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1907 (Oct 12) Daily Graphic Balloon Post, special postcard depicting the three crew, Auguste Caudron, J.L Tanner and Charles Turner, addressed to Surrey with a 5ore stamp applied by the finder and cancelled at Mellerud (Nov 24). The front with "Best wishes from Mr A.V Miclsow, Mellerud, Sweden" written by the finder of the card. These cards were only used by the three aviators; very few recorded. Fine and rare. Photo on Page 33. £400-500
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1907 Daily Graphic Balloon, Miniature eight page booklet produced by the newspaper as part of its publicity surrounding this attempt to break the world distance for a balloon flight, with the balloon shown on the cover and pictures of the three crew. The balloon only travelled 760 miles, failing to break the distance record which then stood at about 1,200 miles. A rare complete booklet, very few recorded. Photo on Page 33. £300-400
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1932 (Sep 10) Tie-on parcel tag with a printed address of St. Benets Vicarage in Kentish Town, the reverse with the printed heading "This Balloon was sent off at S. BENET'S GARDEN FETE (in aid of Church Funds) On September 10th 1932". It is then completed with details of the sender (Master Peter Cameron, 66 Lady Margaret Road, N.W.5) and the finder (Achiel Allein Cultivateur a Reninghe, Belgique P.W, on September 13th 1932), and bears a G.B 1d tied by "BOESINGHE" c.d.s (Sep. 14), which has been accepted as valid. A rare and unusual balloon card, the only example we have seen, possibly retained because it was the winning entry having flown across the Channel to Belgium. £150-180
| Air Meetings/Exhibitions | |
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1909 Doncaster Aviation contest, the first flying meeting in England, official programme, 12 pages with an attractive red cover, the aviators including Cody and Captain Windham. Small hole at top, otherwise largely fine and scarce. £100-120
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1909 Blackpool Flying Carnival, complimentary Press ticket issued to C.G Grey of the Aero newspaper; and five picture postcards of the event, three posted in Blackpool (one with stamp removed) with messages concerning the aeroplanes seen. (6). £100-120
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1910 Lanark Aviation Week, picture postcards showing different aviators and their aeroplanes, two with the "LANARK / GRAND STAND" c.d.s (Aug 6/10) used at the temporary post office at the air meeting (open Aug 6-13), one other card posted in Edinburgh with a good message describing the flying. (4). Photo on Page 33. £220-260
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1934 London Air Post Exhibition prospectus (two versions); official catalogue; special exhibition editions of "Stamp Collecting" and "Stamp Collectors Fortnightly"; specimen sheets of air mail paper in a special envelope; imperf label sheet of twelve and perforated labels; Autogiro label sheet of four; special postcard with Apex cancel and cachet; admission ticket; autogiro postcard with Apex cancel carried on special flight to Baghdad; also catalogue of the 1937 Air Mail Society exhibition at Selfridges. (16). £100-120
| 1911 First U.K Aerial Post | |
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Violet London to Windsor postcard with "Souvenir of the First United Kingdom 'Aerial Post'. With the Compliments of the Founder." printed in gold, signed "W. Windham", franked KEVII ½d tied by the London no. 4 c.d.s, addressed to "Mrs Henderson, c/o Miss Windham, 6 Albert Pl., Kensington". One corner creased, otherwise fine and scarce. Photo on Page 33. £600-700
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Violet London to Windsor postcard with a red postbox and "AERIAL POST CLOSED" printed to the right of the vignette, signed D. Lewis-Poole. The reverse with the scarce four line greetings "A Souvenir of 1911, with loyal greetings / for the New Year, from D. Lewis-Poole, / Honorary Organiser of the Coronation / Aerial Post". Exceptionally bright colour, superb condition, and very scarce; most of these cards had a six line greeting printed on the reverse. Photo on Page 33. £600-700
