Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, Inc. Sale

2005 Rarities of the World, Part One continued...

**Air Post and Flight Covers**
Lot	Sym.	Lot Description	Est/Cat	Realized
375		65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). Mint N.H. plate no. blocks of six, 65c left selvage, $1.30 and $2.60 right selvage, brilliant colors, unusually choice centering EXTREMELY FINE GEMS. A SUPERB SET OF MINT NEVER-HINGED PLATE BLOCKS OF THE 1930 GRAF ZEPPELIN ISSUE. Scarce in such superb condition. (Image)	22,100.00	25,000.00
376		65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). Set of matched top plate no. blocks of six, lightly hinged, 65c usual light natural gum skips and bends, $2.60 few expertly rejoined vertical perfs at right VERY FINE APPEARING MATCHED SET OF TOP PLATE BLOCKS OF THE GRAF ZEPPELIN ISSUE. Most sets that are offered tend to be a mixture of plate block positions. This set of top plate blocks is extremely scarce and desirable. (Image)	15,850.00	11,500.00
377		65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). Rich colors and choice centering, tied by "Washington D.C. Apr. 19 5PM 1930" duplex cancels on flown 2c entire (U522a) to Beach Haven N.J., usual cachets also incl. the scarce small arrival handstamp, Friedrichschafen and New York backstamps, faint overall toning AN ATTRACTIVE AND RARE FLOWN FIRST DAY COVER WITH A COMPLETE SET OF THE GRAF ZEPPELIN ISSUE. With 1996 P.F. certificate. (Image)	E. 12,000-15,000	11,500.00
378		5c Deep Blue, Buffalo Balloon (CL1). Schoendorf Type II, accompanying certificate states that it is regummed but we disagree, large margins, deep shade and clear impression EXTREMELY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE BUFFALO BALLOON AIR POST ISSUE. The Buffalo Balloon stamp, designed by John F. B. Lillard and engraved by John H. Snively, was printed by Wheeler Brothers Printers in Nashville, Tennessee. Only 300 were printed in tete-beche arrangement from a single die. The stamps were intended for use on a balloon flight from Nashville to Gallatin, Tennessee, which took place on June 18, 1877. Of the 300 that were printed, only 23 were used. Based on previous examples we have handled, at least some of the Buffalo Balloon stamps were exposed to moisture around the time they were printed. This accounts for the fact that only two of the eleven tete-beche pairs certified by the Philatelic Foundation are sound. The others are mostly thinned in one corner where they were stuck together. It is likely that the example offered here suffered the same fate, and has original gum which is slightly disturbed. Dealer's green backstamp and signed in pencil. With 2004 P.F. certificate. (Image)	7,500.00	5,000.00
379		1914, Sep. 17-18, Clayton N.M., Fair Grounds Aviation Meet, (AAMC 79). 1c Green tied by Sept. 17 oval flight cancel on photo postcard of plane flying low over field to Mrs. Julia Means, Logansport Ind., message reads, "Dear Mother, Am at the fair and am sending thet card to the Post Office in an Aeroplane. Robert", signed at top by pilot Floyd Smith VERY FINE. ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN AIR MAIL CATALOGUE, ONLY FOUR OF THE 326 PIECES OF MAIL FLOWN ARE KNOWN. Ex Lettick and Mack (Image)	4,000.00	3,500.00
380		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 "117 of 300" and signed by the three astronauts -- David Scott, Al Worden and James Irwin -- accompanied by copy of a typed notarized certification signed by Worden, Scott and Irwin, NASA serial no. 281 on back FRESH AND EXTREMELY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING APOLLO 15 FLOWN COVER TO THE MOON AND BACK. The card enclosure explains: "This cover is #[117] 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 packet, 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." (Image)	E. 5,000-7,500	5,250.00

Air Post and Flight Covers

Lot

Sym.

Lot Description

Est/Cat

Realized

375

65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). Mint N.H. plate no. blocks of six, 65c left selvage, $1.30 and $2.60 right selvage, brilliant colors, unusually choice centering

EXTREMELY FINE GEMS. A SUPERB SET OF MINT NEVER-HINGED PLATE BLOCKS OF THE 1930 GRAF ZEPPELIN ISSUE.

Scarce in such superb condition. (Image)

22,100.00

25,000.00

376

65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). Set of matched top plate no. blocks of six, lightly hinged, 65c usual light natural gum skips and bends, $2.60 few expertly rejoined vertical perfs at right

VERY FINE APPEARING MATCHED SET OF TOP PLATE BLOCKS OF THE GRAF ZEPPELIN ISSUE.

Most sets that are offered tend to be a mixture of plate block positions. This set of top plate blocks is extremely scarce and desirable. (Image)

15,850.00

11,500.00

377

65c-$2.60 Graf Zeppelin (C13-C15). Rich colors and choice centering, tied by "Washington D.C. Apr. 19 5PM 1930" duplex cancels on flown 2c entire (U522a) to Beach Haven N.J., usual cachets also incl. the scarce small arrival handstamp, Friedrichschafen and New York backstamps, faint overall toning

AN ATTRACTIVE AND RARE FLOWN FIRST DAY COVER WITH A COMPLETE SET OF THE GRAF ZEPPELIN ISSUE.

With 1996 P.F. certificate. (Image)

E. 12,000-15,000

11,500.00

378

5c Deep Blue, Buffalo Balloon (CL1). Schoendorf Type II, accompanying certificate states that it is regummed but we disagree, large margins, deep shade and clear impression

EXTREMELY FINE EXAMPLE OF THE RARE BUFFALO BALLOON AIR POST ISSUE.

The Buffalo Balloon stamp, designed by John F. B. Lillard and engraved by John H. Snively, was printed by Wheeler Brothers Printers in Nashville, Tennessee. Only 300 were printed in tete-beche arrangement from a single die. The stamps were intended for use on a balloon flight from Nashville to Gallatin, Tennessee, which took place on June 18, 1877. Of the 300 that were printed, only 23 were used.

Based on previous examples we have handled, at least some of the Buffalo Balloon stamps were exposed to moisture around the time they were printed. This accounts for the fact that only two of the eleven tete-beche pairs certified by the Philatelic Foundation are sound. The others are mostly thinned in one corner where they were stuck together. It is likely that the example offered here suffered the same fate, and has original gum which is slightly disturbed.

Dealer's green backstamp and signed in pencil. With 2004 P.F. certificate. (Image)

7,500.00

5,000.00

379

1914, Sep. 17-18, Clayton N.M., Fair Grounds Aviation Meet, (AAMC 79). 1c Green tied by Sept. 17 oval flight cancel on photo postcard of plane flying low over field to Mrs. Julia Means, Logansport Ind., message reads, "Dear Mother, Am at the fair and am sending thet card to the Post Office in an Aeroplane. Robert", signed at top by pilot Floyd Smith

VERY FINE. ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN AIR MAIL CATALOGUE, ONLY FOUR OF THE 326 PIECES OF MAIL FLOWN ARE KNOWN.

Ex Lettick and Mack (Image)

4,000.00

3,500.00

380

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 "117 of 300" and signed by the three astronauts -- David Scott, Al Worden and James Irwin -- accompanied by copy of a typed notarized certification signed by Worden, Scott and Irwin, NASA serial no. 281 on back

FRESH AND EXTREMELY FINE. AN OUTSTANDING APOLLO 15 FLOWN COVER TO THE MOON AND BACK.

The card enclosure explains: "This cover is #[117] 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 packet, 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." (Image)

E. 5,000-7,500

5,250.00