Rare Stamps & Postal History of the World
September 13-14, 2022
We are pleased to present our September 13-14 auction of Rare Stamps and Postal History of the World. An important sale, with a number of highlights, starting with United States graded stamps, 1847 Issue on cover, 1869 Pictorials Proofs and Essays, including a complete set of Atlanta Trial Colors, two different sets of Columbian Large Die Proofs, a collection of rare Plate Blocks, a newly discovered holding of sheets, blocks of four of the CIA and Stock Exchange Inverts, Flight covers and U.S. Possessions. There are rarities from Bolivia, China including an Inverted Hall of Classics, France and French Colonies, with better Zanzibar, Great Britain and British Commonwealth, Dr. Leslie Rose's collection of Germany and Colonies, Hungary with First Issues on cover and pre-WWII Imperforate souvenir sheets. From Latvia, there is a world-renown collection formed by Imants Timma, with stamps and covers, Occupation Issues, Kurland and a splendid collection of Wenden. The sale also includes a sensational, long-forgotten collection of Imperial Russia. Brought to the United States just after WWII, this collection, only recently unearthed, includes the remarkable unused pair of Russia Number One with original gum, a splendid holding of proofs and essays, (including a collection of 140 different Romanov Proofs) and much more. Many of these items were exhibited in New York in 1927 and until now, had been presumed lost during the War. Finally, the sale includes close to 300 large lots and collections.
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #258 United States - Air Post Flight Covers 1927 (29 June) Byrd Transatlantic Flight, Post Office Department Second Assistant Postmaster General cover, franked with 5c Roosevelt and 10c Lindbergh Air Post adhesives, tied by Mineola, June 21 cds, addressed to Mr. R.C.Wood in Neuilly-sur-Seine, "Via Commander Byrd New York to Paris" instructions typewritten at left, with 3.7.27 arrival pmk alongside and "Kindest Regards R.E.Byrd" autographed below. The monoplane "America" took off from New York and after a 42 hour flight was forced to land on the beach. The mail pouch was soaked, most of the recovered mail shows some evidence of waterlogging. This cover was personally carried by Byrd, hence it is in fine condition and is further accompanied by a personal signed card from Second Assistant Postmaster General "Air Mail Greeting via Commander Byrd's three-motored ship - New York to Paris Flight" (R.C. Wood served in WWI as US-France Liaison officer at Brest Naval Base, and later stayed in France. He was active in the Paris Post (chapter) of the American Legion and was elected the Aviation Committee Chair. He became intimately involved in the preparations for the upcoming Orteig Prize competition and was widely recognized as instrumental in setting up flights on the French side of Atlantic. Here's a telling excerpt from his April 20, 1927 letter to the National Aviation Association President Porter Adams."There is a great deal of interest over here now concerning the Trans Atlantic Flights that should soon take place. At this writing it seems as if Commander Davis would be the first American to 'take off. His plane is christened 'American Legion' as you know and the Paris Post is making preparations to receive him. I am Chairman of the Aviation Committee and am attending to the details on the Aviation end, such as getting le Bourget Airport lighted up and the Paris-London Route. La Direction Generale de l'Aeronautique here have also promised me to operate the big new search light of Mont Valerien that night. We are also asking the Navy Department to light Lesay Search Light at Cherbourg. After Davis got killed in Aon takeoff, Wood had switched to assisting the subsequent American attempts, those by Lindbergh, and later by Byrd. Not surprisingly, an Assistant PMG had sent a personal letter to Wood, and had asked Byrd to treat it in a special manner)  | Price Realized $1,000.00 |
