Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

2003 Rarities of the World continued...

**Air Post**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description	Est/Cat	Realized
591		1911, November 12, Calbraith Rodgers' Vin Fiz Flight, Compton Cal. Crash (AAMC 2c). Postcard depicting Vin Fiz with inset of Calbraith Rodgers bearing 1c stamp tied by "Long Beach Cal. Nov. 16 10 AM 1911" machine flag postmark, addressed to Miss Stella Morgan in Cheryvale Kans., usual five-line purple cachet and also three-line "Machine Wrecked/at Compton/Aviator Injured" handstamp, few toning spots and some edgewear FINE. A RARE CARD INTENDED FOR THE FINAL LEG OF THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL TRANSCONTINENTAL FLIGHT BY CALBRAITH RODGERS IN HIS "VIN FIZ FLYER". ONLY SEVEN ARE RECORDED. This card was intended to be carried on the final leg of the flight, from Pasadena to Long Beach, which crashed upon take-off from the stop at Compton. Rodgers was seriously injured in this crash and the plane was wrecked totally, but one month later the last leg to Long Beach was completed. The last example to be sold realized $12,500 in our 1999 Rarities sale. That cover had several scuffs. (Image)	E. 7,500-10,000	9,000.00
592		24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Grounded Plane Variety (C3 var). Bottom margin block of four, vignette shifted down exceeding the standard amount for classification as the Grounded Plane variety, pristine gum described by the P.F. as "previously hinged", an opinion with which both the P.S.E. and we (vehemently) disagree, bright fresh colors on brilliant paper, bottom left stamp with small light internal wrinkle harshly described by the P.F. as a crease EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A STUNNING BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE RARE GROUNDED PLANE VARIETY -- EXTRAORDINARY BOTH FOR ITS CONDITION AND THE EXTREME DOWNWARD SHIFT OF THE PLANE VIGNETTE. 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 2003 P.F. and P.S.E. certificates (Image)	E. 15,000-20,000	19,500.00
593		65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). Rich colors, tied by "Washington D.C. Apr. 19 5PM 1930" duplex cancels on First Day cover to New York City, three cachets incl. purple "This article made the complete round trip", Friedrichschafen (May 6) and June 18 receiving backstamps VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL FLOWN FIRST DAY COVER OF THE GRAF ZEPPELIN SET. This cover is especially desirable in that it is on a smaller-size cover, which is highly exhibitable. (Image)	15,000.00	10,000.00
594		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 "116 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. 282 on back FRESH AND EXTREMELY FINE. OFFERED TO THE MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME. The card enclosure explains: "This cover is #[116] 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 on the LM 'FALCON', returned to earth in CM 'ENDEAVOUR', and 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)	E. 3,000-4,000	5,000.00
595		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. H03-2 on back FRESH AND VERY FINE COVER. OFFERED TO THE 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)	E. 3,000-4,000	3,500.00

Air Post

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

Est/Cat

Realized

591

1911, November 12, Calbraith Rodgers' Vin Fiz Flight, Compton Cal. Crash (AAMC 2c). Postcard depicting Vin Fiz with inset of Calbraith Rodgers bearing 1c stamp tied by "Long Beach Cal. Nov. 16 10 AM 1911" machine flag postmark, addressed to Miss Stella Morgan in Cheryvale Kans., usual five-line purple cachet and also three-line "Machine Wrecked/at Compton/Aviator Injured" handstamp, few toning spots and some edgewear

FINE. A RARE CARD INTENDED FOR THE FINAL LEG OF THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL TRANSCONTINENTAL FLIGHT BY CALBRAITH RODGERS IN HIS "VIN FIZ FLYER". ONLY SEVEN ARE RECORDED.

This card was intended to be carried on the final leg of the flight, from Pasadena to Long Beach, which crashed upon take-off from the stop at Compton. Rodgers was seriously injured in this crash and the plane was wrecked totally, but one month later the last leg to Long Beach was completed.

The last example to be sold realized $12,500 in our 1999 Rarities sale. That cover had several scuffs. (Image)

E. 7,500-10,000

9,000.00

592

24c Carmine Rose & Blue, 1918 Air Post, Grounded Plane Variety (C3 var). Bottom margin block of four, vignette shifted down exceeding the standard amount for classification as the Grounded Plane variety, pristine gum described by the P.F. as "previously hinged", an opinion with which both the P.S.E. and we (vehemently) disagree, bright fresh colors on brilliant paper, bottom left stamp with small light internal wrinkle harshly described by the P.F. as a crease

EXTREMELY FINE GEM. A STUNNING BLOCK OF FOUR OF THE RARE GROUNDED PLANE VARIETY -- EXTRAORDINARY BOTH FOR ITS CONDITION AND THE EXTREME DOWNWARD SHIFT OF THE PLANE VIGNETTE.

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 2003 P.F. and P.S.E. certificates (Image)

E. 15,000-20,000

19,500.00

593

65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). Rich colors, tied by "Washington D.C. Apr. 19 5PM 1930" duplex cancels on First Day cover to New York City, three cachets incl. purple "This article made the complete round trip", Friedrichschafen (May 6) and June 18 receiving backstamps

VERY FINE AND CHOICE. A BEAUTIFUL FLOWN FIRST DAY COVER OF THE GRAF ZEPPELIN SET.

This cover is especially desirable in that it is on a smaller-size cover, which is highly exhibitable. (Image)

15,000.00

10,000.00

594

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 "116 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. 282 on back

FRESH AND EXTREMELY FINE. OFFERED TO THE MARKET FOR THE FIRST TIME.

The card enclosure explains: "This cover is #[116] 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 on the LM 'FALCON', returned to earth in CM 'ENDEAVOUR', and 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)

E. 3,000-4,000

5,000.00

595

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. H03-2 on back

FRESH AND VERY FINE COVER. OFFERED TO THE 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)

E. 3,000-4,000

3,500.00