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.
stephen smith
Lot 1559, India 1929 Berlin to Tokyo flight “Kamerad” card, Calcutta-Singapore leg, sold for C$1,556
Lot 1559 India JAN.29.1929 Baron von Koenig Berlin to Tokyo, Calcutta-Singapore Leg. “Kamerad” card addressed to (and signed by) Stephen Smith, re-addressed to von Koenig (“the Boy Pilot”) in Singapore. The card has all the appropriate labels and handstamps (front and back, both scanned online). Very fine and rare, according to Mr. Pont one cover and 25 cards were carried. From the The Leon Victor Pont Collection of Early India, New Zealand and Worldwide Pioneer Flight Covers. Estimate $500, sold for C$1,330.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1538, Great Britain 1927 and 1928 Round The World flight covers, sold for C$1,521
Lot 153 Great Britain 1927 and 1928 Round The World Flight Covers, with GB stamps cancelled NOV.28.1927, India cancelled DEC.15.1927 and USA stamps (front and back) cancelled FEB.10.1928. Both covers addressed to Stephen Smith in Calcutta on front, and Roessler on the back. Very fine. From the The Leon Victor Pont Collection of Early India, New Zealand and Worldwide Pioneer Flight Covers. Estimate $100, sold for C$1,300.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1581, India 1932 Madras to Karachi first flight set of 20 covers with Union Jack, sold for C$2,925
Lot 1581 India OCT.18.1932 Madras to Karachi First Flight Set With Union Jack Flag, includes all 20 of the flight legs, to and from Ahmedabad, Karachi, Bombay, Bellary and Madras. 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, care of several people in several cities. Some have staining (mostly on back) and one has tears on back, still a rare offering. From the The Leon Victor Pont Collection of Early India, New Zealand and Worldwide Pioneer Flight Covers. Estimate $200, sold for C$2,500.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
Lot 1633, United States 1927 Bremen Catapult flight cover Newark, New Jersey to India, sold for C$3,042
Lot 1633 United States August 1927 Bremen Catapult Flight Cover to India, franked with 20c in postage, mailed at Newark, New Jersey on JUL.26.1929 and sent to Europe via the Bremen Catapult Mail Service. Has the usual Bremen “KATAPULTFLUG” cachet for this flight. Addressed to Stephen Smith, the dean of Indian Air mail, and good friend of Mr. Pont, in Calcutta, India, and signed by him on back (in 1929). Few small faults, still a rare catapult flight destination, with both sides scanned online. From the The Leon Victor Pont Collection of Early India, New Zealand and Worldwide Pioneer Flight Covers. Estimate $100, for C$2,600.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