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1911 (Sep 15) London emergency printing envelope in green addressed to India, with KEVII ½d and KGV 1d each tied by the London no. 2 c.d.s, arrival backstamp of Dalstigh Serai. Minor faults to lower flap, otherwise fine. Photo on Page 35. £180-220
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1911 (Sep 16) Green Windsor to London envelope addressed to India with KEVII 1d and KGV 1d each tied by the Windsor no. 2 c.d.s, backstamped at Peshawar (Oct 8) and Parachinar. A couple of tiny tears at upper edge, otherwise fine and very scarce. Just 408 'public mail' Windsor envelopes were flown making these the scarcest of all the basic stationery types; few were addressed abroad. Photo on Page 35. £280-320
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1911 (Sep 9) Brown London to Windsor postcard with the pictorial advert for Zog paint printed on both sides in red and black, a KEVII ½d tied by the London no. 1 c.d.s. Minor corner creasing, otherwise fine and a scarce advert. Photo on Page 35. £180-220
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1911 (Sep 9) Green postcards with adverts for Remington Typewriter Co. (100 Gracechurch St., E.C) and F. Hedges Butler, Founder of the Royal Aero Club (pictorial design depicting a balloon and aeroplane); and green postcards with adverts of the Gramophone Co. Ltd or The Molassine Co. Ltd., all with London cancels on the first day, a few small faults, the Molassine card superb. (4). £200-250
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1911 (Sep 16) Green London to Windsor postcards, both actually flown in the opposite direction from Windsor, one bearing a KEVII ½d, the other a KGV ½d Downey head, minor creasing, otherwise both fine. (2). £100-120
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Picture postcards with a fine amateur real photo of a postman meeting the Aerial Mail plane, inscribed "G.P Halton, Postman Windsor receiving mails from Gustav Hamill Aerial Postman in Windsor Great Park September 1911" (apparently in Halton's own handwriting, tear at base), real photos of Hamel arriving at Hendon (3), and a picture of the Aerial Mail promoters, pilots, mechanics and postal officials. Also a reproduction card of Driver, examples of the envelope notepaper in various colours (5), 1961 50th Anniversary flown cards (2, one signed by Warwick Lendon), and 2011 Centenary flown cards (12) and medallions (3). (28). £150-200
| Other Internal Flights | |
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1910 (Aug 17) Blackpool to Southport flight by C. Grahame-White during Blackpool aviation week, special postcard with red overprint explaining that it was only flown for seven miles before bad weather caused the flight to be abandoned, then carried to London and posted with KEVII ½d tied by London W.C machine (Aug 29). Tiny tear at base, otherwise unusually fine and scarce. Photo on Page 35. £240-300
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1912 (May 24) Picture postcard of B.C Hucks in an aeroplane, addressed to Bath with a KGV ½d cancelled at Hendon (May 28), bearing the printed label "THIS CARD WAS CARRIED FROM / BATH to the LONDON AERODROME / BY AEROPLANE. / 24th MAY, 1912. / Aviator's initials .....", signed B.C Hucks, very fine and rare. Photo on Page 37. £400-500
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1912 (Aug 2) "Daily Mail" Aerogram form printed by Lawrence & Fowler of Ross-on-Wye for the French aviator Henri Salmet, dropped by him during various stages of the "Daily Mail" waterplane tour, this example dropped by him over Clacton on Sea on August 2nd. Addressed "To my fiend at Clacton on Sea" with the message "Best Wishes to you, hurrah for L'entente Cordiale, H. Salmet" with the violet boxed cachet "CARRIED BY / M. SALMET / DAILY MAIL / AIRMAN" applied to both sides. The reverse with "Isabel Grant" in manuscript, though this message is believed to have been sent to Salmet's friend M. Cadic, a French Consular agent. The rarest of all the 1912 waterplane items with just five aerograms recorded. Photo on Page 35. £1,000-1,200
