Lot 1515 Germany Group of 26 First Flight or Air Mail Covers, with a variety of better items dated between 1912 and 1934, includes many franked with airmail issues #C1/C31, also a few CL1, CL2, etc. Note a Graf Zeppelin flown picture postcard from Luxembourg to Calcutta India (Stephen Smith), a 1914 special card Dresden to Leipzig, and more interesting material. Overall fine, a few have soiling, scans only show a small portion. From the The Leon Victor Pont Collection of Early India, New Zealand and Worldwide Pioneer Flight Covers. Estimate $300, sold for C$1,100.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Leon Victor Pont
Lot 1592, 1935 Indian Rocket Mail Sikkim Experiments, eight covers, sold for C$877
Lot 1592 India Rocket Mail April 1935 Sikkim Rocket Experiments, with eight different covers, all carried between APR.7 and APR.13 from various places, bearing various coloured overprinted Jubilee labels (two are stationery “Rocketgram” cards with these labels printed), and all addressed to Mr. Pont, care of Stephen Smith. The lot also includes one each of the four overprinted Jubilee labels (unused). Some have wrinkles, still a rare offering, all scanned online and signed by Stephen Smith. From the The Leon Victor Pont Collection of Early India, New Zealand and Worldwide Pioneer Flight Covers. Estimate $500, sold for C$750.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1541, Group of 70 Air Mail covers Great Britain to India, sold for C$936
Lot 1541 Group of 70 Air Mail Covers Great Britain to India, 1927-1946, includes 34 flight covers 1927-1934 and 36 commercial covers up to 1946. Many of these are mailed to Stephen H. Smith in Calcutta, and 9 of the flight covers are signed by him on the back. Note airmails via Souda Bay, Crete, 1927 flight GB to India covers. Also 1929 covers air to Paris, rail to Athens and then flown to India, as well as 13 July 1st Imperial Airways flown covers including one from Ireland. Many have small faults and includes some oversize covers still overall fine or better and online scans only show a portion. A very interesting lot. From the The Leon Victor Pont Collection of Early India, New Zealand and Worldwide Pioneer Flight Covers. Estimate $500, sold for C$800.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1531, Group of 47 Graf Zeppelin South American flown covers and cards, sold for C$1,404
Lot 1531 Group of 47 Graf Zeppelin South America Flown Covers and Cards, includes items from Argentina (x10), Bolivia (x3), Brazil (x19), Chile (x2), Paraguay (x4) and Uruguay (x8), all addressed to Germany, except for one Brazil to Austria and two Brazil flown internally. Most have creases or other faults, still overall fine or better. From the The Leon Victor Pont Collection of Early India, New Zealand and Worldwide Pioneer Flight Covers. Estimate $500, sold for C$1,200.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1512, Group of 56 First Flight and Air Mail covers and cards from European Countries, sold for C$1,170
Lot 1512 Group of 56 First Flight and Air Mail Covers and Cards, 1920s-1930s, from European Countries: Latvia (x2), Hungary (x4), Poland (x6), Ethiopia (x1), Romania (x2), Greece (x4), Iceland (x1), Norway (x3), Sweden (x1), Denmark (x1), Yugoslavia (x1), Austria (x6), Estonia (x1), Persia (x2), Palestine (x1), Saar (x7), Egypt (x3), Belgium (x4), Portugal (x3), French Morocco (x3). Many of these were in Mr. Pont’s exhibit and feature interesting frankings, rates, destinations (many to India, etc), cachets, and more. Some were affected by humid storage, still overall fine to very fine. Viewing highly recommended to better appreciate the scarce material in this lot, many scans available online. From the The Leon Victor Pont Collection of Early India, New Zealand and Worldwide Pioneer Flight Covers. Estimate $500, sold for C$1,000.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.