The Alfred F. Kugel Collection
June 18-19, 2024
We are pleased to present our June 18-19, 2024 auction, featuring Part One of the Alfred F. Kugel collection of Postal History of the world, being sold on behalf of the American Philatelic Society. The first of many to follow, this sale is only a sample of the vast amount of material yet to be presented. We begin with United States Dollar values on cover, U.S. States Postal Agencies in the Far East, U.S. International Registration Exchange Labels, U.S. Intervention in Mexico and Registered Mail from U.S. Possessions. There is a splendid selection of the International Intervention in China during the Boxer Rebellion, extensive showing of German Colonies in China and the Pacific, with dozens of rare and unusual items, including unique Tientsin handstamps on 2m and 3m Reichspost. In addition, there are selections of World War I British Occupation of Baghdad, Jordan, Salonika, Mafia Island, Saudi Arabia, plus elusive covers from the Austrian, British, Ottoman, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese Empires.
This is a Public Auction, with Floor Bidding and live internet bidding via CherrystoneLIVE
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #3178 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1900 (June 19) cover from Beckenham, England addressed to "Admiral Seymour, Commanding British Fleet Tientsin (in flames 18/6/00 China British Flagship)", filing fold away from the stamps, fine (Sir Edward Hobart Seymour became Commander-in-Chief, China Station on February 18, 1898, his flagship battleship "HMS Centurion")  | Price Realized $300.00 |
 | Lot #3179 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1900 (26 June) cover sent without postage to Shanghai, with Tientsin departure pmk and penciled "No stamps to be procured or money to pay for them with", which apparently sufficed to get the letter to destination, where Postage Due of 4 cents was charged (red crayon) to the recipient. Also "9th day of the bombardment of Tientsin" in pencil and Shanghai 13 July 00 arrival pmk (the International Settlement in Tientsin was attacked by the Boxers on 17th June and relieved by the Allied troops on the 23rd) | Price Realized $675.00 |
 | Lot #3180 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1900 (Sep) cover franked with a block of 4x3p C.E.F., tied by F.P.O.12 pmks (Hishowa), addressed to Scotland, with Base Post Office 5 Oct.00 transit and Linlithgow (Nov.1) arrival pmks, "Optima Est Veritas" wax seal on back seeped through to front, otherwise fine and scarce usage from F.P.O.12, which was at Hishowa for only a few weeks (recorded as "not seen" in Proud) | Price Realized $750.00 |
 | Lot #3181 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1900 (25 July) cover franked with Japanese 10sen blue, tied by Tientsin I.J.P.O. departure pmk, addressed to a British officer in Dharmsala, Punjab, with transit markings of the Japanese Post Office in Chefoo, British Post Office in Shanghai, reaching Tuticorin, India on 28 August, 1900. While the first troops from India arrived in Tientsin on July 18th, 1900, the first British FPO did not open until nine days later. In the interim, mail from the British forces was dispatched through existing post offices of the other Allies, primarily the Japanese. A fine British Forces in China forerunner cover | Price Realized $1,200.00 |
 | Lot #3182 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1900 (Aug) cover to England endorsed "No Stamps Available from Taku", Hong Kong transit, handstamped "T" and charged "1d" on arrival in London. Also included is a cover endorsed "B.C.F.F. No Stamps Available" addressed to an officer at "I.S.C. Liu Kun Tau", with F.P.O. No.13 (1 Nov 00) arrival pmk, both neatly displayed on exhibit page | Price Realized $1,400.00 |
 | Lot #3183 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1900 C.E.F. overprints, set of 10, canceled by F.P.O. No.5 (30 Oct.01) cds on cover addressed to Metz, with Shanghai 30 Oct. 01 departure pmks on back, Metz arrival (3.12.01), fine-v.f. Catalog #CG C1-10 | Price Realized $300.00 |
 | Lot #3184 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1900 1a6p sepia, l.h., v.f., prepared but not issued C.E.F. overprint (120 copies sent to China), * Catalog #SG C10c Catalog Value £450 | Price Realized $475.00 |