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1913 (Oct 18) Picture postcard of Gustav Hamel to Birmingham, written from Stone, the message including "sending this per aeroplane". Handstamped violet circular "AERIAL / STAFFS / POST" with KGV ½d cancelled at Stafford, an Erdington skeleton datestamp (Oct 19) alongside. Flown by Hamel over Staffordshire, several heavy creases but very rare. Photo on Page 37. £250-300
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1919 (Oct. 1) Cover from London to Manchester endorsed "Per Aerial Post", franked 1½d and 1/- pair, flown on the first day of the emergency air mail service during the railway strike, fine and scarce. Photo on Page 37. £250-300
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1923 (Mar 1) Special flight from the British Industries Fair in Birmingham to London, B.I.F cover endorsed "By Air Mail" with a "BRIT INDUST FAIR / BIRMINGHAM" skeleton c.d.s alongside the 1½d stamp which has been cancelled by a Croydon machine (Mar 2), the cover signed in pencil "L.G Robinson, Pilot", fine and scarce. Also 1943 Scilly to Penzance Flight cover with 'G.W & S Air Lines' cachet paid 4d in cash, franked 2½d. (2). £100-120
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1923 (Oct 13) Lympne Motor Glider Meeting cover to London bearing "Carried by / MOTOR GLIDER / from / LYMPNE to HASTINGLEIGH" vignette and a KGV 1½d cancelled at Hastingleigh. Signed by the pilot J. Herbert James. Only 25 flown covers were signed by the pilot. Photo on Page 37. £120-150
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1925 (July 15) Picture postcard to Torquay with KGV 1d cancelled at Torquay and the cachet "PROMOTED BY TORBAY HERALD / BY FIRST AIR MAIL / NEWQUAY TO TORQUAY / JULY 15, 1925". This experimental flight was sanctioned by the Air Ministry. Scarce, only about 25 cards carried. Photo on Page 37. £120-150
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1934 (May 23) Cover to Surrey franked 4d, tied by a Nottingham machine with a blue NY Air Mail label applied, the reverse with the typed inscription "Pioneer Air Service Nottingham to London, 23rd May 1934. This letter is posted with and will accompany the letter sent by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham by air to the Right Hon. Sir Kingsley Wood, M.P, His Majesty's Postmaster-General, to mark the pioneer air service between the two cities", signed by the Nottingham Head Postmaster. A little staining on the front but very scarce. £100-120
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Picture postcards including 1912 "Daily Mail" waterplane tour (6), 1910 Bournemouth Aviation Meeting (3), Bleriots arrival at Dover (4), Gustav Hamel and Graham-White, also two differing Portsmouth, Southsea & Isle of Wight air post stamps each in a block of four. (17). £130-160
| World War One R.A.F Air Services | |
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c.1918 Leaflet headed "Aeroplane Circular", advertising War Savings Week in Maidstone, dropped over the town from an aeroplane. Light fold and small closed tear, but unusually fine condition for one of these local plane dropped leaflets. Also an imitation P.O.W letter, dropped by balloon over German lines. (2). £80-100
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1917 (Aug 1) Pass issued to a gunner J. Eldes, no. 133414, on an RE8 aircraft from Lympne to St. Omer with cachet of Ferry H.Q, Lympne Aerodrome, stating "the bearer is a gunner on the above machine being delivered to the B.E.F; he is on urgent duty and must return immediately to Lympne, and must not be detained at rest camps or depots". Also 1915 registered O.H.M.S cover from Paris to R.N.A.S in London franked 1fr25c with cachet "SERVICE DE L'AVIATION NAVALE ANGLAISE / LE DIRECTEUR"; 1916 stampless O.H.M.S cover from Vendome to London with violet "PASSED / NAVAL / CENSOR" and "R.N.A.S / 24 NOV 1916 / VENDOME" and black circular "NAVAL AIR SERVICE MAIL OFFICE / LONDON"; and 1917 cover from Spofforth to No. 1 Wing R.N.A.S with a larger version of the dated Naval Air Service Mail Office London cachet. (4). £100-120
