Sale 1305 — United States Stamps
Sale Date — Wednesday-Thursday, 13-14 December, 2023
Category — Air Post
6c-24c 1918 Air Post (C1-C3). Five center line blocks of four, includes second C1 and second used C2, original gum, Very Fine group
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post (C3). Two Mint N.H. singles, first with unusually wide and balanced margins and with vignette shifted slightly upwards, second the Fast Plane variety with wing of plane into frame, Very Fine-Extremely Fine, Scott value as normal
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Fast Plane (C3 var). Position 95, original gum, lightly hinged, with bottom half arrow selvage, forward and downward vignette shift showing the Fast Plane variety, also nearly a Low Plane with the left wheel just touching the Carmine frame at bottom, intense colors, Very Fine, a nice example of this variety, ex Price, with 2017 P.F. certificate
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Fast Plane (C3 var). Mint N.H., rich colors, with plane shifted significantly forwards with blue printed at outer frame, Very Fine and choice example of this distinct variety
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Fast Plane (C3 var). Mint N.H., with plane shifted significantly to the left, brilliant colors, fresh and Very Fine, with 1991 and 2008 P.F. certificates
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Grounded Plane Variety (C3 var). Original gum, lightly hinged, brilliant colors, vignette shifted strongly to bottom with wheels well into "Cents", wide margins
VERY FINE AND CHOICE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE 1918 24-CENT FIRST AIR POST ISSUE GROUNDED PLANE VARIETY.
The true Grounded Plane stamps, in which the wheels of the plane break thru the top of "Cents", come from portions of three sheets. The discovery sheet was owned and broken up by J. Klemann of Nassau Stamp Company. A second sheet was discovered in 1946 and sold in the Thomas A. Matthews sale (H.R. Harmer, Nov. 4, 1964), where it was purchased by Georges A. Medawar, publisher of Sanabria Airmail Catalogue. In Linn's Stamp News of April 21, 1986, specialist Joseph R. Kirker Jr. published his research revealing a third source of this variety.
With 2010 P.F. certificate.
24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Slow Plane Variety (C3 var). Clear vignette shift with the top wing and tail well into the Carmine frame and letter "E" of "Postage", tied by "Air Mail Service Wash. N.Y. Phila. Washington Jul. 5, 1918 4 PM" datestamp on cover to New York, manuscript "Via Aeroplane Post", Very Fine and scarce on-cover example of the Slow Plane variety, ex Price, with 2017 P.F. certificate
8c-24c 1923 Air Post (C4-C6). Mint N.H. blocks of four, fresh, bright colors, Fine-Very Fine
16c Dark Blue, 1923 Air Post (C5). Jumbo margins and precise centering, rich color, partial duplex cancel, Extremely Fine, a huge stamp, with 2014 P.F. certificate (XF-Superb 95 Jumbo)
24c Carmine, 1923 Air Post (C6). Mint N.H., choice balanced margins, beautiful color, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2015 P.S.A.G. certificate (98) and 2020 P.F. certificate (XF-Superb 95)
10c Lindbergh, Booklet Pane, Tab at Bottom (C10a var). Complete unexploded booklet of two Mint N.H. panes of three (BKC1 var), bottom pane with tab at bottom (Position A) and top pane with normal tab at top (Position H), bright colors, back cover with some light staining, otherwise fresh and intact
VERY FINE. AN EXTREMELY RARE EXAMPLE OF THE 10-CENT LINDBERGH AIR POST ISSUE WITH THE TAB AT BOTTOM. VERY FEW ARE KNOWN.
There was strong public demand for the Lindbergh issue in booklet form, so the Post Office decided to issue this with six stamps per booklet. They were first placed on sale on May 26, 1928. The discovery of the inverted pane was first made in 1938, and fewer than a half-dozen others have since been discovered. According to a letter from the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (reproduced in the Bureau Specialist), they state that it is possible that the pane of inverted stamps may have originated from a sheet that became reversed during processing (cutting apart into the individual panes), and would have been assembled with the panes in reverse unless discovered before final assembly.
We have offered only two others since keeping computerized records (one intact, one exploded). With 2008 P.F. certificate.
65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). Mint N.H. blocks of four, deep rich colors, choice centering, $2.60 left stamps natural gum crease
VERY FINE-EXTREMELY FINE SET OF MINT NEVER-HINGED BLOCKS OF FOUR OF THE GRAF ZEPPELIN ISSUE.
Scott value as singles.
65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). Mint N.H. blocks of four, well-balanced margins
VERY FINE SET OF MINT NEVER-HINGED BLOCKS OF FOUR OF THE GRAF ZEPPELIN ISSUE.
Scott value as singles.
65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). Mint N.H. blocks of four, rich colors, light natural gum bends
VERY FINE SET OF MINT NEVER-HINGED BLOCKS OF FOUR OF THE GRAF ZEPPELIN ISSUE.
Scott value as singles.
