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
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #5308 ITALY ITALIAN OFFICES IN MOROCCO 1926 "Tangeri" overprint, 40c Victor Emmanuel III, imperforate horizontal pair, unused without gum as issued, minor crease, still v.f., signed Raybaudi. In anticipation of being permitted to open a Post Office Abroad in Morocco, the Italians produced proof overprints reading "Tangeri" (Tangier). The proposed issue never materialized as the necessary permission was not granted by the Sultan. Only 400 printed, most subsequently destroyed (Sass. €3,200) P | Price Realized $600.00 |
 | Lot #5309 ITALY ITALIAN OFFICES IN MOROCCO 1938-43 Exhibit collection of 13 covers or cards, essentially detailing the story of the Postal Service set up by the Italian Consul General in Tangier, during the Spanish Civil War. This facility was operated by the personnel of the Royal Italian Naval Wireless Station in that important port near the Straits of Gibraltar. Postal service commenced in May of 1938 and continued until Italy's surrender to the Allies in September 1943, at which time the Wireless Station was shut down. Although the Tangier office operated for over five years, covers are difficult to find and it has taken Mr. Kugel well over a couple of decades to acquire the items shown here, including censored mail franked with unoverprinted Italian stamps, other with "R.S.R.T.- PA R.Stazione R.T. Tangeri" overprints (three covers, each with Chiavarello certificate), commercial mail, 1943 cover with unoverprinted "Imperiale" definitives (Raybaudi certificate), etc. An in-depth study of this little known facet of Italian history  | Price Realized $4,000.00 |
