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Labels commemorating the expedition, in four colours; picture postcards of expedition members, Dr Finn Malmgren, the rescue ship "Hobby", Roald Amundsen (2) or his home, Nobile and the "Italia"; 1928 Spitzbergen postcards with messages concerning the rescue attempt (2); Amundsen slogans (2); 1953 Lualdi flight covers commemorating 25 years since Amundsen's death during the search for Nobile (2, one signed); 1965 commemorative card and cancel. (19). £100-120
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1928 (June 10) Cover carried on the Italian rescue flight by Maddalena and Cagna, sent from Sesto Calende to the "City of Milan" at Kings Bay franked Italy 25c (2) + Air 50c, the stamps cancelled by the Sesto Calende c.d.s and straight line "SPEDIZIONE AEREA DI SOCCORSO / SESTO CALENDE - KINGSBAY" with a second strike below, and "R.N.C DI MILANO / SPED ARTICA 1928" arrival c.d.s (June 18). Backstamped with two line "R.N.C DI MILANO / SPED. ARTICA 1928" and the ship's seal cachet and signed by the pilots and mechanics Maddalena, Cagna, Rampini and Abelli. This plane was the first to spot the survivors from the "Italia". Also two press photos of Maddalena and his plane. Very rare, just six covers flown. Photo on Page 34. £1,000-1,500
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1928 (June 14) Cover carried on the Italian rescue flight by Penzo and Crossio, addressed to the "City of Milan" at Kings Bay, franked 50c tied by Marina di Pisa c.d.s and Air 60c cancelled violet "SPEDIZIONE AEREA POVSEE / DI SOCCORSO - MARINA di PISA", two line "R.N.C DI MILANO / SPED. ARTICA 1928" below and "R.N.C DI MILANO / SPED. ARTICA 1928" arrival datestamps (June 19) on both sides. Very fine and rare, very few carried. Photo on Page 34. £600-800
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Base Ship "City of Milan". 1928 Entry pass named to Alfredo Moniconi with embossed seal and "R.N.C DI MILANO / SPED. ARTICA 1928" datestamps (June 18); covers and cards bearing Italian stamps cancelled with the R.N.C di Milano c.d.s dated 26 April, 24 May (2, one also with two line "R.N.C DI MILANO / SPED. ARTICA 1928"), 25 May or 26 Sept., the May items all with 16 June Rome arrival c.d.s; and cover to George King in London bearing G.B 1 1/2d tied by London c.d.s (Oct 5) backstamped two line "R.N.C DI MILANO / SPED. ARTICA 1928" and four strikes of the ship's seal handstamp. (7). Photo on Page 34. £600-700
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1928 Covers from Kings Bay with "NY-ALESUND" cancels comprising June 26th cover with "R.N "CITTA DI MILANO" / Spedizione Artica" printed on the flap sent to Milan, endorsed "Express" and franked 30ore single + pair; July 23rd air mail cover to Roessler in USA franked 45ore backstamped at Oslo (Sep 21) and Paris (Sep 22); and Sep 11th cover to USA inscribed "North Pole Flight By Gen. Com. Nobile" franked 30ore, arrival backstamp (Oct 4). All three sent during the period of the search for Amundsen, who had disappeared on a flight to Spitzbergen in June to aid the rescue of the "Italia" crew. (3). £200-250
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Soviet Ice Breaker "Krasin". Telegram sent to the "Krasin" at Murmansk, ten Russian postcards showing the rescue of the "Italia" survivors by the "Krasin", and nine real photo postcards of the rescue. (20). £200-250
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1932 Picture postcard from Nobile, posted from Moscow to his daughter Maria in Rome, signed "Papa". Nobile worked in Russia from 1931 to 1936 helping the Russians to build airships. £80-100
| 1926 Amundsen Nobile Ellsworth "Norge" Leningrad to Alaska Airship Flight | |
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Sheet of twenty of the flight vignette, the reverse with ten strikes of the expedition cachet, fine unmounted mint, the lower left vignette with frame inverted. Very scarce, few complete sheets survive. £300-400
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Flight vignettes comprising a single and block of four, imperf block of four, imperf single with blue and grey omitted, vertical pair with grey omitted, pair imperf between, pair imperf between with frame inverted on the left vignette, a rare group of varieties. (16). Photo on Page 37. £300-400