 | Lot #3185 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901-04 collection of 33 covers or cards, neatly displayed and written-up on exhibit pages, showing a wide range of markings used by the British during the Boxer War, mostly C.E.F. franking, usages from Base Office (Hong Kong), F.P.O. 6 (Shanhaikwan), F.P.O. 7 (Peking Tartar City), F.P.O. 5 (Shanghai), F.P.O. No.8 (Shanghai Cavalry Camp), F.P.O. No.9 (Yangtsun), F.P.O. No.10 (Hanku), F.P.O.11 (Sinho), F.P.O. No.12 (Matao), the latter card used via the German Post Office in Peking, addressed to Burma, F.P.O.13 (Weihaiwei), F.P.O. No.14 (Shanhaikuan), F.P.O. No.15 and F.P.O. No.16 (both from Chinwangtao), two covers franked with unoverprinted Indian stamps (used in the FPOs before distribution of C.E.F. overprints), registered boxed "F.P.O. No.4" from Tientsin to Calcutta, registered postcard with "R Base Office B" handstamp, sent via Hong Kong to Germany, Naval covers to and from "China Station", the latter with "Commander-in-Chief China Station" datestamp, Traveling Post Offices with "C.E.F. No.1", No.2 and No.3 markings, including a card with Chinese franking, Hong Kong Regiment, mail from British Legation guards, including inbound card to British Legation Peking, with F.P.O. No.1 arrival mark, variety of destinations, many to India, also Germany, United States, Scotland, Italy, etc., mostly fine-v.f. A remarkable collection of China Expeditionary Force mail | Price Realized $7,000.00 |
 | Lot #3186 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (Peking-Tartar City) cover (opened for display), franked on back with 12x3pi C.E.F. adhesives, tied by F.P.O. No.7 (14 June 1901) cds, registered to Lahore, with crayon "R" supported by the extremely rare framed "F.P.O. No.7" handstamp on front, Base Office 26 June and Lahore (15 July) arrival markings, minor cover mending, stated to be one of only two recorded examples of FPO 7 registry marks on cover | Price Realized $600.00 |
 | Lot #3187 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (Legation Gate) (23 Mar) legal size "On Her Majesty's Service" (Government of India embossing on backflap) franked with OHMS handstamped 1a Victoria, tied by double ring FPO No.1 pmk, addressed to Calcutta, with Base Office transits and 20 April arrival pmks on back, filing folds away from the stamps, fine and extremely rare usage of the OHMS overprinted adhesive on cover from FPO1 (Legation Gate) (OHMS stamps were not sold in China, but were distributed to Army offices under strict accountability rules, to be used only on official mail) | Unsold |
 | Lot #3188 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (Peking-Temple of Heaven) cover franked with C.E.F. 1a Victoria, canceled by pen and tied by FPO No.2 double-ring pmk, endorsed "China Expeditionary Force Temple of Heaven Peking" and sent to London, Base Office transit and arrival (20 Sep) pmks on back, fine (FPO 2 served as Headquarters of the 1st Infantry Brigade and operated for one year from 1 Sep 1900 to 15 Sep 1901) | Unsold |
 | Lot #3189 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (18 Jan) 1/2a C.E.F. stationery entire envelope, additionally franked with 1a and 3pi C.E.F. overprinted adhesives, tied by F.P.O. No.1 single ring pmks, sent from Peking (Legation Gate) addressed to Meklenburg, fine | Unsold |
 | Lot #3190 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (Tongshan) cover franked with 2x1/2a C.E.F. overprinted adhesives tied by FPO No.3 double-ring pmks, addressed to Scotland, Base Office transit and Glasgow (Sep 12) arrival pmks on back, fine. Covers from this station are among the rarest of the British Field Post Offices (FPO 3 officially opened at Tungchow on 30 August 1900 and moved to Tongshan in 1901) | Unsold |
 | Lot #3191 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (Peking-Temple of Heaven) picture postcard (endorsed "in commemoration of the Boxer rising 1900-1901") franked with C.E.F. 2a6pi green, tied by FPO No.2 27 Aug 1901 single-ring cds, with framed "F.P.O. No.2" Registry handstamp below, addressed to Lahore, with Base Office transit and 29 Sep 01 arrival pmks, some toning, otherwise fine (written-up on an exhibit page as a "discovery example, being previously unrecorded. Registered postcards are even more unusual than covers") | Unsold |
 | Lot #3192 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (Tientsin) (22 July) "On Her Majesty's Service" (Government of India embossing on backflap) cover franked with C.E.F. 1/2a green, tied by double ring FPO No.4 pmk, addressed to Rawalpindi, India, with oval "Field Controller Military Accounts / China" censor handstamp, with Base Office, Tuticorin (27 Aug) and Rawalpindi (2 Sep) arrival pmks, fine (FPO 4 operated at Tongku from 13 November to 30 April 1901, when it moved to Tientsin) | Price Realized $475.00 |
 | Lot #3193 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (6 Feb) unfranked "On Her Majesty's Service" cover addressed to an officer at Temple of Heaven, Peking, re-addressed several times, including "has been transferred to Tientsin", showing 10 (!) F.P.O. and Base Office transit markings on back, including the final Base Office B (Tientsin) arrival | Price Realized $475.00 |
 | Lot #3194 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (6 April) picture postcard (defective lower left corner) endorsed "Corps Expeditionnaire de Chine", franked with C.E.F. 1/2a green, tied by violet Base Office B "PAR" (for parcel) cds, addressed to France, with Valloy en Suilly 23 Apr 01 arrival pmk, unusual application of "Par" (parcel) marking on a postcard | Price Realized $150.00 |
