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 #5032 United States Expeditionary Force in North Russia Naval and Maritime Mail 1918-19 selection of 11 covers or cards from "U.S.S. Des Moines", "U.S.S. Olympia", "U.S.S. Eagle II", "U.S.S. Yankton", "U.S.S. Sacramento" and Hospital ship "Braemar Castle", three different locations ("Kola", "Yukanski" and "Archangel" recorded from U.S.S.Des Moines), cover from U.S.S.Olympia is marked "Official Business" and is addressed to the Secretary of the Navy, "Passed by Censor" handstamp, one of the covers has been redirected to "U.S.S. Sacramento" and is the only recorded cover to a U.S. Warship in North Russia, mixed condition, all expertly described on exhibit pages  | Price Realized $9,000.00 |
 | Lot #5033 United States Expeditionary Force in North Russia Naval and Maritime Mail 1919 two small covers to Danville, Ill., each endorsed "Soldier's Mail", canceled "U.S. Navy", sent from "U.S.S. Yankton" (a converted yacht, the ship carried two naval officers to Murmansk and when Rear Adm. Newton A. McCully arrived to take command of U.S. forces in North Russia, he took up residence on the "Yankton". During its stay, the ship took no active part in the military operations against Bolshevik forces located nearby, but served on patrols, with duty as radio ship at Murmansk, and as a military passenger transport between Murmansk and Archangel) | Price Realized $950.00 |
