Submitted by aarAdmin on Thu, 09/19/2024 - 00:00
The opportunity for postal history collectors to obtain a rare piece of aviation history through the purchase of surviving letters from the German airship Hindenburg – which perished in flames on May 6, 1937, killing 35 of its 97 passengers and crew, as it attempted to moor at Lakehurst in the United States town of Manchester, New Jersey – was not enough to entice buyers at Melbourne-based Leski Auctions Stamps, Coins and Postcards sale on September 17.
What was of interest, however, was a miniature sheet from the People’s Republic of China showing 1962 stage art of Mei Lan-Fang (lot 643) which sold for $9000 – almost twice its $3000-$5000 catalogue estimate.
A 1949-2002 regular and special issue of Chinese stamps in three matching albums (lot 638) changed hands for $4000).
Another popular Chinese item was the 1967-68 Poems of Chairman Mao (lot 660) which brought $3600.
Anything to do with Australian pioneer aviator Ross Smith is always a popular auction item and a “First Aerial Mail” flight cover (lot 429) picked up in India during he and his brother Keith’s record-breaking journey from England to Australia November 1919 to February 1920 was no exception, selling for $7000.
A flight cover on the first Qantas air mail delivery journey from Charleville-Longreach November 2, 1922 (lot 434) was another hit at $5000.
The cover was addressed to Dr F.A. Hope Michod, deputy chairman of the newly formed Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd – and one of its original backers – who later became chairman.
Two 1987 $100 one-ounce gold proofs from the famous “Welcome Stranger” nugget series (lots 56 and 57) were other sought after items, selling for $3400 each.
The Welcome Stranger was the biggest alluvial gold nugget ever discovered and was unearthed on February 5, 1869 by Cornish miners John Deason and Richard Oates near Dunolly, Victoria.
The two miners were paid more than 9000 pounds at the time for the nugget, reported to have weighed over 70 kilograms – which today would be worth US$3.4 million.
Another pleasing result was the $3200 paid for the 1992 $100 “Common Wallaroo” one-ounce gold proof (lot 58) from the Kangaroo Gold Nugget series.
