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 #5370 SERBIA 1879 two covers displayed on exhibit page, both mailed by a British Military Mission advisor to his wife in Scotland, one sent on 4th May, correctly franked with 50para (10+40p as postage increased from 40p to 50p after the 30th of March 1879), tied by "Vojna Posta Vrh.Komande" cds (Military Post Headquarters) cds, with Edinburgh arrival pmk, the other franked with single 50para green, tied by "Naplaceno" (Paid) handstamp (which was in usage at Pirot), Belgrade transit and Barnam (July 19, 79) arrival pmks on back, minor cover flaws, fine
| Price Realized $950.00
|
 | Lot #5371 SERBIA 1880 Prepared but unissued 1 para indigo blue, h.r., fine (this denomination was intended for the potential use on newspapers, which were free of postage up to that time. This rate was not actually implemented until 1896, at which time King Milan adhesives were no longer valid) *
| Price Realized $425.00
|
 | Lot #5372 SERBIA 1880 (24 Mar) registered cover from Pirot to Sarajevo, Bosnia, correctly franked with Prince Milan 10 para (Vth printing), used in combination 2x40 para (IV printing perf. 9 1/2), canceled by boxed "PREPORUCENO" (Registered) handstamp, with "K.SRB.POSTA PIROT" departure cds alongside, ms "3dr" indicated double weight, Belgrade and "Zimony" (Hungary) transits and Austrian Military P.O. at Sarajevo arrival (14.4.80) pmks on back, fine cover from the Royal Serbian Post at Pirot (during the Russo-Turkish War, the Serbian army entered Pirot, which was ceded to Serbia under the Treaty of Berlin in 1878)
| Price Realized $585.00
|
 | Lot #5373 SERBIA 1883 (17 Jan) value declared cover (opened for display) sent from Belgrade to Genova, franked with 1 dinar violet, used in combination with 20pa and 25pa denominations, all tied by special framed departure datestamps, sent insured for 400 francs, with nine intact wax seals, arrival pmk on back, one of the very few surviving covers with 1 dinar franking
Catalog #29,30,32 | Price Realized $525.00
|
 | Lot #5374 SERBIA 1894 (14 July) registered cover from Belgrade to Modena, franked with a horizontal pair of King Alexander 1 dinar dull lilac, tied by bilingual departure pmk, with Bologna transit and Modena arrival pmks on back, minor backflap tears, with intact wax seal, fine and important high value franking cover, ex-Diena family archive
| Price Realized $1,500.00
|
 | Lot #5375 SERBIA 1896 (12 Dec) cover franked with right half of 20p orange, used as 10p from "Tchatchak" (Cacak) to Belgrade, with arrival pmk (13 Dec) on back, fine and scarce provisional usage, Rasic reports "not more than a half dozen covers have been reported"
Catalog #43a | Price Realized $260.00
|
 | Lot #5376 SERBIA 1904-12 King Peter Issues, collection of 23 covers or cards on exhibit pages, with Centenary set on registered cover to Budapest, Registered mail from Valjevo, Belgrade and Sabac, 1905 "bareheaded" King Peter I definitives on covers to the Netherlands, Croatia, France, Germany, Austria, also a Telegraph form, Money orders, Newspaper stamps on covers and wrappers, etc.
Catalog #79/97,P1/11 | Price Realized $575.00
|
 | Lot #5377 SERBIA 1905 "bareheaded" King Peter I, unissued 2 1/2 para value in bluish gray, large die proof on glazed card, v.f., rare P
| Price Realized $500.00
|
 | Lot #5378 SERBIA 1911 The "King with cap", 35pa gray black, unissued value prepared in anticipation of a change in postal rates, Die Essay on wove paper, large margins, minor wrinkles, unreported in Rasic handbook, possibly unique P
| Price Realized $475.00
|
 | Lot #5379 SERBIA 1911 The "King with cap" Issue, 1p-5d, twelve different canceled Belgrade (17 July 1912) on a registered coverfront addressed to Austria, fine and attractive Catalog #109/129 | Price Realized $525.00
|
 | Lot #5380 SERBIA 1911-14 The "King with cap" Issue, selection of 13 covers or cards on exhibit pages, various combination frankings, origins and destinations, COD parcel card, Registry markings, etc.
| Price Realized $350.00
|
 | Lot #5381 SERBIA 1919-20 Liberation of Serbia, selection of 11 covers or cards on exhibit pages, military mail from different units at Bitolj, Krusevac, Skopje, Tsarevo Selo, Cetinje, Podgorica, Berane, Veles, Belgrade, Uzice & Vranje, some censored, various destinations, fine and well described group
| Unsold
|
 | Lot #5382 SERBIA 1921 (4 July and 12 Sep) two covers were sent by Lt. Col Frank Giles of the Royal Engineers, member of the "British Delegation Serbo-Bulgarian Boundary Commission", oval cachet and "British Commissioner Serbo-Bulgarian Boundary Commission" four-line cachet, each with 2p franking, sent by diplomatic pouch to London, one with central toning, unusual diplomatic mail pieces
| Price Realized $270.00
|
 | Lot #5388 SERBIA 1919-20 King Peter Issue, selection of 20 covers, cards, Postal Money receipts, etc., neatly displayed on 14 exhibit pages, philatelic and commercial mail, registered covers, including one from Pojega to Shanghai, another with single 1d franking, sent from Belgrade to USA, some extraordinary covers franked with multiples, bisect of 50pa on receipt for registered mail from Obrenovac to Valjevo, provisional postal markings, late usages, mixed frankings with stamps of Yugoslavia, etc.,
| Price Realized $750.00
|