Lot 1443 1929.DEC.20 First Day of Issue of Inland 2a Air Mail Stamp on Cover, hand made cover depicting a large airplane, some palm trees and Stephen Smith’s flight map of India, franked with a sheet margin block of four, signed and dated in selvedge by G. Grant, the stamp’s designer. There is a double-boxed “DATE OF ISSUE / INLAND / AIR MAIL STAMP” (front and back), addressed to Stephen H. Smith in Calcutta, with his signature on back, alongside a same day receiver. Light stains, still scarce and very fine. From the Pont Collection. Estimate $750, sold for C$1,900.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Auction #33
June 25-27, 2020
Lot 62, Canada 1890s half cent black Small Queen, XF NH, sold for C$245
Lot 62 Canada #34 1890s ½c Black Small Queen, mint never hinged, with intense colour and very nicely centered, extremely fine. A lovely stamp. From The Outaouais Collection. Unitrade CV$75, sold for C$210.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1431, 1929 Evacuation of Kabul flight cover to Peshawar, sold for C$3,744
Lot 1431 CVR 1929.JAN.11 Evacuation of Kabul Flight Cover, addressed to “The Post Master / Peshawar / India” with pencil note written by and initialed by Stephen Smith, reading “This cover was flown from Kabul to Peshawar during the Evacuation of Kabul in 1929.” With Smith signature on back. Missing backflap, tears at top and other small faults on front, still a rare cover with very few flown (Brown lists seven flown only) and described by Mr. Pont as “one of India’s rarest air mail covers.” Estimate $500, sold for C$3,200.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1436, 1929 Croydon to Calcutta flight “Maryland Free State,” sold for C$1,638
Lot 1436 CVR 1929.MAY.31 Croydon to Calcutta Flight on the “Maryland Free State”, a newspaper wrapper endorsed “printed matter”, with single line cachet handstamp (front and back) addressed to Smith in Calcutta, with manuscript note on back reading “J.B. Scholte / pilot C-aadr / :Maryland Free State” / carried from London to Calcutta / June 10th, 1929″ with JUN.10 Calcutta receiver. Vertical crease at left and stain on back, still a very rare item with only one cover and 13 newspapers flown. From the Pont Collection. Estimate $350, sold for C$1,400.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 39, Canada 1865 ten cent red lilac Consort cover Hyde Park Corner to Victoria BC, sold for C$2,106
Lot 39 Canada #17 10c Red Lilac Consort on 1865 Cover to Victoria BC, an attractive stamp, just tied to cover mailed from Hyde Park Corner U.C. with free strike of broken circle in red ink, with manuscript date OCT.28.1865, paying the 10c rate to pre-Confederation Victoria, Vancouver Island with London U.C. transit cancel and pencil docketing “Received Dec 13th”, cover professionally restored at left edge and very clean and attractive. Among the prettiest of the fifteen recorded 10c. rate covers to Vancouver Island. Provenance: Daniel Cantor and illustrated at page 118 of Canada’s Decimal Era 1859-1868 by George B. Arfken and Arthur W. Leggett. The cover was routed through London, Windsor-Detroit exchange and by closed bag across the continent to San Francisco and north to Victoria, for a total transit time of 46 days. From The Outaouais Collection. Estimate $400, sold for C$1,800.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.