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 #3035 United States - International Registration Labels 1883-1911 complete one-frame (16 pages) exhibit of the special exchange labels used by the U.S.Post Office Department on outgoing international Registered Mail (except for Canada). There are 31 covers from 27 (of 28) recorded locations (missing only Brownsville). Based on the latest census, label availability ranges from the relatively common (such as New York, Boston, Mobile, San Francisco and Cristobal, C.Z.) to rare Miami, Fla (only 1 recorded), San Diego (2), Tampa, Douglas, AZ, Eagle Pass, TX (6), Naco, AZ (2), also Honolulu, Shanghai, San Juan, etc. Some of the labels have name of the city printed on them, others with names handstamped or in manuscript. The exhibit is arranged alphabetically, in Scott catalogue order, beginning with 1884 cover to Brazil, with Baltimore, MD label (only 9 recorded), Boston, Mass, registered 1906 cover to Azores, Cristobal, C.Z. registered cover to Silver City, New Mexico, 1908 registered cover from Douglas, AZ to Sonora, Mexico (only 3 recorded), 1888 registered cover from Ontario to Salinas, Mexico, with Eagle Pass, Texas label (6 recorded), 1909 registered cover from the Italian Post Office in Constantinople to Guadalajara, El Paso, TX label, 1900 Havana, Cuba to Michigan (12 recorded), 1905 Honolulu, Hawaii (8 recorded), 1900 Jacksonville, Fla (6 recorded) to Cuba, 1896 Key West (manuscript name) to Germany, 1899 Laredo, TX on registered cover from Guatemala, 1904 cover from New South Wales to Nassau, Bahamas, with Miami, Florida (recently discovered) and New York Registry labels, 1904 Panama to New York, with Mobile, Alabama label, 1907 Naco, AZ on registered cover from Westfield, Mass to Sonora, Mexico (2 recorded), New Orleans and New York labels on cover from San Juan to Guatemala, others with New York Registry labels, incoming from India, 1906 Nogales, AZ (5 recorded), also St. Louis, San Antonio, San Diego (manuscript, only one recorded), San Juan, Puerto Rico, Seattle, Washington, Shanghai, China, two different covers, one with red, the other black label, Tacoma, Washington on registered cover from Chile to Singapore, finally Tampa, Florida on 1901 registered cover from Minneapolis to Cuba (stated to be the only recorded example in private hands). All covers expertly described, some exotic origins and destinations, mixed condition. An important collection (The "Collectors Club Philatelist" published a two part article by Al Kugel in December 2000. The stated intent of Mr. Kugel in writing these articles was to update the philatelic body of knowledge as to the number of covers bearing examples of these labels from the post offices authorized to use them. Based upon reviews of his own collections, auction catalogues, and the viewing of noteworthy registry exhibits such as those of Bostwick, Green, and Landau, he constructed a census of covers bearing labels from each of the individual exchange offices. According to his research, registry exchange labels were either authorized and/or used from 34 offices. However, no examples are known to exist from 9 of these. Of the 25 offices from which covers are known, the number of examples range from thousands of the common New York exchange type to one (!) each from Key West, San Antonio, Douglas, and Tampa. The remaining locations are, for the most part, each responsible for fewer than a dozen examples. Since its publication, "The Kugel Census" has been widely quoted in the philatelic press, in dealer's ads and in auction catalogues. Although this census stands as the most comprehensive of this material to date, Mr. Kugel noted that: "Unfortunately, discussions of the numbers extant of the scarcer labels are handicapped by the fact that some (perhaps many) examples are likely held by non-label collectors, who view them as merely attractive additions to covers that were acquired for other reasons. Therefore, they are unlikely to show up in any survey of labels unless spotted by happenstance by a label enthusiast in an exhibit somewhere. Thus there may be a lot more of the things out there than we think, but try to find them!") (catalogued as ordinary registered covers, without any premium for franking, destinations or origins) (complete collection is scanned on our website)  Catalog #FX-BA2/TP2 Catalog Value $47,500 | Price Realized $24,000.00 |