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Small Trans-Polar Flight expedition postcard with printed Christiana address and an uncancelled German stamp, the reverse with printed heading "North Pole Mail" and an imitation stamp, endorsed from "Roald Amundsen, Kristiana, Norweg" and addressed to Berlin. Signed by the expedition navigator H. Riiser-Larsen and bearing two circular violet cachets "LUFTPOST MED "NORGE" / SVALBARD - NORDPOLEN-ALASKA / 11-4/V 1926". Also a picture postcard of the "Norge" bearing "Amundsen Ellsworth Polflyvningen 1926" vignette and seven Norway stamps all cancelled to order with "NY-ALESUND" c.d.s (May 11) on the day the airship left King's Bay to cross the North Pole. (2) Photo on Page 38. £200-250
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1926 (Apr 8) Printed "VOLO TRANSPOLARE 1926 / (AMUNDSEN-ELLSWORTH-NOBILE)" cover addressed to Pulham, Norfolk with 1.25L, Air 60c and the flight vignette tied by Ciampino datestamps, oval expedition cachet, signed by Ellsworth and Ettore Arduino, fine and scarce. Photo on Page 38. £250-300
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1926 (Apr 8) Printed "VOLO TRANSPOLARE 1926 / (AMUNDSEN-ELLSWORTH-NOBILE)" cover addressed to Oslo, with 1.25L and Air 60c tied by Ciampino datestamps, oval expedition cachet, reverse with flight vignette tied by five line cachet and signature, fine and scarce. Photo on Page 38. £180-220
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1926 (Apr 8) Printed "VOLO TRANSPOLARE 1926 / (AMUNDSEN-ELLSWORTH-NOBILE)" cover addressed to Vadso, with 1.25L and the flight vignette tied by Ciampino datestamps, oval expedition cachet, signed by Ettore Arduino, fine and scarce. Photo on Page 38. £200-250
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1926 (Apr 8) Printed "VOLO TRANSPOLARE 1926 / (AMUNDSEN-ELLSWORTH-NOBILE)" cover addressed to Kings Bay with 1.25L and Air 60c tied by Ciampino datestamps, oval expedition cachet and "KINGS BAY" c.d.s (May 1), reverse with flight vignette tied by oval expedition cachet, also handstamped "AEROPORTO DIRIGIBILI G.B PASTINE / COMANDO", fine and scarce. Photo on Page 38. £200-250
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1926 (Apr 8) Printed "VOLO TRANSPOLARE 1926 / (AMUNDSEN-ELLSWORTH-NOBILE)" cover addressed to Nome, with 1.25L and the flight vignette tied by Ciampino datestamps, oval expedition cachet, signed by Ettore Arduino, fine and scarce. Photo on Page 38. £200-250
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1926 (Apr 8) Cover addressed to crew member A. Caratti at Nome bearing 5c and 60c pair tied by Ciampino datestamps and the flight vignette tied by oval expedition cachet, arrival datestamp of "TELLER / ALASKA" (May 13), reverse signed by Caratti, very fine and scarce. Photo on Page 38. £400-500
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1926 Cover to crew member N. Cecioni with Italy 1.25L tied by datestamps of "NY-ALESUND" (May 11) and "TELLER / ALASKA" (May 13), and flight vignette tied by the oval expedition cachet, boxed "VOLO TRANSPOLARE / AMUNDSEN-ELLSWORTH-NOBILE / 1926 / DALL ITALIA ALLA ALASKA", signed by Nobile and Cecioni, very fine and rare, just 15 covers cancelled at Kings Bay and Teller. Photo on Page 38. £600-700
| Other Trans-Arctic Flights | |
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1924 U.S Army Air Service First World Circumnavigation by Air. 1924 (Mar 17) 1c Postcard cancelled at Santa Monica with a 1c cancelled upon arrival at Seattle (Mar 24), with first leg flight cachet; and card from Seattle (Sep 29) flown on the final return leg from San Diego with embossed seal. Two planes completed the circumnavigation which flew via Greenland, in six months. (2). £100-120
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1929-37 Soviet Flights. 1929 Moscow to New York flight via Alaska, picture postcards (2) and a photo of the plane, and a press photo of the pilots arrival in San Francisco; 1932 cover and card flown from Franz Josef Land to Archangel by the second Russian Polar Expedition flight, then flown on to Berlin; 1934 postcards commemorating the rescue of the crew and expedition members from the "Chelyuskin" by Russian aviators (14); 1937 Moscow to Portland non-stop flight, imperf 40k stamp, and programme and menu for a dinner given by the Explorers Club in honour of the Soviet Trans-Polar fliers, Chkalov, Baidukov and Beliakov, at The Waldorf Astoria in New York on June 30, the inside with the pencil note "picked off Moscow streets on morning of return of the Russian Flyers by B.C.L". (18). £300-350
