Lot 1426 1928.SEP.20 to OCT.11 Calcutta to Rangoon Flight Covers, starting with SEP.20 flight (cover and card, latter is signed Stephen Smith, both with same cachet), OCT.4 flight (cover and card, both signed Stephen Smith, both with same cachets, one reading “Sea Plane Crashed at Cawnpore Carried by 4th Official Mail Plane H – N.A.C.F.“) and OCT.11 flight (cover signed by Stephen Smith). All five items are addressed to Mr. Leon V. Pont in Rangoon, Burma and are very fine. From the Leon Victor Pont Collection of early India First Flight postal history. Estimate $200, sold for C$600.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Leon Victor Pont
Lot 1511, 1932 Madras to Karachi and back, first flight set from Croydon England, sold for C$1228
Lot 1511 1932.OCT.15-18 Madras to Karachi and Back, from Croydon, England First Flight Set, includes all four legs of the Karachi to Madras (15 OCT) and all four legs of the Madras to Karachi (18 OCT), to and from Ahmedabad, Bombay, Bellary and Madras, to and from Croydon England. These all with Union Jack design. Three more covers are included without Union Jack flag, all from Croydon, England to Bellary, Madras and Ahmedabad. These colourful covers were designed by Stephen Smith “by Sanction of Messrs. Tata Sons Ltd” with inscription on back reading “A Souvenir of a Great Indian Enterprise” and signed by Stephen Smith. The cover design was originally submitted with a Union Jack, which proved to be less than popular, so most of the stock was destroyed. Those that remained were meant for foreign collectors, and those without the flag for Indian collectors. All of these are addressed to Mr. Pont, in Bengal, India, and rrom the Leon Victor Pont Collection of early India First Flight postal history. Some have staining or small faults (mostly on back), still overall fine and a rare offering. Estimate $300, sold for C$1,050.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1389, 1925 Quetta Emergency Air Mail covers, sold for C$1930
Lot 1389 1925.JUN.12 Quetta Emergency Air Mail Covers, two covers mailed from Hindubagh to Quetta, with same day receiver on back. Vertical crease on both (as usual for these) tear on back of the one addressed in Hindu and missing backflap plus blue writing offset on the other addressed in English, still two rare Indian covers, with only twelve items carried on the outbound flight. Estimate $200, sold for C$1,650.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1457, India 1930 R.A.F. goodwill flight to Singapore, sold for C$5,148
Lot 1457 India 1930.OCT.29 R.A.F. Goodwill Flight to Singapore, from Karachi to Bangkok, franked with Indian and Siamese stamps, duly cancelled in Bangkok on NOV.7 (front and back). This cover was signed by the pilot Flight Lieutenant D.F. Anderson. Very fine and rare, with only ten items flown. From the Leon Victor Pont Collection of early India First Flight postal history. Estimate $500, sold for C$4,400.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1385, Leon V. Pont Extensive Personal Collection of Indian First Flight and Related Covers, 1911 to 1934, sold for C$99,450
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.