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 #5025 United States Expeditionary Force in North Russia 1918-19 selection of 14 covers or cards on exhibit pages, expertly described showing progression of U.S. involvements, commencing with Troops in Transit (AEF units withdrawn from France and sent to Archangel), "Received from H.M. Ship/No Charge to be Raised" Naval mail, Field Post Offices, including "FPO BP 11" (Soroka), "FPO PB 33" (Pechenga), "FPO PB 44" (Bakharitza), "FPO PB 55" (Bereznik), "FPO PB 66" (Oberzerskaya), "FPO PB 77" (Emetskoye), "FPO PB 88" (Kem), "FPO PB 99" (Kola), incoming mail from Detroit and Toledo, variety of censor markings and endorsements, mixed condition, mostly fine or better  | Price Realized $6,500.00 |
 | Lot #5026 United States Expeditionary Force in North Russia 1918 (24 Nov) cover endorsed "Soldier's Mail", sent to Wisconsin, "Field Post Office P.B.66" departure pmk, "X20" censor hs, fine, extremely rare usage from "Oberzerskaya" (about 120km south west of Archangel, located on the rail line fought over by the Red Army and the counter-revolutionary Whites, with a high level of fatalities) | Price Realized $500.00 |
 | Lot #5027 United States Expeditionary Force in North Russia 1919 (10 July) American YMCA cover addressed to a soldier in North Russia, departure postmark "Third Army A.P.O. 740", with "Missent in Archangel P.B.Nr.4" hs applied on arrival, additional markings indicate that the postal service searched for the addressee who was probably in Murmansk, fascinating journey from a U.S. trooper with the Third Army in Germany to another with the AEF in North Russia, only recorded example of "Missent in Archangel PB Nr.4" marking | Price Realized $1,700.00 |
 | Lot #5028 United States Expeditionary Force in North Russia 1919 (3 July) YMCA corner card cacheted cover endorsed "American Soldier's Letter", canceled "Army T.P.O. No.1 / N.R.E.F.", addressed to Chicago, violet "A.E.F. Passed as Censored" cachet, minor cover tears, fine. The Traveling Post Office No.1 operated on a weekly schedule on the rail line between Murmansk and Soroka. Only five such covers have been recorded, one from a British and four from U.S. soldiers | Price Realized $2,500.00 |
 | Lot #5029 United States Expeditionary Force in North Russia 1919 (26 Apr) YMCA North Russian Expeditionary Forces corner card cacheted free-frank envelope, endorsed "soldier's mail", sent through the British P.B.2 Army Post Office to Pontiac, Mich., Censor label and oval hs, minor cover wear, fine | Price Realized $525.00 |
 | Lot #5030 United States Expeditionary Force in North Russia 1919 (11 Feb) legal size envelope with pre-printed "Rev. John S.Landowski Chaplain - (unit designation excised) Infantry U.S.N.A.", endorsed "Officer's Mail", sent through the P.B.2 British Army Post Office to New York, censor's signature and hs, minor cover wear. This is the only recorded Personnel corner card cover with printed information necessary to secure the free frank from North Russia | Unsold |
 | Lot #5031 United States Expeditionary Force in North Russia 1919 (11 Apr) YMCA corner card cacheted cover from Bereznik to USA, canceled "Field Post Office P.B.55", roughly opened and resealed by censor, with letter (extensively censored), noting "this has been one of the most hotly contested fronts in N.Russia", fine usage | Price Realized $525.00 |
