Leski's timed online auctions give collectors excellent purchase power

Like several other Australian auction houses, Melbourne-based Leski Auctions has moved several of its sales to timed online auctions to help overcome government initiated lockdown restrictions implemented because of the current coronavirus pandemic.

At present, two are in this category – one a Stamps & Postal History sale that opened at 10am on. Wednesday April 22 and is due to finish from 10am on Monday May 4 – and the other a toy auction that will finish from 12pm on the same day.

One of the more intriguing lots in Stamps & Postal History auction is lot 232, a cover carried July 18, 1935 on the last flight of the Southern Cross from Sydney’s Mascot to Richmond in New South Wales with a special vignette showing the route the aircraft had followed on its round the world flight.

The flight cover is signed by the famous Australian aviator and pilot Charles Kingsford Smith, his wife Mary Kingsford Smith, P.G. Taylor, John Stannage and all other personnel on board.

Another is lot 229 – an air race cover carried in October 1934 by the winning entry of the England-Australia MacRobertson air race.

This was a DH66 Comet “Grosvenor House” piloted by C.W.A. Scott and Tom Campbell Black in an elapsed time of 71 hours. The cover was signed by both pilots and later posted back to England.

Other interesting souvenirs include two carried from February 20-27, 1917 from Hamilton to Melbourne and Casterton to Melbourne by Basil Watson in his home built bi-plane (lots 203 and 204).

A flight cover dated August 27, 1920 was carried as part of a Serpentine to Melbourne aerial derby to advertise the Second Peace Loan (lot 205).

Among the many stamps on offer is a South Australian pair of 1883-89 halfpenny bantam examples (lot 325).

The online toys auction contains several strong collectable items including an early 20^th century German tinplate Uberlacker riverboat (lot 131) and a circa 1920s German tinplate limousine (possibly by Gunthermann) complete black roof full running boards and driver (lot 125).

Lot 130 is a rather ingenious antique pull-along doll pushing a three-wheel carriage that appears to be based on the Godwin clockwork walking doll made in the 1870s by Stevens & Brown of Connecticut but does not have the mechanism under the carriage seat.

Other worthwhile items include a circa 1957 Japanese tinplate 355 Ford Red Cross ambulance in its original box (lot 120) and a late 19^th century German (again probably Gunthermann) windup tinplate horse and cart with spoked wheels and folding side flaps (lot 124).