Prestige Philately - Auction No 163 Page: 1 LORD HOWE ISLAND 78 C A- Lot 78 1931 (June 6) cover to Australia with 3-line flight cachet signed by the pilot "Francis Chichester" AAMC #184a, Cat $650. NEW GUINEA - German (Deutsch) New Guinea - Postal History 400 139 C/L B NEW ZEALAND - Postal History Lot 139 1914 (July 1) cover to Germany with 5pf x2 & 30pf tied by 'RABAUL/10-IIV a' cds & red/black registration label, endorsed "Dr Bredemann/Rabaul" at lower-left & with his Bird of Paradise wax seals on the reverse, readdressed on arrival. With the two enclosures 1) certified plan for proposed copra sheds for Mioko Planatation, signed by the manager "AKeichl"; & 2) & the costing for the project signed by Keichl & the draftsman "PNechtritz". Rare group. [Gustav Bredemann was director of the Rabaul Botanical Gardens. When the Australians invaded, Bredemann was appointed acting censor (!). Six days later he was arrested & placed on the "Berrima", then transferred with other officials to the "Sydney" which departed Rabaul. However, the next day the Germans surrendered & the "Sydney" returned. Bredemann was contracted for 3 months to act as directed by the military administration. On 4/1/1915 he was sent to Liverpool POW Camp but in yet another twist, on 13/2/1915 he was deported on the "Ventura" & returned safely to Germany! Between 1916 & 1918 he engaged in scientific research in Anatolia] 1,850 339 C/CL A/B Ex Lot 339 1939 (Sep-Oct) "Aotearoa" flying boat covers with Sydney-Auckland delivery flight signed by the pilot & crew (not listed in the AAMC); 9/9 Suva-Auckland commercial with typed "per Aotearoa"; 21/10 Suva-Tonga-NZ with Fiji 6d Die I & signed by the pilot (with chatty letter about the flying boat); & 23/10 Tonga-NZ with superb 'FIRST FLIGHT COVER/TONGA-NZ' h/s in rosine & signed by the pilot; generally fine, NZAC #210/c/g & i. (5 items) 400
Prestige Philately - Auction No 163 Page: 2 NEW ZEALAND - Pioneer Air Mails The following lots from the Gold Medal exhibit formed by John Nielsen of Brisbane comprise the most extensive group of early airmail covers we have offered. Neither Mike Shand (sold at auction in Melbourne in 2004) nor James Stapleton (our sale of 18/11/2006) had close to the array on offer here. References are to the "New Zealand Airmail Catalogue" (NZAC) Third Edition (2009). Despite being the best available, this is an unsatisfactory publication: the numbering is chaotic; the whole numbers appear before the text instead of alongside the listings; the pricing is perverse; the illustrations regrettably appear after the listings. "Census" refers to a census of 1919-21 covers undertaken by Mike Shand for a society journal, the details of which he only occasionally noted in the NZAC. Lot 347 347 C A 1919 photograph of the pilot George B Bolt, non-contemporary signature "GB Bolt" in ballpoint. Offer 348 C B Lot 348 1919 (Dec 16) Dargaville-Auckland #4b PPC ("Post Office and Wharf Dargaville") endorsed "Per Sea Plane Mail" with ½d & 1d tied by 'DARGAVILLE/16DE19/NZ' cds, minor spotting, guarantee h/s on the address side, Cat $NZ1500. The message states "NZealands first Aerial Mail...". [Shand's & Stapleton's similar PPCs sold for $1035 & $1322 respectively] 850 353 C B Lot 353 1920 (Mar 12) Auckland-Whakatane #11c printers' advertising cover with 1½d brown tied by Auckland slogan cancel, 'WHAKATANE/12MR20/NZ' arrival b/s, signed by the pilot "GBBolt" at lower-left, endorsed on the face "This envelope was carried by Seaplane/on her first trip from Auckland to/whakatane March 12 1920" & signed by the postmaster, guarantee h/s on reverse, Cat $NZ1500 (1994). [Stapleton's plain cover sold for $1667] 1,500