 | Lot #3195 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (May) 1/2a C.E.F. stationery entire envelope (opened for display) canceled by FPO No.12 (Matao) cds, additionally franked on back with 4x1/2a C.E.F. overprinted adhesives, all tied by FPO No.12 cds, boxed "F.P.O.No.12" Registry handstamp (number filled-in by hand), Base Office "REG" transit and Thelin arrival pmks on back, cover roughly opened at right, stated to be "the discovery example of the FPO 12 boxed handstamps for use on registered mail, not previously recorded in the literature" | Price Realized $600.00 |
 | Lot #3196 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (Tientsin) 1/4a C.E.F. stationery card with 3pi and 1/2a additional franking, canceled by F.P.O. No.4 single ring (3 Aug 1901) cds, addressed to England, "Yangtsun" departure dateline, with Base Office transit markings on both sides, some toning, otherwise fine | Unsold |
 | Lot #3197 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (15 Apr) 1/2a C.E.F. stationery entire envelope (opened for display, part of back missing and torn) canceled by F.PO. No.16 (Chinwangtao), addressed to "Clerk Base Post Office A-Base Hong Kong", additionally franked with 5x1/2a C.E.F. overprinted adhesives on back, all tied by F.P.O. No.16 cds, "Regd" endorsement indicates "Registered", with number filled-in by hand, Base Office arrival pmk, fine and very rare usage | Price Realized $500.00 |
 | Lot #3198 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (Tientsin) Base Office B, registered cover franked with five C.E.F. overprinted adhesives, tied by "Base Office R 29 Jan 1901 REG." cds, with framed Registry handstamp, addressed to Gibraltar, Sea Post Office transit and oval "Gibraltar Registered 26 Mar 01" arrival pmks on back, fine and extremely rare example of registered mail from the Base Office B to uncommon destination | Price Realized $475.00 |
 | Lot #3199 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (Shanhaiguan) registered cover franked with strip of 4x1a C.E.F. overprints, tied by F.P.O. No.14 (22 June) cds, addressed to Simla, additional departure and Base Office (4 July) pmks on back, filing fold away from the stamps, minor cover flaws on back, fine and scarce Registered usage from Shanhaiguan | Price Realized $475.00 |
 | Lot #3200 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (Wei-ha-wei) 1c Imperial postal stationery card additionally franked with 2c and 4c CIP Coiling Dragon adhesives, tied by F.P.O. No.17 (6 May 1901) departure cds, sent via Base Office (19 May) to Petersfield, England, with July 19 01 arrival pmk, fine (FPO 17 was established at Weihaiwei on 11 Oct 1900 and continued to operate there until 16 July 1901) | Price Realized $1,200.00 |
 | Lot #3201 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (Taku Gate, Tientsin) 1a C.E.F. stationery entire envelope addressed to Wei-hai-wei, F.P.O. No.18 (3 Dec 1900) departure cds, redirected on arrival to Tientsin, with Base Office and F.P.O. transit and arrival pmks on back (F.P.O.18 accompanied the 4th Infantry Brigade from India and was attached to its HQ in Tientsin until August 1901) | Unsold |
 | Lot #3202 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1901 (Tongshan) "On Her Majesty's Service" cover franked with overprinted O.H.M.S. India 1a official, tied by F.P.O. No.19 (15 Apr 1901) departure pmk, addressed to a Major F.B.Lange in Calcutta, redirected to Shillong, with transit and arrival markings on back, fine (F.P.O.19 operated from February to August 1901 at Tongshan, a railway junction town between Peking and Chinwangtao, a port city on the coast of China) | Price Realized $1,000.00 |
 | Lot #3203 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1902 (5 Apr) registered cover (opened for display, piece (and another stamp?) missing at upper right) franked on both sides with 3x3pi and block of 6x1/2a C.E.F. overprinted adhesives, tied by F.P.O. No.1 (Legation Gate) double-ring cds, framed "F.P.O.No.1" handstamped used as a registry mark, number filled-in by hand, addressed to Ootacamund, S.India, with May 2 arrival pmk, rare usage (registered mail from the FPOs is extremely rare, in same cases only one or two recorded. Registration datestamps were not provided for FPOS, but most had the rectangular box with the number of the station which they applied to registered covers) | Unsold |
 | Lot #3204 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1903 (22 July) cover ("Punjab Infantry" backflap imprint) paid at unsealed Printed Matter rate, posted though the Imperial Post Office Railway Mail Service, with 1c CIP Coiling Dragon tied by "I.P.O. - R.N.S. Peking Shanhaikwan No.3" bilingual cancel, addressed to Capt. Andrew in Tientsin, with 22 July FPO No.4 and Tientsin arrival markings, fine example of close co-operation between the C.E.F. Field post and the Chinese Imperial Post Office after the Boxer War | Price Realized $1,100.00 |
 | Lot #3205 CHINA BOXER REBELLION - British Forces in China 1905 (Peking) picture postcard with 1a C.E.F. stamp canceled by F.P.O. No.1 (16 Mar 1905) cds, datelined Peking, 12 March, addressed to Copenhagen, with Base Office B transit and arrival (27.4.05) pmks, extraordinary usage to Denmark | Price Realized $250.00 |
