Sale 1287 — Worldwide Stamps and Postal History
Sale Date — Tuesday-Wednesday, 23-24 May, 2023
Category — The Magnolia Collection of Emergency Flights
Lot
Symbol
Photo/Description
Cat./Est. Value
Realized
1541
EGYPT, 1919, March-April, Emergency R.A.F. Air Mail Service. With "Army Post Office SZ 10, 6 AP 19" circular datestamp (month and date slug inverted) on legal sized O.H.M.S. to Bir Salem, Palestine, violet "Aerial Post E.E.F" two-line boxed cachet of Cairo, originating in Heliopolis with "Prisoner's of War Camp, Heliopolis" oval handstamp dated a day before, eventually forwarded to Chambra with "Base Army Post Office Z, 15 AP 19" double-circle datestamp, "R.A.M.C. Records" Apr. 15, 1919 oval handstamp, vertical file fold, still Very Fine and interesting cover originating from the Helipolis POW camp
E. 400-500
2,700
1542
EGYPT, 1919, March-April, Emergency R.A.F. Air Mail Service. Faint but clear strike of Base Army Post Office Apr. 24, 1919 circular datestamp of Alexandria on O.H.M.S. cover to Controller of Munitions in Karachi, boxed "Aerial Post E.E.F." cachet of Alexandria, Base Army Post Office Apr. 25, 1919 transit backstamp of Port Said, violet "COO Base" boxed handstamp unfilled and Bombay censor marking, Karachi arrival backstamp, cover missing top right corner and minor horizontal file fold, still Fine and exceptionally rare, of the 120 covers thought to survive from this emergency service, surprisingly only seven covers are recorded used abroad with two of those to India, with 2018 B.P.A. certificate
E. 1,000-1,500
7,500
Back to Top1543
EGYPT, 1919, March-April, Emergency R.A.F. Air Mail Service. Six O.H.M.S. covers with four different cachets, includes three unframed "Aerial Post EEF" two-line cachet of Alexandria, violet boxed "Aerial Post EEF" cachet of Cairo, and two strikes of the same cachet in black of Alexandria, with one multi-forwarded cover, mostly Fine-Very Fine, it's believed around 120 covers still survive, this emergency service was pressed into use during widespread disturbances in Egypt to assist in maintaining communications between British military installations in the Middle East
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E. 750-1,000
1,600
Back to Top1544
IRAQ, 1920, Aug. 3, Emergency R.A.F. Flight Cover. With Uncancelled Iraq, 1920, 1-1/2a on 5pa Surcharge (N31; SG 4) affixed to cover addressed to Major T.N. Holman, M.C. in the then besieged city of Hillah, red manuscript "By Air" and signed "By air C.O. 30 Sqd, 3.8.20" at bottom left, vertical file fold and small filing holes at left, otherwise Fine and exceptionally rare cover of which only four are recorded by Newall on this emergency flight during the Arab Rebellion, between Jul. and Sept. 1920, rail lines between Baghdad and Hillah were severed, illustrated in Kimpton (p. 85), ex von Uexkull
E. 1,000-1,500
500
Back to Top1545
INDIA, 1941 Emergency Air Route via Chungking. Legal sized cover with 47-1/2a metered stamps addressed to Newark N.J., corresponding "L.A.S. Bombay, B-76, 15 XI 41" double-circle datestamp, "via Chungking" directive at bottom, British censor tape at left, Very Fine, this cover likely went via Chungking and Hong Kong just prior to the Japanese invasion a couple weeks later
E. 300-400
800
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