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 #5207
GERMAN COLONIES German South-West Africa Flight Covers
1914 Special Flight for Windhoek Exhibition (19 May) Usakos-Karibib flown picture postcard, franked with 25pf Yacht, canceled "Karibib D-SWA", with three line cachet "FLUGPOST USAKOS-KARIBIB 1.Flugzeug in Sudwest Befordert", addressed to Swakopmund, v.f. (The pilot, Bruno Buechner made only four mail carrying flights in Southwest Africa before his double-decker aircraft was requisitioned for the German war effort. This was the only official airmail flown in any of the German Colonies). A major rarity, only a few exist
Envelope
Price Realized
$3,500.00

Lot #5208
GERMAN COLONIES German South-West Africa Flight Covers
1914 Special Flight for Windhoek Exhibition (18 May) Swakopmund-Karibib flown picture postcard, franked with 5pf Yacht, canceled "Swakopmund Deutsche-Sudwestafrika", with single-line "Erste Flugpostersuch in D.S.W.A.", minor hinge marks, otherwise fine. (The pilot, Bruno Buechner made only four mail carrying flights in Southwest Africa before his double-decker aircraft was requisitioned for the German war effort. This was the only official airmail flown in any of the German Colonies). A major rarity, only a few exist
Envelope
Price Realized
$3,750.00

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