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1918 (Sep 16) Stampless O.H.M.S cover from Paris to London flown by R.A.F aircraft, with cachets of "CHEMICAL WARFARE / LIAISON / PARIS", "AVIATION BRITANNIQUE - MINISTERE DES MUNITIONS / PARIS" and "MINISTRY OF MUNITIONS / DEPT OF AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION". Circular "FOREIGN AIRCRAFT SERVICES / 16 SEP 18 / 3" cachet applied upon arrival in England, then posted with a red London W.C Official Paid c.d.s. Unusual and very scarce. Photo on Page 37. £250-300
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1918 (Nov 5) Stampless O.A.S postcard written from Sofia (Oct 24) to England with Field Post Office G.X c.d.s of Salonica (Nov 5) and octagonal Censor cachet, carried on the first British regular air mail service flown by the R.A.F from Sofia to Salonica. This biweekly service commenced in October 1918, ten flights in each direction being made before it ceased in December; this card flown on the 5th November flight piloted by Lt. Chapman. Only two cards (see following lot) are recorded from this air service; these are illustrated and described in "The Postal History of British Air mails" by E.B Proud. A rare and important card from this pioneer British air service. Photo on Page 37. £500-600
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1918 (Nov 12) Similar stampless O.A.S postcard from the same correspondence, written at Sofia (Oct 30) with the F.P.O G.X c.d.s of Salonica (Nov 12), carried on the 12th November flight piloted by Lt. Chapman. One of just two recorded cards from this pioneer British air service. A rare and important card, illustrated and described by Proud. Photo on Page 37. £500-600
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1919 (July 28) Long stampless O.H.M.S cover from Paris to the R.A.F Pay Office in London flown by R.A.F air service, with boxed "ROYAL AIR FORCE / A.P.O S.5 / BEF" dated "28/7/19" and circular violet "FOREIGN AIRCRAFT SERVICES / 28 JUL 19 / 3" applied upon arrival in England, fine and very scarce. Photo on Page 39. £250-300
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1918-19 "Stamp Collecting Aerial Souvenir" postcards with an imitation Mulready design, flown from Marquise to Lympne in Kent, the first with France 5c pair each tied by Army Post Office S.20 c.d.s (10 Dec 1918, five months later than recorded by Kennedy & Crabb or Proud) with a boxed army censor cachet, the other with a 10c cancelled at Paris (4 March 1919), both fine. (2). £80-100
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1918 (Dec 9/10) Stamp Collecting Aerial Souvenir postcards in the form of a Mulready, flown from Marquise to Lympne in Kent, both with Army Post Office S.20 c.d.s and a boxed army censor, one franked France 10c, the other stampless. (2). £80-100
| External Air Mails | |
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1919 R34 Airship Atlantic Crossing. Page headed "R34 July 2-13, 1919, East Fortune - New York - Pulham" with a picture of the airship applied and a hand drawn map of the route, signed by twelve of the crew on the return flight; and a USA Silver Certificate $1 note endorsed and signed "carried by air from New York to London on R34, R.F Durrant, Lieut.". Also a real photo of the airship taken at Pulham upon her return from the USA, contemporary newspaper pictures of the airship and its crew, and a menu from the 1958 R34 commemorative luncheon signed by Ernest Cross, engineer on the R34. An interesting group of items from this famous flight. (6). Photo on Page 39. £200-250
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1919 (Nov 10) Cover from London to Paris endorsed "Express By aeroplane", franked 2½d and 2/6 each tied by a Parliament St. S.W c.d.s with a further strike on the reverse. Carried on the first flight from London to Paris by Instone airways; the Nov. 10th flight had to return due to fog and the mails were flown on the following day. Fine and scarce. Photo on Page 41. £250-300
