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 #5064 United States Army at War - World War II Naval and Maritime Mail 1923-41 U.S. Naval Mission to Brazil, collection of 26 covers or cards to USA, various Naval cachets and frankings, including a registered cover with "U.S. Naval Mission to Brazil c/o Foreign Station Post Office New York, N.Y." handstamp, franked with 3x500r definitive stamps, tied by "Navmis/Rio" cds, with 19 Aug 1940 arrival pmk, backflap partly missing, fine cover (prior to the outbreak of World War II in 1939, Brazil maintained positive commercial and diplomatic relations with both Allied and Axis powers. Despite its traditionally strong ties with the United States, by 1940 Brazil had become Germany's leading export market outside Europe and its ninth largest trading partner. Additionally, Brazil hosted significant and influential German, Italian, and Japanese diaspora communities. Following the U.S. entry into the war in December 1941, the Joint Brazil-U.S. Defense Commission was established and Brazil severed diplomatic relations with Germany, Japan, and Italy in January 1942, and allowed the establishment of U.S. air bases on Brazilian soil to counter Axis naval activities)  | Price Realized $675.00 |
 | Lot #5065 United States Army at War - World War II Naval and Maritime Mail 1942 "World War II Pacific Navy Location Code Names", a single frame (16 pages) exhibit of 23 covers, mail from Sydney, N.S.W. ("Project Brashat"), Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides ("Button"), Manus, Admiralty Islands ("Chestnut"), Guadalcanal ("Club One"), Noumea, New Caledonia ("Epic"), Auckland, New Zealand ("Fulcrum"), Tulagi, Solomon Islands ("Ringbolt"), Efate, New Hebrides ("Roses"), Upulu, Western Samoa ("Strawhat"), etc., different Naval handstamps, censored markings, registered mail and more. A captivating insight into the identification system used by the U.S. forces in the Pacific, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor | Price Realized $475.00 |