Prestige Philately - Auction No 163 Page: 3 354 C B Lot 354 1920 (Mar 15) Tauranga-Auckland #11g cover with typed "Per Aerial Mail", Victory ½d & 1d tied by 'TAURANGA/ 15MR20/NZ' cds, signed by the pilot "GBBolt" at lower-left, guarantee h/s on reverse, Cat $NZ1500. [Bishop Cleary's return flight left Opotiki 13/3/1920 but there was a 2-day stopover at Tauranga] 1,200 356 C (B) Lot 356 1920 (Apr 9) Auckland-Kaitaia #15e with Victory 1½d tied by 'AUCKLAND/8AP20/NZ' cds, superb 'NZ/KAITAIA/9AP20' arrival b/s & large 'VIA SEAPLANE' h/s, signed by the pilot "GBBolt" at lower-left & "Allen Bell" at the top, guarantee h/s on the reverse, Cat $NZ1200-1500 (duh!). Census a total of 12 only for 8 separate stages. [Colonel Allen Bell chartered a plane to fly to the Bay of Islands & return. The NZAC states that the 'VIA SEAPLANE' h/s was applied at Kaitaia. With photo of a photo of Colonel Bell & George Bolt] 750 357 C D Lot 357 1920 (Apr 10) Kaitaia-Auckland #15h with Victory 1½d tied by 'NZ/KAITAIA/8AP20' cds & large 'VIA SEAPLANE' h/s, signed by the pilot "GBBolt" at lower-left & "Allen Bell" at the top, badly torn & amateurishly "repaired", guarantee h/s on the reverse, Cat $NZ1200-1500. Offer
Prestige Philately - Auction No 163 Page: 4 358 C (B) Lot 358 1920 (Apr 10) Mangonui-Auckland commemorative cover with 'Per Seaplane from Mangonui/...' printed at the top, Victory 1½d tied by triple-circle 'MANGONUI/9AP/20/NZ' cds 'WAIPAWA/12AP20' transit & 'TIKOKINO/13AP20' arrival b/s, opened a bit roughly & repaired at the top. [The return flight went direct to Auckland. Intended mail from the outwards intermediate points was taken to Dargaville by road] 500 359 C B Lot 359 1920 (Apr 12) Auckland-Kawhia #16b cover with typed "Per Aerial Mail" & Victory 1½d tied by Auckland cds of 12AP20, 'NZ/KAWHIA/12AP20' arrival b/s, signed by the pilot "GBBolt", guarantee b/s, Cat $1500. Census "0". [Bishop Cleary's second charter flight. Absent from the Shand & Stapleton collections] 1,000 368 C B Lot 368 1920 (Sep 6) Kaikoura-Christchurch #25c 'ONWARD MARLBOROUGH/NEW ZEALAND must see her TRUNK LINE through' promotional cover for completion of the Picton-Invercargill Railway with a 2d yellow tied by 'KAIKOURA/4SP20/NZ' cds, larger straight-line 'PER AERIAL POST' h/s in green, Christchurch arrival b/s of 6SP20, signed by the pilot "Euan Dickson" at left & guarantee b/s, a couple of repaired tears at the top, Cat $NZ1500. A very attractive cover. [Shand's cover sold for $1437] 1,000
Prestige Philately - Auction No 163 Page: 5 370 PS B Lot 370 1921 (Jan 31) Canterbury (NZ) Aviation Co Timaru-Christchurch flight cover #26e being a KEVII ½d Envelope uprated with KGV 7½d - paying the correct rate of 2d postage + 6d airmail fee - tied by 'TIMARU' cds, typed 'PER AERIAL POST' at upper-left, signed by the pilot "Euan Dickson" at lower-left, minor blemishes, guarantee h/s on reverse, Cat $NZ1500 (2009). NB: from another vendor. [This was the first flight for which an airmail surcharge 6d was charged. Stapleton's similar cover sold for $920 at our auction of 18/11/2006] 750T 373 C B Lot 373 1921 another cover correctly franked with 2d yellow x4 tied by superb 'CHRISTCHURCH/31JA21/NZ' cds, 'AERIAL MAIL' h/s & also with 'PER AERIAL MAIL' h/s in green, signed by the pilot "Euan Dickson", 'TIMARU/31JA21/NZ' arrival b/s, a bit aged, guarantee b/s, Cat $1500. 750