24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918
Air Post, Grounded Plane (C3 var). Wheels of the plane well into
"Cents", bold "Toledo Ohio" oval cancel, light corner creases at bottom
right, otherwise Very Fine, exceedingly rare in used condition (Image)
65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin,
Large Die Proofs (C13P1-C15P1). Die sunk on 202 x 152mm cards, blue
control numbers on reverse, bright and freshEXTREMELY FINE. ONE OF THE FEW KNOWN SETS OF LARGE DIE PROOFS OF THE GRAF ZEPPELIN ISSUE.
Ex President Roosevelt, Matthews and Hennig. (Image)
65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin
(C13-C15). Mint N.H. blocks of four, 65c with plate no. at right, fresh
and bright colors, choice centeringEXTREMELY FINE GEM BLOCKS OF FOUR OF THE GRAF ZEPPELIN SET.
With 2001 P.F. certificates. Scott Retail as Mint N.H. singles (Image)
6c-50c Transport Air Posts,
Small Die Proofs (C25P2-C31P2). Complete set, 44 x 29mm each,
exceptionally bright and freshEXTREMELY FINE SET OF SMALL DIE PROOFS OF THE TRANSPORT AIR POST ISSUE. ONE OF TWO SETS IN PRIVATE HANDS.
This set was first offered in our Sale 419 (lot 313) and again in our Sale 505 (lot 808). This was the only known set until a second set was offered four years ago by H. R. Harmer. To the best of our knowledge, these two are the only sets in private hands. A collector purchased the Harmer set, and it will probably not be available to the market for many years. (Image)
R.F. Overprints Ty. A and F
on 6c Entire. On No. UC3 with both R.F. overprints clearly
visible, (French) "Poste Naval 6-11-44" circular datestamp, censor tape
and French Marine Service pictorial handstamp at left, Corcelli
correspondence (same address as genuine covers illustrated in Goodkind),
top backflap removed and small piece out in top left corner (clear of
markings), otherwise Fine and very rare, small Sanabria handstamp --
according to Goodkind Appendix A, this is consistent with being mailed from
the French Naval Vessel La Toulonnaise, which used these two types
of R.F. overprints between July 19, 1944, and Feb. 5, 1945 -- only eight
R.F. covers are known from the La Toulonnaise.
(Image) 
R.F. Overprint Ty. C on 15c
Transport Air Post (CM3). Tied by French Pictorial Naval cancel, "Poste
Navale 31-3-45" circular datestamp on legal-size cover to "Mademoiselle G.
Martin 249 So. Farragut Terrace, West Philadelphia #39 Penna. U.S.A.", "P.
Clement/ Electircien/ French D.E. Hoya/ Poste Navale Francase/ c/o fleet
post office/ New York N.Y." return address, censor tape and marking at
left, pictorial cancel over ms. "Free F.M."VERY FINE. A PREVIOUSLY UNREPORTED EXAMPLE OF AN R.F. OVERPRINT ON A 15-CENT TRANSPORT AIR POST ISSUE.
Accompanied by three other pieces of correspondence including two from the same sender -- a 6c Transport booklet single with Type H overprint and an 8c Transport single without R.F. overprint -- and a letter from the recipient's husband explaining that "During the war, my wife, who is French, invited a number of French sailors at one time or another. Some of these boys wrote to thank us or to pass a lonely hour..." With 2002 P.F. certificate (Image)
1971, Apollo 15 Moon
Exploration Cover. Pair of No. 1278 and 1371 tied by Kennedy Space
Center Jul. 26, 1971 machine cancel, No. 1435a tied by "U.S.S. Okinawa
(LPH-3) Aug 7, 1971 AM" datestamp on cacheted flown cover, numbered "114 of
300" and signed by the three astronauts -- David Scott, Al Worden and James
Irwin -- two copies of printed enclosure, accompanied by a typed
certification signed by Worden, Scott and Irwin, NASA serial no. 284 on
backFRESH AND EXTREMELY FINE. OFFERED TO THE PHILATELIC MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME.
The card enclosure explains: "This cover is #[114] of 300 postmarked just prior to the launch of Apollo 15 on July 26, 1971 at Kennedy Space Center, stowed aboard the spacecraft in a sealed fireproof jacket, carried to the lunar surface in LM 'FALCON', returned to earth in CM 'ENDEAVOUR', an postmarked immediately after splashdown on August 7, 1971 by the U.S. Navy Postal Station aboard the recovery ship USS OKINAWA." A large number of the flown covers were held by the United States government and only released to Alfred Worden after litigation. This is one of those covers. (Image)
1971, Apollo 15 Moon
Exploration Cover. Nos. 1396 and 1435a tied by "U.S.S. Okinawa (LPH-3)
Aug 7, 1971 AM" datestamp on cacheted flown cover, "Launch July 26, 1971"
circular datestamp at upper left, red "Recovery Aug. 7, 1971" circular
datestamp also ties stamps, signed by the three astronauts -- David Scott,
Al Worden and James Irwin -- NASA serial no. 351 on back, right stamp in
pair nicked at top from separationFRESH AND VERY FINE COVER. OFFERED TO THE PHILATELIC MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME.
Accompanied by a typed certification signed by Scott, Worden and Irwin, with an additional certification from Worden explaining the mismatch between the certificate number and number on the cover (a clerical error). (Image)