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1920 (Feb 3) London to Cape Town First Flight, typed letter on 10 Downing Street notepaper, from the Prime Minister David Lloyd-George to Jan Smuts, Prime Minister of South Africa - "My dear General, I am told that two gallant South African Officer, Colonel Ryneveld and Major Brand, are about to start on the pioneer flight to South Africa by the Cape to Cairo route. I am glad to avail myself of this opportunity to send my best wishes to yourself and to South Africa by the first aerial mail. I do not suppose that Cecil Rhodes and the other pioneers of the Cape to Cairo route ever dreamed that the first package to be carried along this route would travel by air and not by rail", signed in ink D. Lloyd George, a little reduced at top and base (but with no loss of text). Pierre van Ryneveld and Quintin Brand made the first flight from London (Brooklands) to Cape Town (Wynberg), departing on February 4th and arriving 45 days later, on March 20th. The flight was completed in three different planes after crashes at Cairo and Bulawayo. A unique and important letter, one of just four letters carried over the entire flight. Photo on Page 39. £1,000-1,200
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1920-23 London to Paris service, Instone Air Line programme of flights from Croydon to Le Bourget with an account of a flight (22 Sep 1921) written inside and continued on pages removed from a passport; postcard of the aeroplane G-EAMA which crashed near Cricklewood (14 Dec 1920) killing two crew and two passengers; 1920 (July 21) postcards franked 4½d, flown on the first flight at the reduced air fee of 2d (2); 1920 covers franked 4½d with straight line "AIR MAIL" handstamps (2); 1923 (Aug 15) cover with Waddon Aerodrome datestamps. (7). £140-160
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1925 (June 30/July 1) London - Paris experimental flight by Robert Bajac on behalf of Air Union, illustrated numbered postcards flown in both directions, the card from France franked 75c tied Bourget Aviation c.d.s and backstamped "H.M CUSTOMS & EXCISE / 30 JUN 1925 / CROYDON AERODROME; the card from London franked 3½d tied by Waddon Aerodrome c.d.s with a French 20c postage due applied. 120 Cards flown in each direction. (2). £100-120
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1925-26 London to Cape Town survey flight, souvenir mail card to Johannesburg bearing a red vignette on the reverse tied by oval "BY SPECIAL AIR MAIL / 16-11-25 / LONDON- / CAPE TOWN" and signed Alan J. Cobham, a further strike of the cachet on the front. Franked South Africa 2d cancelled by Cape Town c.d.s (23 Feb 1926) with a Cape Town machine on the reverse, very fine. Photo on Page 41. £300-400
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1926 (May 6) Cover from Putney to Mr Robson Lowe in Paris franked 4½d with a blue By Air Mail label applied, flown during the General Strike, supposedly by a French pilot who was paid 2/6 in cash for each letter, this cover illustrated and described in "British External Airmails until 1934" by Alex Newall. An interesting cover, with Robson Lowe's written up album page. Photo on Page 41. £100-150
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1926 (Dec 27) Cover to Calcutta, carried on the Air Ministry Survey Flight (with Secretary of State Sir Samuel Hoare as a passenger) over the new Imperial Airways London to Delhi route via Cairo and Karachi, with typed inscription and circular "AIR / 27 DEC 1926 / MINISTRY" cachet. Originally franked by a G.B stamp, an India 1a applied over this and cancelled upon arrival at Karachi (11 Jan 1927), backstamped at Calcutta. Fine and scarce, just 15 covers from the Air Ministry flown from London. Also two contemporary news cuttings. Photo on Page 41. £500-600
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1924-33 Covers flown to Egypt or India comprising 1924 (Oct 21) cover from Ireland to Egypt bearing 1922 overprint 1d and 9d; 1929 (Mar 30) first flight to India covers flown to Egypt (3, one signed by Samuel Hoare and Christopher Bullock) or India (4); 1932 (Oct 1) London to India by new route; 1933 (July 1) London to Calcutta, and scarce Sep. 23 London to Rangoon first flight bearing 1/- stationery cut-out. Also 1928-30 Air Mail leaflets (2), notice of posting times, bag label for air mail to Cairo, 1938 Empire Air Mail Scheme pamphlet, and air mail advertising labels (3). (19). £150-180