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1928 J.H Mears Record Circumnavigation. 1928 (June 28) 1c Postcard cancelled at New York, a China 1c pair tied by Moukden c.d.s, reverse with New York arrival c.d.s (July 22), with a picture of Mears and "This card travelled around the World in the fastest time ever made, 23 days 15 hrs 36 mins". A little minor staining and corner crease. £100-120
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1930 J.H Mears Circumnavigation Attempt. 1930 (Aug 1) 1c Cards both with Special Delivery 10c cancelled at East Orange with Harbour Grace arrival datestamps (Aug 2), reverse with a picture of Mears and "The first non-stop airmail N.Y to Newfoundland, carried in Lockheed-Vega "City of New York" in record time 8 hrs 5 mins, John Henry Mears and Henry Brown", one card numbered and signed by Mears. (2). £100-120
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1931 Zeppelin Flights. 1931 Iceland Flight covers from Austria, Netherlands or Luxembourg (with Luxembourg stamps + Germany air 2m) all with datestamps of Friedrichshafen (June 30) and Reykjavik (July 1) and "Islandfahrt" cachets; registered cover from Krefeld (June 16) to the Postmaster at Friedrichshafen with arrival c.d.s, endorsed "Fur Nordpolfahrt", originally enclosing a cover for the flight; and Polar Flight registered covers or cards with "Polar Fahrt" cachets and the special Russia stamps flown from Archangel to the North Pole and Friedrichshafen (2) or Leningrad to the North Pole. (7). £250-280
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1931 Wiley Post & Harold Gatty Record Circumnavigation. 1931 (June 21) Cover with 2c cancelled at Mineola, N.Y, Berlin c.d.s (June 24) and Russian cachets, one dated June 29, signed by Post and Gatty. This circumnavigation via Newfoundland, Greenland, Russia and Alaska completed in 8 days 16 hours in the "Winnie Mae", scarce. Photo on Page 40. £120-150
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1931 Hernden & Pangborn Circumnavigation Attempt. 1931 (July 28) Cover with USA 2c cancelled at New York, Croydon Aerodrome c.d.s (July 30), Japan 3sn cancelled at Tokyo (Oct 2) and USA 2c cancelled at Wenatchie, Wash. (Oct 5), backstamped with a Russian cachet and c.d.s of Khabarovsk, signed by Hugh Hernden. Pangborn and Hernden were attempting a round the world speed record when their plane became bogged down in Siberia; they then flew onto Japan but landed illegally and were detained for 12 weeks. Small tape stains at the sides, otherwise fine and scarce. Photo on Page 40. £200-250
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1931 Allen and Moyle Japan to USA Flight. 1931 (Sep 8) Illustrated cover with 2sn cancelled in Tokyo and upon arrival at Seattle (Oct 9), signed by both pilots. The Second Trans-Pacific flight from Japan, the aviators were forced down for a week in the Aleutian Islands and again in Siberia. £100-120
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1931 Von Gronau Germany to USA Flight via Iceland and Greenland. 1931 Cover bearing Iceland 10aur tied by Reykjavik c.d.s (Aug 10) and USA 2c tied by Chicago duplex (Sep 3), signed by Von Gronau. Von Gronau flew from Sylt to the USA in 47 hours; very few covers were carried. Scarce. Photo on Page 40. £250-300
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1932 Jimmie Mattern & Bennett Griffin Circumnavigation Attempt. 1932 (July 5) Covers with USA air 5c cancelled at New York, Germany 4m cancelled at Berlin and Russia 15k cancelled at Minsk (July 7), signed by both pilots. They flew non-stop from Harbour Grace to Berlin in a record time of 8 hours 41 minutes. Scarce, few covers carried. Photo on Page 40. £200-250
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1932 Jimmie Mattern & Bennett Griffin Circumnavigation Attempt. A similar cover, signed by Mattern and inscribed by him "This envelope was carried by myself and Bennett Griffin from Floyd Bennett Field New York to Russia where we crashed our plane on our attempted flight around the world". Scarce. Photo on Page 40. £200-250
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1932 Von Gronau Circumnavigation Flight. 1932 Cover flown from Montreal to Chicago and postcards flown from Montreal and posted upon arrival at Wayzata or Winnipeg, and a card flown from Milwaukee to Minneapolis, all with cachets, one card signed by the radio operator Fritz Albrecht, the cover signed by Von Gronau. Von Gronau flew around the world from Sylt in Germany via Iceland, Greenland, Canada and Alaska in 111 days. (4). £180-220