 | Lot #3036 United States - International Registration Labels 1892-1923 balance of the collection, 10 covers or cards written-up on exhibit pages, with New Orleans (blank, no name), St. Louis (printed name). Philadelphia (2), one to Finland, label with no name, other from England, with printed name, three different El Paso labels, one with all Upper case letters, another with Upper and Lower case letters, last one blank, no name, 1914 cover with three no name labels applied in San Francisco, two covers with New York labels, including third and fourth class, plus used as official seals, mixed condition, faults noted, cat. $5,000+ | Price Realized $2,700.00 |
 | Lot #3037 United States - International Registration Labels 1890 (Eagle Pass, Tex.) registered 5c stationery entire from Galveston, Tex. (Mar 3) to Puebla, Mexico, additionally franked on both sides with 1c, 2c (3), with Eagle Pass (manuscript name and Registry number) Registry Exchange label, Mar 6, 1890 Eagle Pass, Tex. transit datestamp, additional "Registrado Piedras Negras COA" mark and Republique Mexicaine UPU Registry label affixed on arrival, with Puebla (Mar 12) cds, only two (!) recorded, Catalog #FX-EG3 Catalog Value $3,000 | Price Realized $1,400.00 |
 | Lot #3038 United States - International Registration Labels 1895 (Mobile, Ala) registered cover from Belize, British Honduras (May 11) to St. Louis, with Mobile, Ala. Registry label (handstamped name in lower case block letters, Registry number in manuscript), with "Registered May 16, 1895 Mobile, Ala." transit handstamp on back, St. Louis (May 17) arrival datestamp on front, fine and extremely rare, only two (!) recorded, Catalog #FX-MO2b Catalog Value $1,000 | Price Realized $525.00 |
 | Lot #3039 United States - International Registration Labels 1895 (Nogales, AZ) registered legal size cover from Lawrence, Ks (Oct 26) to Mexico, franked with 2c and 8c Bureau Issues, with departure pmk alongside, Nogales, ARZ Registry Exchange label (handstamped name, manuscript Registry number), various transit and forwarding markings, returned to sender, Dead Letter Office (Feb 19,1896) on back, minor faults, only five (!) recorded, Catalog #FX-NOG2 Catalog Value $1,300 | Price Realized $450.00 |
 | Lot #3040 United States - International Registration Labels 1899 (Jacksonville, Fla) registered 5c stationery entire from Huguenot, GA (Feb 17) to Havana, Cuba, additionally franked with 8c and 2x10c Trans-Mississippi, with Jacksonville, Fla (Blank, no name, Registry number in manuscript) Registry Exchange label, Feb 19, 1899 Jacksonville, Fla "Rec'd" and Havana arrival pmks on back, only two (!) recorded, Catalog #FX-JA4 Catalog Value $2,000 | Price Realized $950.00 |
 | Lot #3041 United States - International Registration Labels 1900 (Jacksonville, Fla) registered 2sen stationery entire from Yokohama, Japan (12 July) to Havana, Cuba, additionally franked with 8s and 10s, tied by departure pmks, two Registry labels at left, also Jacksonville, Fla (handstamped name in violet, Registry number in manuscript) Registry Exchange label, Aug.12, 1900 Jacksonville, Fla "Rec'd" and Havana (15 Aug) arrival pmks on back, overall toning, fine and appealing cover, only six (!) recorded, Catalog #FX-JA2 Catalog Value $2,500 | Price Realized $750.00 |
 | Lot #3042 United States - International Registration Labels 1900 (Mobile, Ala) registered cover from Colombia (Nov 1) to New Orleans, with Nov.8, 1900 Mobile, Ala. transit pmk, corresponding Registry label (manuscript name and Registry number), arrival (Nov 9) pmk alongside, fine cover (only 6 recorded) Catalog #FX-MO3 Catalog Value $850 | Price Realized $375.00 |
 | Lot #3043 United States - International Registration Labels 1905 (Mobile, Ala) registered cover from Costa Rica (Apr 5) to France, single 10c franking, tied by concentric rings pmk, with Mobile, Ala. Registry label (handstamped name in block letters, Registry number in manuscript), sent via New York, where another Registry label was added, with transit and arrival markings, v.f., only two (!) recorded, Catalog #FX-MO2b Catalog Value $1,000 | Price Realized $475.00 |
 | Lot #3044 United States - International Registration Labels 1912 (Mobile, Ala) registered coverfront from Bocas Del Toro, Panama to Chicago, with Mobile, Ala. Registry label (manuscript name and handstamped Registry number), arrival (Nov 9) pmk alongside, fine and rare Catalog #FX-MO3 | Price Realized $325.00 |