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1928-37 Covers flown to Europe comprising 1928 (June 20) London to Stockholm overnight service (2); 1929 (Oct 18) scarce special flight from London to H.M Ships at Corfu, Nov. 8 second and final London to Salonica flight through central Europe (to connect with the India service); 1930 (June 23) first day of "LONDON F.S / AIR MAIL" c.d.s used on mail from the new blue Air Mail pillar boxes, flown to Austria or France (2) and Dec. 7 first London to Cannes flight; 1937 (Oct 3) first 2½d rate to France. Also picture postcards (5) of Croydon Airport, Imperial Airways planes, etc. (15). £120-150
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1934 (Oct 17/19) MacRobertson Air Race, covers and cards comprising printed cover carried by the winners C.W.A Scott and T. Campbell-Black with G.B ½d cancelled at West Kensington (Oct 17), registered back from Melbourne (Oct 24) to London franked 1/2 in Australian stamps, signed by both pilots (100 flown); cover flown by M. McGregor and H.C Walker with G.B 1½d cancelled Melbourne, Herts (Oct 19) and Australia 2d at Melbourne (Oct 30), pilot signed (160 flown); three covers flown by C.E Kay, F. Stewart and J.D Hewitt (200 flown) with G.B 1½d tied "MILDENHALL A'DME / BURY ST. E." skeleton (Oct 19) and Australia 1d cancelled at Melbourne (Nov 2) or Sydney (Nov 8) or flown to New Zealand (100 flown) with N.Z tied Palmerston North c.d.s (Nov 15), all signed by Kay. Also the Mildenhall A'dme skeleton on a stampless souvenir cover and postcard showing the route of the 1919 Ross Smith flight. AAMC 433, 438/a, 440 $2,000. (7). Photo on Page 41. £400-500
| India | (Also see lots 3-16, 36-40, 160, 161, 191, 192, 234)
1911 Allahabad First Aerial Post | |
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1911 Cover with KEVII ½a tied by fake "FIRST AERIAL POST / 1911 / U.P EXHIBITION ALLAHABAD" cancel in red, addressed to Sitapur with fake Allahabad and Sitapur backstamps. An interesting reference item. £60-80
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1911 (Feb 18) Cover to Allahabad with KEVII ½a tied by a fine strike of the "FIRST AERIAL POST / 1911 / U.P EXHIBITION ALLAHABAD" cancel in violet, backstamped at Allahabad. Photo on Page 41. £180-220
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1911 (Feb 18) Cover to England with KEVII 1a tied by a fine strike of the "FIRST AERIAL POST / 1911 / U.P EXHIBITION ALLAHABAD" cancel in violet, backstamped at Allahabad, Bombay and upon arrival at Wokingham. Photo on Page 41. £200-250
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1911 (Feb 18) Registered cover to Jubbulpore with KEVII 1a and 8a tied by a fine strike of the "FIRST AERIAL POST / 1911 / U.P EXHIBITION ALLAHABAD" cancel in violet, boxed "R / U.P EXHIBITION CAMP / ALLAHABAD" registration handstamp alongside, numbered 139, backstamped at Allahabad and Jubbulpore. A very fine registered cover with the U.P Exhibition registration handstamp. Photo on Page 41. £300-400
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1911 (Feb 18) First type picture postcard depicting Peguet in his biplane with his signature above, headed "FIRST "AERIAL POST," FEBRUARY 18, '11", addressed to Scotland with KEVII 1a tied by a fine strike of the "FIRST AERIAL POST / 1911 / U.P EXHIBITION ALLAHABAD" cancel in violet, the Allahabad c.d.s alongside. Some corner crease and a 1cm tear at left edge, still finer than most of the few recorded examples of this rare card. Photo on Page 43. £500-600
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1911 (Feb 18) Second type picture postcard depicting Peguet in his biplane with his signature above, headed "FIRST "AERIAL POST," ALLAHABAD, FEBRUARY 18, 1911", addressed to "Mrs C. Grant, c/o H.H The Begum of Bhopal, The Palace, Bhopal" with KEVII ½a tied by a fine strike of the "FIRST AERIAL POST / 1911 / U.P EXHIBITION ALLAHABAD" cancel in violet, datestamps of Allahabad and Bhopal. Two small ink smudges in lower margin and a tiny corner crease, both mentioned for accuracy only, without any of the usual major creasing or tears and one of the finest examples of these rare cards. Photo on Page 43. £1,200-1,500
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