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1933 Jimmie Mattern Solo Circumnavigation Attempt/Levamevsky Flight. 1933 Cover from New York with five various Russian datestamps (5 June - 5 July) and datestamps of Nome (July 21), Fairbanks (July 23), Juneau (July 25) and Edmonton (July 27), a USA 3c applied at Nome, signed by Mattern in pencil, some staining and two vertical folds, tape repair at lower edge. Mattern flew from New York on June 3rd but made a forced landing in Siberia where his plane was abandoned; he was rescued by Eskimos and flown on July 20th from Anadyr to Nome by the Russian pilot Levanevsky. He then flew from Nome to New York via Edmonton. One of the very few covers carried by Mattern and Levanevsky, the cover faults probably a result of the forced landing in Siberia and the conditions endured prior to his rescue. A rare cover. Photo on Page 40. £300-400
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1933 Jimmie Mattern Circumnavigation Attempt. 1933 (July 27) Cover flown on the final leg of the flight from Edmonton to New York franked 6c, a US 1c applied and cancelled upon arrival, New York backstamp (Aug 9), signed by Mattern. Scarce, few carried. £120-150
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1933 C. & A. Lindbergh Survey Flight. 1933 (July 5) Typed letter to the Paris Chapter of the National Aeronautic Association of USA signed Anne Lindbergh. The Lindbergh's flew from New York to Europe via Newfoundland, Labrador, Greenland and Iceland, to survey a possible air route to Europe for various commercial US airlines; they then flew to Africa and South America and back to New York. £80-100
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1933 C. & A. Lindbergh Survey Flight. 1933 (July 7) Picture postcard to Denmark endorsed "pr Oberst Lindberghs Flyvemiskine fra Halskinsborg" with Denmark 10ore cancelled at Copenhagen (Aug 23), a rare card, very little mail carried. Photo on Page 40. £500-700
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1933 C. & A. Lindbergh Survey Flight. 1933 Cover to Denmark with "LINDBERGH POST / GRONLAND REYKJAVIK" cachet, franked Denmark 15ore cancelled at Copenhagen (Aug 24), reverse with oval "(crown) / GRONLANDS / STYRELSE". Upper edge with opening tears, the corner rather crudely repaired with white paper, stain near the stamp where tape has been removed, still a very scarce cover flown by Lindbergh from Greenland. £150-200
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1934 Richard Light Circumnavigation. 1934 (Sep 4) Registered cover from Reykjavik to Brussels bearing five 1934 air stamps, backstamped at Edinburgh (Sep 6), handstamped "By Air Mail / Reykjavik - Edinburgh / Carried by Dr. R. Light", fine and scarce. Photo on Page 40. £180-220
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1935 Thor Solberg USA to Norway Flight. 1935 (Aug 8) Registered cover from Reykjavik to Germany bearing four Iceland stamps, handstamped "Solbergs-flug / 1 agust 1935", backstamped in Bergen (Aug 16) and Berlin, very fine. £100-120
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1949-71 Female Circumnavigation Flights. 1949 Cover to USA with G.B 1/- and U.S stamps all cancelled at Cambridge (Aug 23), handstamped "Mrs Morrow-Tait Round the World Flight" signed by Morrow-Tait and co-pilot Michael Townsend; and two 1971 covers with Sheila Scott "World Flight North Pole" cancels from Hounslow, one carried on the flight with stamps or cancels from Norway, Greenland, Alaska, Hawaii, Fiji, Queensland and London, the first cover with a little minor staining. Morrow-Tait was the first woman pilot to fly around the world; Scott made three solo round the world flights including the first such flight by a woman. (3). £100-120
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1929-36 Flight covers and cards comprising 1929 Stockholm to New York flight by Swedish flyers, registered covers with special cancels (2, one pilot signed); 1931 MacMillan Aerial Expedition, U.S to England and return, printed cards posted at Boston or Merrimac; 1933 "Balbo" Italian Goodwill Flight cover flown from Montreal to Chicago; 1936 Gordon Bennett Balloon race, cards from Holland, France, Belgium or Luxembourg all flown on the balloon "Belgica" from Warsaw to Archangel. (9). £200-250
