. Army Post Office cds, addressed to a Captain attached to General Staff A.E.F. Siberia, canceled U.S.Postal Agency Siberia Apr 14, 1919 on arrival and forwarded to Boston, Mass, card with missing corner at lower right, fine example of A.E.F. Siberia cancel used as a forwarding mark | Unsold |
 | Lot #4549 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1919 (8 Oct) cover with printed "Office of the Chief Inspector, Chinese Eastern District, Trans-Baikal, Tomsk and Omsk Railways" return address, franked with pair of imperf. 35/2k green, tied by Vladivostok cds and addressed to USA (St. Paul, Minn), sent though the "A.E.F. Siberia", boxed "Censored" handstamp and signed by the commanding officer (Colonel Emmerson, who is also the sender), with Russian "Opened by Censor / Vladivostok War Control No.25", resealed at left, some backflap faults, fine and rare usage from the commander of Russian Railway Service Corps (actually a "railway mission" which consisted of 316 American Army railway engineers out of St. Paul and Philadelphia, under the command of Colonel George Emmerson, the general manager of the Great Northern Railway. It was a military unit with civilian status hired by Kerensky's Provisional Government for duty along the Trans-Siberian Railroad. By the time the Russian Railway Service Corps (R.R.S.C.) arrived in Vladivostok, Lenin and the Bolsheviks had come to power and its services were no longer desired. The engineers initially pulled back to Nagasaki and returned to Vladivostok in 1919. The American troops were pulled out of Siberia in early 1920, although some civilian train experts did stay on until later. The last of the Czechs had been withdrawn by September. This left only the Japanese, who became stuck in the quagmire of a prolonged intervention until 1922, when forced to withdraw without having achieved their goals) | Price Realized $900.00 |
 | Lot #4550 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1919 (10 Mar) picture postcard (Vladivostok), endorsed "Soldier's Mail" and addressed to Army Field Clerk, American Peace Commission, Paris, France, sent by and censored by Capt. James E. McKenna, with "Passed by Military Censorship A.E.F. Siberia No.5" handstamp (actually showing some spelling errors "V" for "Y", "F" for "E"), apparently sent to Washington, with "Military Intel Dept" endorsement, "U.S.Postal Express" pmk, card with corner crease, otherwise fine Military Intelligence censor cachet | Price Realized $525.00 |
 | Lot #4551 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1919 (6 Dec) cover from Vladivostok to USA, franked with Russian 25k and imperf. 15k, tied by departure cds, Russian War Censor handstamp and "Opened by Censor No.23" by U.S. Intelligence, fine example of censored civilian mail | Price Realized $180.00 |
 | Lot #4552 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1919 (7 Mar) 3c violet, legal size stationery entire envelope, canceled U.S. Postal Agency Siberia, with "AM.E.F. Siberia Passed as Censored Lieut. Lester K/Ade Base Censor" in oval, sent to USA by P.E. Turner, with R.R.S.C. AEF Siberia, typewritten letter is datelined Harbin, Manchuria Mar 2, 1919 ("When this corps was organized, we were to operate the Siberian railway under the Kerensky government, but before arriving in Vladivostok, his little throne was torn down and we were a bunch of men without a country"). A fine example of the U.S Army Russian Railway Service using the U.S. Postal Agency Siberia | Price Realized $240.00 |
 | Lot #4553 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1919 (29 May) War Department Official Business legal size envelope to USA, franked with 2c, 10c and 10c Special Delivery, canceled "U.S. Postal Agency Siberia", with boxed "A.E.F. Siberia Censored" handstamp and signed "Colonel 31 Infantry", fine and extremely rare usage of a Special Delivery stamp in AEF Siberia | Price Realized $900.00 |
 | Lot #4554 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1919 (20 Jan) Official Business legal size envelope, Registered to New York City, franked with 10c orange (straight edge at right), tied by "U.S. Postal Agency Siberia / Registered" cds (two additional strikes on back), with boxed "A.E.F. Siberia Censored" handstamp and signed "Lt. W/C/ Strait" (the sender), Seattle transit and New York arrival markings, some cover wear, one of only 19 recorded registered covers from AEF Siberia | Price Realized $800.00 |
 | Lot #4555 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1919 two picture postcards (showing Naval vessels at Vladivostok harbor, including "U.S.S. Brooklyn" and "H.M.S. Suffolk"), endorsed "Soldier's Mail" and sent to USA, each with U.S. Postal Agency Siberia" and boxed censor's cachets | Price Realized $210.00 |
 | Lot #4556 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1920 (26 Apr) registered cover from Vladivostok to England, franked with Russian Imperial 5k, 15k, 25k, 50k, 70k and 2x1r (imperf.), used in combination with Siberia 35/2k green, paying total of 4r and sent by H. Simon, First officer of the United States Army Transport aboard the "President Grant", one of the troop ships that brought Czech Legion home via Trieste. The ship left Vladivostok on 27th April. One of only two recorded covers showing the return address of "President Grant", censored, with 11 June, 2020 arrival, some covers tears, fine | Price Realized $850.00 |
 | Lot #4557 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1920 (9 July) Knights of Columbus Manila, picture postcard (soldiers of the A.E.F. Siberia being entertained on July 4th in Manila) sent by a soldier to his "dear Sweetheart", en route from Vladivostok, via Manila back to the States | Unsold |
 | Lot #4558 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1920 (14 Oct) bilingual "American Consular Service Vladivostok, Siberia" legal size cover with Imperial Russian franking (1r Arms imperforate), tied by red "American Consular Service Vladivostok, Siberia" boxed handstamp, endorsed "Pouch", with "Consular Bureau Dept of State" datestamp and Washington DC arrival pmk (15 Oct), sent by G.H. Stephan, American Vice Consul in Vladivostok, cover creases and stains, rare usage, one of only two known with this Consular mark | Price Realized $475.00 |
 | Lot #4559 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1920 (8 Jan), a sixteen page letter (headed "The American Red Cross Commission to Siberia Camp Service), erroneously dated "8 Jan 1919", written at "Berezovka, Siberia" by an American Army Officer ("Harold, 27th Infantry, Manila, P.I.") commanding a company size unit in the Siberian Campaign 1918-20. The contents include reference to the rescue of Czech troops, protecting a train on the Trans-Siberian Railroad across Siberia and dramatic descriptions of the efforts involved. He further discusses his being furnished with money and other supplies to be used for bribes as required to get the trains through. He mentions acts of sabotage, commenting on both the Cossacks and the Bolsheviks, the atrocities committed in a small Siberian town by the Cossacks upon Russians suspected of being Bolshevik. The entire letter is a remarkable chapter in the grim pages in the history of the Russian Revolution and an exceptional account of the A.E.F. involvement in Siberia | Price Realized $475.00 |
 | Lot #4560 ALLIED INTERVENTION IN RUSSIA - SIBERIA United States forces in Siberia 1918-20 balance of the collection, 17 covers or cards, written-up on 18 pages, various unit and censor markings, Nurse's mail, American Red Cross Commission to Siberia enclosure, cover sent through the Russian Post Office to Ireland, YMCA lettersheet and stationery covers, incoming mail, one from Fort McKinley, Philippines, three from San Diego, mixed condition, with two additional defective covers not counted, mostly fine or better | Price Realized $950.00 |
