The Alfred F. Kugel Collection, Part Three
February 11-12, 2025

Welcome to the third sale dedicated to material meticulously assembled by Alfred "Al" F. Kugel over a multidecade effort to build an expansive collection of philatelic and postal history items focused on military conflicts of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Upon his passing in 2022, Al Kugel entrusted the American Philatelic Society (APS) with his entire philatelic estate, including 180 boxes of philatelic literature and military postal history material. Much of the material offered across the first three sales has not appeared on the market for decades, many of the items originally acquired through Cherrystone Auctions, where Al was a frequent and valued client. Now, this exceptional collection returns to the marketplace, offering collectors a rare opportunity to acquire significant pieces enriched by Al's extensive scholarship and research.
Al's collection spans global conflicts and military mail from the late 19th century through modern times, with a focus on the break-up of Austrian, German, Ottoman Empire and Russian Empires, military campaigns in the Balkans, with Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, Allied Interventions in China during the Boxer Rebellion and in Russia during the Civil War as well as the two World Wars and their aftermaths. An extraordinary array of regional Military and Naval mail from those violent actions form the core of Al's exhibits, China, Japan, and other nations.

This sale will take place via CherrystoneLIVE

ImagesDescriptionCurrent Bid
Lot #5134
BULGARIA First Balkan War Military Mail
1913 Second Macedonian Brigade and Third Army cachets used as postmarks, two picture postcards to Plovdiv and Sofia, the latter with a small negative "Chemins de Fer de la Turkuie D'Europe / Tcherkeskeui" (Railways of European Turkey) and two diff. HQ of the Third Army cachets, fine and extremely rare marking, one of only two recorded (On October 27th, the Railway Bridge at Tcherkesskeui, 50 Miles from Constantinople was blown up by the Bulgars, blocking the Turks' retreat. The railway from Constantinople to Lule-Burgas had been broken at Tcherkesskeui, only twelve miles northeast of Tchorlu, the Turkish headquarters, and fifty miles from Constantinople. The strength of the Turkish forces in the region was estimated at four army corps, about 150,000 men)
Envelope
Price Realized
$525.00

Lot #5135
BULGARIA First Balkan War Military Mail
1913 picture postcard with "Telegraph Postal Station / Tchorlou" cachet (Bulgarian Lion astride the Ottoman Crescent) cachet, addressed to Sofia, also 5st stationery card with a large cachet "Empire of Bulgaria Port Authority Dedeagatch" with Anchor in the middle, with Sofia arrival cds, fine and extremely rare military marking, one of only two recorded
Envelope
Unsold

Previous Country/Group Auction Index Next Country/Group

Back to Top