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.
Leon Victor Pont
Lot 1410, 1927 first demonstration flight in Calcutta by “The Moth,” sold for C$1,404
Lot 1410 1927.JUN.27 First Demonstration Flight by the “Moth”, mailed Calcutta on JUN.27 to Stephen Smith in Calcutta, this ½a stationery postcard shows a purple moth cachet plus a purple “Carried By / D.H. Moth, G.E.B.M.O. / Aeroplane” cachet. The back has a note reading “Certified that this has been flown over Calcutta by D.H. Moth G.E.BMO (….)”, signed by E.L. Widdicombe and initialed “W.H.V. (Flight Lieutenant W.H. Vetch). This is a rare item, numbered “2” at bottom left corner out of a total of 11 items flown (10 cards and one cover). From the Pont Collection. Very fine. Estimate $350, sold for C$1,200.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1452, 1930 Delhi to Croydon first flight cover with variety, sold for C$2,925
Lot 1452 1930.JAN.17 Delhi to Croydon First Flight Cover with Stamp Variety, lovely cacheted envelope is franked with a sheet margin vertical pair of the 8a Air Mail stamps, with top stamp showing the “Missing tree-top” (S.G. #224a £250 used), also indicated in light pencil on cover as “Foliage missing”. The selvedge is signed by the stamp’s designer G. Grant (plus another signature), with another “G. Grant 17th Jan” signature on back alongside signature of Stephen H. Smith. A scarce variety, especially on cover, very fine. Estimate $1,000, sold for C$2,500.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1435, 1929 First Experimental Flight Bengal Air Transport Co., Darjeeling to Calcutta, sold for C$2,340
Lot 1435 1929.MAY.22 First Experimental Flight by the Bengal Air Transport Co. Darjeeling to Calcutta, with single-line cachet in purple (front and back), mailed without postage with Darjeeling 2a postage due handstamp on front. Darjeeling MAY.22 despatch and Calcutta MAY.23 receiver, both on back alongside Stephen Smith signature. Very fine and described by Mr. Pont as “A very scarce item, with about 6 items flown.” Estimate $300, sold for C$2,000.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1437, 1929 Baron von Koenig Calcutta to Singapore, Osaka and Tokyo flight cover, sold for C$1,755
Lot 1437 1929.JUN.10 Baron von Keonig Calcutta to Singapore then Osaka to Tokyo Flight Cover, mailed unfranked and assessed 2a postage due in Calcutta (handstamp on front), with yellow flight label and “KAMERAD” purple flight cachet, addressed to Stephen Smith in Calcutta with a JUN.10 receiver on back alongside Smith signature and JUN.10 date. This is one of the few rare items missing in Mr. Pont’s personal collection, and we could not find any evidence of number of items flown. Couple of small faults still very fine appearance. Estimate $300, sold for C$1,500.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.