Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions, LLC Sale

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Airmail Postal History continued...

Hindenburg Disaster

LotNo.

Symbol

CatNo.

Lot Description

1131

1937 (May 7) Grenko Hindenburg Crash Mail, the airship Hindenburg was landing at Lakehurst NJ with passengers and 17,500 pieces of mail when it caught fire and burst into flames; as one of only 384 pieces that could be identified, this Registered letter was one of two sent by Niedermann mailed in Munich to D Grenko; the address was lost due to fire damage so this Munich Telegraph Office registry label #570 was returned to Frankfurt by ship; the letter was mailed April 29th with a 2RM Airmail adhesive (Germany #C55) which was lost during efforts to extinguish the blaze, its sister envelope mailed the following day suffered comparable damage but retained the stamp; due to the fragile nature of the crash mail, it was returned to Germany in a cellophane "ambulance" envelope and sealed with a Scott #OX21 Post Office Seal; written up and illustrated in LZ-129 Hindenburg Zeppelin Crash Mail by Dieter Leder, is accompanied by one of the earliest certificates (Alexander Berezowski) in October 1937; less than half of the mail recovered has been documented; world class rarity, a Very Fine example of Hindenburg Crash Mail, Berezowski.
Sieger 454Ba. (Image) (Image2) (Image3)

Get Market Data for [United States May 7] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Estimate $7,500-10,000
SOLD for $5,250.00
Will close during Public Auction

1132

454 var. USA

1937 (May 6) Intended for 2nd North American Flight (Sieger 454), noted philatelist Robert Schoendorf sent 5 envelopes on a round the world journey; on late April they were postmarked in Guam for the FAM 14 Guam to Hong Kong flight; the back of the envelope shows the transit at Victoria on Apr 28 and arrival in Brooklyn Jun 28 in preparation for the west to east Atlantic crossing by the Hindenburg; with the destruction of the airship the mail was sent by surface ship to Europe without additional auxiliary marking; the cover, Registered in Frankfurt and with the Luftpost ettiquette crossed out, has a presumably privately produced one line rubber stamp which reads, "AIR SERVICES TO NORTH AMERICA SUSPENDED"; Mi 64A, Fine to Very Fine. (Image)

Get Market Data for [United States 454 var. USA] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Estimate $600-800
SOLD for $500.00
Will close during Public Auction

1133

454 var. USA

1937 (May 6) Intended for 2nd North American Flight (Sieger 454), pair of philatelic covers intended for flight on the Hindenburg; Grandy Naval Heros cachet on a Registered business-sized envelope addressed to Germany, along with a Receipt for Registered Article dated May 4th, a two-line official cachet instructs the post office to RETURN TO SENDER; the second is addressed to Czechoslovakia, following the airship accident the mail (including this item) traveled by surface ship to Europe, an arrival cancel on the reverse confirms the delivery, Fine to Very Fine. (Image) (Image2)

Get Market Data for [United States 454 var. USA] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Estimate $400-600
SOLD for $450.00
Will close during Public Auction

1134

454 var. USA

1937 (May 6) Intended for 2nd North American Flight (Sieger 454), uprated postal stationery with May 6th New York cancel intended for Hindenburg flight; following the accident it was decided that the mail would travel by ship without additional auxiliary markings, Fine to Very Fine. (Image)

Get Market Data for [United States 454 var. USA] Visual Pricing Guide Sample Census

Estimate $250-325
SOLD for $250.00
Will close during Public Auction