Carl Kilgas Collection of China Part II
August 23-24, 2023
We are proud to present Part II of the Carl A. Kilgas collection of China, with 762 lots to be sold on August 23-24, 2023 at 10:00 A.M. each day, at our Teaneck, New Jersey Galleries.
Mr. Kilgas authored a number of articles for the China Clipper from 1976 to 1985. As a member of the Collector's Club of New York, he presented in the CCNY journal, outlining China's postal history, with illustrations of stamps and covers of from his own collection to tell the story. In 1984, he was selected to lend some of his rarities to the 1984 ROCPEX exhibition in Taipei. Carl's few proteges who are still alive (the youngest of whom is now 73) remember him as a very private person, who was embarrassed that his collection had become legendary. He was regarded by his peers as an expert in Chinese Philately. Almost forty years later, we continue to offer selections from Carl's extensive holding of his Large and Small Dragons, Dowagers, Chinese Imperial Post Coiling Dragons, Republic and Nationalist Issues, as well as Japanese Occupation and selection of Alien Offices. All of the collecting areas of the Kilgas collection contain important items, including some that have never been listed, even in specialized catalogues. Many of these "new discoveries" have in fact been hibernating in this collection for over 80 years, mounted on personalized type-written pages, with minimal annotations in pencil.
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #4561 CHINA Air Post Flight Covers 1921 (23 May) inaugural flight Peking to Tientsin, registered, commercial cover, Return Flight with framed "Chinese Post Office Dispatched by Aeroplane Tientsin to Peking", arrival pmks, registry receipt taped to the front, with some tape staining at bottom, fine and very rare  | Price Realized $1,100.00 |
 | Lot #4562 CHINA Air Post Flight Covers 1929 (15 Apr) first flight Peiping to Nanking, attractively franked cover addressed to S.J. Mills (co-author of "The Chinese Airpost"), little toned specks, v.f., with arrival pmk (this route was abandoned on 8 June, 1931 after objections to flying over the French garrison at Tientsin) | Unsold |
 | Lot #4563 CHINA Air Post Flight Covers 1929 (13 July) Canton to Shanghai cover with special cachet honoring two French Army aces Captains Rignot and Arrachart, enroute from Paris to Tokyo, with special cachet and "Express Delivery" label on back | Price Realized $180.00 |
 | Lot #4564 CHINA Air Post Flight Covers 1931 (14 Apr) first flight cover from Nanking to Peiping, via Loyang, attractively franked and addressed to Dr.C.W. Luh (a prominent philatelist and professor at Yenching University), with Peiping (15.4.) and Chengdu (16.4) arrival pmks on back (Japanese were advancing down China coast and finding direct air routes to Peiping was of great priority) | Unsold |
 | Lot #4565 CHINA Air Post Flight Covers 1935 (26 Mar) Experimental flight by Chinese National Aviation Corporation, cacheted cover from Chunking, via Kweiyang to Kunming (Yunnan Fu), with arrival (9 June) on back. Plane left Chunking for Kweiyang (took five days because of Civil War fighting), left same day for Kunming (had to turn because of heavy gunfire), flight canceled, mounted carriers carried mail across rugged terrain infested with various brigands, finally arrived in June 9th, 72 days in transit (for anticipated "4 hours 15 min" flight) | Price Realized $160.00 |