65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). Blocks of four with plate numbers, 65c top, others right, 65c lightly hinged, $1.30 Mint N.H., $2.60 top stamps possibly hinged and counted that way in our catalogue value
FINE-VERY FINE SET OF BLOCKS OF FOUR with plate numbers OF THE GRAF ZEPPELIN ISSUE.
Scott value as singles.
65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). $1.30 with bottom plate no. selvage, $2.60 with top plate no. selvage, original gum, 65c small natural inclusion, Fine-Very Fine set
65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). 65c and $2.60 with selvage at side, original gum, each with single hinge mark, well-centered, Very Fine
65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). Original gum, $2.60 particularly lightly hinged, well-centered, Very Fine
$1.30 Graf Zeppelin (C14). Impressive centering, deep rich shade, Varick Street Station circular datestamp cancel, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2006 P.S.E. certificate (XF-Superb 95)
$2.60 Blue, Graf Zeppelin (C15). Mint N.H. block of four, rich color on bright paper, Very Fine and choice, Scott value as singles
$2.60 Blue, Graf Zeppelin (C15). Four singles, original gum, lightly hinged, few natural gum bends are a bit heavy in places, Fine-Very Fine group
5c Winged Globe, Air Post (C16). Mint N.H., Jumbo margins and outstanding centering, rich color, Extremely Fine Gem, with 2023 P.S.E. certificate (Superb 98 Jumbo)
6c Ultramarine & Carmine, Error of Color (C23c). Center line block of four, original gum, lightly hinged, rich colors, choice centering, Very Fine, each signed Bloch
1911, 25c Black, Rodgers "Vin Fiz", Unofficial Air Post (CL2). Margins cut close to just in as always, small corner crease and nick at bottom right corner, uncancelled and affixed to picture side of postcard depicting the Vin Fiz Flyer with inset of Calbraith Rodgers, used with 1c Green tied by "El Paso, Tex. Oct. 30 12:30PM 1911" machine cancel and addressed to Arden Tex., lightly struck receiving datestamp, message reads "Dimensions of aeroplane 32ft. long 21 wide 7ft height, weight 903 lbs, speed 55 mi. or better per hr. Sanderson Tx. 10/28-11. Wish you could have seen it. It's absurd. They have a special train for the remainder of people with aviator. He stays in car at night. Your friend ASM", also "This card will be saved" at left and "7 mi mid air from here to El Paso where this gets mailed"
VERY FINE. ONE OF THIRTEEN RECORDED EXAMPLES OF THE VIN FIZ STAMP, WHICH WAS USED DURING THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL TRANSCONTINENTAL FLIGHT. THIS IS ALSO THE ONLY EXAMPLE POSTMARKED AT EL PASO, TEXAS.
Although Calbraith Rodgers is less famous than other American pilots such as Earl Ovington, Charles Lindbergh, or Amelia Earhart, he was in fact the first person to fly from one coast to the other. Rodgers was one of four contestants in a race sponsored by William Randolph Hearst, who offered $50,000 to the first person to fly coast to coast in 30 days or less. Rodgers completed the journey first, flying from Sheepshead Bay, New York, on September 17, 1911 and arriving at Pasadena, California, on November 5; the last leg to Long Beach was completed on December 10. Because Rodgers took 49 days to reach the California coast, he lost the prize.
The flight was nothing less than a spectacle. The erratic path of his 4,231-mile journey followed transcontinental railroad lines. The airborne Rodgers was followed on land by a three-car train, the Vin Fiz Special, which transported his rather large entourage. Adopting a novel form of product endorsement, his Wright Model EX aircraft was emblazoned with the name of a new grape soda, Vin Fiz, and the trip was sponsored and heavily promoted by the beverage maker, the Armour Meat-Packing Company.
The Vin Fiz stamp was issued by pilot Calbraith Rodgers' wife, Mabel. At each of the 75 stops along the route, a crowd gathered around Rodgers and his flying machine, and Mabel and her assistants would circulate, hawking souvenir cards and "air post" service for 25 cents per card or letter.
The postcard offered here was written in Sanderson, Texas. Calbraith Rodgers arrived in Sanderson Oct. 26 and departed Oct. 28, delayed by a day due to heavy winds. He suffered several mishaps on this leg of his journey to El Paso, including a punctured tire and a cracked engine; the gas tank also fell on his neck. After this was repaired he had a major oil leak 60 miles from El Paso, with oil spraying all over his face and goggles. A crowd of 7,000 mobbed the runway, so he was forced to land in a nearby cemetery. This postcard was mailed at the El Paso post office after the landing.
The postcard offered here is the only recorded example carried on this eventful leg of the journey. A total of thirteen examples of the Vin Fiz stamp are recorded. Ten are on postcards, one is on a cover, one is on a piece and one is off card. They can all be seen at our census at https://siegelauctions.com/census/us/scott/cl2.
Census no. CL2-PC-11.