Sparks 56th Auctions Spring 2026 - Stamps & Postal History of the World

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Aviation, Pioneers, Famous Pilots

Aviation, Airmail, Pioneers

Aviation, Airmail, International Airmail

Aviation, Pioneers, Famous Pilots

Aviation, Airmail, Pioneers

Aviation, Pioneers, Famous Pilots

Lot 333

250.00 CAD

Live

1932 (July 23) Wolfgang von Gronau signed Trans-Atlantic Flight, International Airmail Society cover & letter, envelope franked with 6c

1932 (July 23) Wolfgang von Gronau signed Trans-Atlantic Flight, International Airmail Society cover & letter, envelope franked with 6c on 5c Ottawa Conference Air Post, tied by Montreal c.d.s., handstamped "SOUVENIR OF / FIRST THROUGH FLIGHT / MONTREAL, Canada" and "GERMANY - ICELAND - CANADA - U.S.A. / TRANS-ATLANTIC FLIGHT / WOLFGANG VON GRONAU / MONTREAL, CANADA", signed by von Gronau overtop, sent on the final leg of the journey, reverse with Chicago arrival backstamp (4 Aug), trivial light wrinkles, offered with a signed letter from von Gronau, on his letterhead, to Rear Admiral W.S. Crosley at Great Lakes Naval Training Station, thanking him for his hospitality in Chicago, both fresh and very fine.

Aviation, Airmail, Pioneers

Lot 433

Unitrade C2

1,200.00 CAD

Live

1919 (June 14), Alcock and Brown first non-stop trans-Atlantic flight cover, St. John's to London, England, franked with 15c scarlet Seals

1919 (June 14), Alcock and Brown first non-stop trans-Atlantic flight cover, St. John's to London, England, franked with 15c scarlet Seals overprinted "Trans-Atlantic / AIR POST / 1919 / ONE DOLLAR" in black, tied by ST. JOHN'S / NFLD. (Jun 14) machine cancellation, bearing two manuscript certifications including Brown's own inscription "This is one of the letters carried by Alcock & me on the first non stop transatlantic flight, June 14/15, 1919 / A. Whitten Brown" and additional confirmation signed by William Campbell, Secetary to the Postmaster General, reverse with LONDON / E.C. (Jun 17) arrival backstamp, small portion of back flap removed and repaired tear at top left, else a fine example of mail from this famed flight, particularly desirable and rare with the notations of Campbell & Brown. (AAMC 3) Departing Lester's Field, St. John's, on 14 June 1919 in a modified Vickers Vimy bomber, Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Whitten Brown landed in a bog near Clifden, Connemara, County Galway, Ireland, 16 hours and 12 minutes later, claiming the Daily Mail prize presented by Secretary of State for Air Winston Churchill for the first Atlantic crossing in fewer than 72 consecutive hours, in effect the first trans-Atlantic airmail flight. Only 197 covers were carried. Both aviators were knighted by King George V at Windsor Castle a week later.

Aviation, Airmail, International Airmail

Lot 440

Unitrade C6-C8

50.00 CAD

Live

1931, 15c to $1 Pictorial Issue Air Mails, set of three without watermark, never hinged, bright colours, very fine.

Aviation, Airmail, International Airmail

Aviation, Airmail, Pioneers

Aviation, Balloons, Balloon Mail

Lot 619

100.00 CAD

Live

1937 (April 26), Shanghai to New Jersey, first flight trans-Pacific registered cover, franked with 25c orange, 45c violet, and $1.00 green

1937 (April 26), Shanghai to New Jersey, first flight trans-Pacific registered cover, franked with 25c orange, 45c violet, and $1.00 green Air Post issues, tied by Shanghai (26 Apr) c.d.s., imprinted red "FIRST FLIGHT CHINA CLIPPER / CHINA-U.S.A.", light brown imprinted PAA flying boat cachet "FIRST AIR MAIL / CHINA / TO / U.S.A.," blue pictorial cachet "HONG KONG - SAN FRANCISCO / RECEIVED FIRST FLIGHT F.A.M. 14," and blue two-line "VIA C.N.A.C. - HONG KONG / AND U.S. AIR SERVICE" instructional handstamp, reverse with Shanghai (26 Apr) transit, purple San Francisco, registered arrival (4 May), and purple Maplewood, N.J. registered arrival (7 May) backstamps, usual light wrinkles, else very fine. (AAMC F.A.M. 14),

Aviation, Airmail, Pioneers

Aviation, Balloons, Balloon Mail

Aviation, Airmail, Pioneers

Lot 635

400.00 CAD

Live

1911 (September 2), Middelfart to Fredericia, pioneer "Beltflyvingen" flight postcard, 5 øre green postal stationery card tied by

1911 (September 2), Middelfart to Fredericia, pioneer "Beltflyvingen" flight postcard, 5 øre green postal stationery card tied by FREDERICIA (29.11.5-6 E) c.d.s., reverse with illustrative image of Svendsen's biplane, hand-signed by pilot "Rob. Svendsen" across the top with manuscript endorsement "Beltflyvingen 1911" at bottom, bold and clear signature, light edge wear, quite superior quality for such pioneer flight mail, very fine. (AAMC #1). Pilot Robert Svendsen carried a small bag of mail across the Little Belt strait from Middelfart to Fredericia in this demonstration flight, recognized as the first postal flight on the European continent. Autographed examples from this flight are rare.