| AIR MAILS | |
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Zeppelin Mail. 1928-36 Covers and cards carried by Zeppelin from USA (3, with 1933 cover bearing "Century of Progress Flight" 50c), Germany (4, stamps including 1928 Zeppelin 2m, 1930 "1 Sudamerika Fahrt" 2m and 4m, 1931 "Polar Fahrt" 2m, S.G. £1,580 as stamps), Switzerland (2) or Russia, a few faults, the 1930 1st Sudamerika Fahrt card from Friedrichshafen very fine. (10). Photo on Page 48. £300-350
| Commercial Flight Covers | The following 40 lots are virtually all 1918-46 commercial covers, with many unusual destinations, origins, cachets, routes and rates. Commercial air mail covers of Great Britain and certain other countries are included under country headings, as are first and special flight covers. See lots 191-238, 413, 550, 575-587, 647-661, 665, 666, 681, 689, 727, 728, 777-779, 844-847, 849, 850, 878, 922-941, 945, 946, 1114-1165.
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1918-46 Covers and cards, first flights and commercial covers, including items from Albania, Peru, Holland 1929 flood emergency flight, Poland, Mexico, Colombia, Bolivia, Cuba, Guatemala stationery lettersheet, etc. An interesting lot. (91). £150-180
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1928-45 Mainly commercial covers with many unusual destinations and origins including Liechtenstein, Indo-China and other French Colonies, better Switzerland, USA cover with label "Returned by Censorship for disposition...", etc. (54). £100-120
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1928-46 Mainly commercial air mail covers including items to or from Iraq, Netherlands Indies with 1946 Ex P.O.W cover charged 30c, French West Africa, Madagascar, New Caledonia, Australia, Burma with 1941 1r franking, etc. (128). £200-250
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1939-44 Commercial air mail covers, all censored, many unusual origins, destinations or routes, including covers from Rhodes (2), Hungary to Cyprus with unusual "T. No. 39 / OPENED BY / CENSOR" label, censors of Brazil and Spain, transit censorship in Bermuda, etc. (60). £140-160
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Latin America. 1927-52 Commercial covers flown from or to Latin America including Nicaragua, Panama, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Honduras, etc., Panama registration seals, censored mail with seals of Costa Rica, Haiti, Panama, Nicaragua, etc. (74). £140-160
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Latin America. 1925-46 Commercial flight covers to or from Latin America, mainly from Paraguay or France including France parcel card to Brazil franked 73f and other high value frankings, censors with transit censorship in Trinidad, Zeppelin covers (3), a few commercial Deutsche Lufthansa covers, etc. (88). £160-200
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Baltic States. 1925-43 Covers and cards flown to or from Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia including first flights, censored mail, German occupation, etc. (28). £180-200
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Bolivia. 1929-45 Commercial air mail covers from or to Bolivia, various destinations and rates, some censored (30). £80-100
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Brazil. 1930-40 Commercial covers from or to Brazil, various destinations, rates and airlines, cachets include "Via Panair", "via Aeropostale", "Correio Aereo Linhas C.G.A", "Via Air France", "Via Condor", "Via Condor-Lati", "Via NYRBA", also "Via LATI" air mail labels, etc. (141). £150-200
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Brazil. 1940-45 Censored air mail covers mostly from or to Brazil, also a few sent to or from Uruguay or Chile, various frankings, destinations, censor cachets and seals, one stampless 1945 cover from Brazilian forces in Italy with Brazilian F.P.O datestamps. (111). £150-180
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Colombia. c.1921-43 Mainly commercial covers flown to, from or within Colombia including c.1921 cover from Medellin to England handstamped "HIDROAVION" and franked 10c with Scadta 30c on 50c green (Scott C20, $450 as a stamp) on the reverse tied by four line Scadta cancel (with 1990 Philatelic Foundation certificate, reverse slightly reduced at top), etc. (35). £150-180
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