Auction #33

Lot 1385 The Leon V. Pont Extensive Personal Collection of Indian First Flight and Related Covers, 1911 to 1934, all chronologically displayed in four volumes, with each item conserved in a glassine, accompanied by a sheet of information (the same as was used by Lady Ezra) including number of items carried, postmarks, cachets, and more, often with personal observations and notes, as well as several contemporary newspaper clippings from the flights, photographs, etc. The collection consists of 367 different items, which are the best quality Mr. Pont could find. As he had much duplication of some, he was always careful to keep the best items (postmarks, routes, pilot signatures, etc.) in his personal collection. There are way too many good items to list here, but it should be assumed that the collection includes one of each of most Indian flights and legs known in the period, including several where only a handful were flown. The collection also includes interesting items such as a FDC for the first Airmail stamps, FDC of airmail stationery, some incorrect cachets, some original photographs, two complete sets of Tata Sons special covers (with and without Union Jack flag), two sheets of blue unused bilingual airmail labels (one with and one without watermark), three different 1911 flight covers, rare souvenir cards from the 1913 Great Aerial Exhibition as well as many covers and cards selling for $300 to $1,000 each. See our gallery for scans of all the items contained in this once in a lifetime collection. The person who buys this collection will also get Mr. Pont’s personal correspondence letters (mostly between him and Mr. Stephen Smith, with very interesting facts on his rocket mail endeavors), as well as a 1st prize trophy cup he won at the 1932 Air Mail Exhibition in London England, plus four medals, two silver ones won at the same show and two large bronze ones won at the 1934 Air Mail Exhibition in London (all in their original boxes, with a damaged original catalogue of the show). Last but not least we will include original programs for the First and Second Airmail Exhibitions in India (1930 and 1932, held at Lady Ezra’s residence, where Mr. Pont was a presenter in the First and an award recipient in the Second), a group of about 50 Aero Philatelic Club of India monthly bulletins from 1926 to 1937, and other related items including a (damaged) 1929 and 1930 Graf Zeppelin wine list given to him as a Christmas gift by Stephen Smith (with letter dated 1931), as well as Mr. Pont’s personal used Penny Black stamp in a special folder. Should this lot not attain our $60,000 reserve starting price, we will dismantle it and offer each item separately in our September 2020 sale. A very rare occasion to obtain such a complete collection intact. Rsv. $60,000, Estimate $60,000, sold for C$85,000.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.