Aviation, Balloons, Balloon Mail

Lot 637

200.00 CAD

Live

1870 (December 30), Paris to Cambes (Gironde), Siege of Paris Ballon Monté, franked with 20c blue Cérès definitive tied by PARIS / ST.

1870 (December 30), Paris to Cambes (Gironde), Siege of Paris Ballon Monté, franked with 20c blue Cérès definitive tied by PARIS / ST. HONORÉ c.d.s., manuscript directive "par ballon monté" on face, Bordeaux (2 Jan) arrival on reverse, some tears at folds and margins with a tiny piece missing, not significantly affecting legibility or the postmarks, fine-very fine. Carried aboard the balloon Armée de la Loire, which departed the Gare du Nord on December 31, 1870, the letter comprises an extensive four-page manuscript from a soldier to his wife, striking a defiant tone throughout, noting that Paris "will resist to the last piece of bread, the last bullet," dismissing Prussian strategy and praying that "the cause of our poor country, surely the cause of civilization itself, may triumph in the struggle that is ruining two peoples." The flight landed eight hours later in a field between Montbizot and St. Jamme-sur-Sarthe after the aeronaut nearly jettisoned the mail sacks to avoid capture.

Aviation, Pioneers

Aviation, Airmail, Pioneers

Aviation, Pioneers

Aviation, Airmail, Pioneers

Aviation, Pioneers

Lot 640

150.00 CAD

Live

1910 (September), Maurice Tétard, pioneer aviator signed postcard, depicting the pilot and his Bristol biplane, signed in violet

1910 (September), Maurice Tétard, pioneer aviator signed postcard, depicting the pilot and his Bristol biplane, signed in violet "Aérodrome de Brooklands Angleterre, September 1910" with his name below, a choice signed early aviation card. Maurice Tétard was a French aviation pioneer and professional exhibition pilot active circa 1909–1911, flying Blériot-type monoplanes in long-distance demonstrations and international aviation displays that helped popularize early powered flight. In 1910 he was active on the British exhibition circuit, including flying meetings at Brooklands, then the principal centre of aviation in Britain, where Continental pilots showcased altitude, endurance, and passenger-carrying flights.

Aviation, Airmail, Pioneers

Lot 644

200.00 CAD

Live

1927 (October 10), Paris to Buenos Aires, Argentina, Costes and Le Brix first non-stop South Atlantic flight cover franked with 1f50

1927 (October 10), Paris to Buenos Aires, Argentina, Costes and Le Brix first non-stop South Atlantic flight cover franked with 1f50 Pasteur and 3f Merson, each tied by BOURGET-AVIATION / SEINE (Oct 10) c.d.s., two red "Par Avion" etiquettes on face, signed by pilot Dieudonné Costes, Buenos Aires (Oct 20) machine arrival cancel at top commemorating the "COSTES Y LE BRIX 12,400 kilometre flight of 72 hours PARIS–BUENOS AIRES", very fine and scarce; signed Muller. (AAMS #1063) Costes and Le Brix completed the first non-stop aerial crossing of the South Atlantic in a Breguet 19 biplane, covering 12,400 kilometres in 72 hours; only 17 covers are recorded as having been carried on this flight.

Aviation, Airmail, Pioneers

Aviation, Airmail, German Airmail

Lot 677

100.00 CAD

Live

1913 (May 11), Prinz Heinrich Flug Air Race postcard, franked with 5pf Germania, tied by "PRINZ HEINRICH FLUG 1913 / Nebenetappe / Giessen

1913 (May 11), Prinz Heinrich Flug Air Race postcard, franked with 5pf Germania, tied by "PRINZ HEINRICH FLUG 1913 / Nebenetappe / Giessen / 11.5.13" (Type B) c.d.s., to Hamburg, lovely official flight illustration on front, a choice example, very fine. (Mi. 20-02) Designed to test German-built military aircraft, these annual races, held between 1911 and 1914, toured areas like the Upper Rhine and Wiesbaden.

Aviation, Airmail, German Airmail

Aviation, Pioneers, Famous Pilots

Aviation, Rocket Mail

Aviation, Airmail, German Airmail

Lot 679

250.00 CAD

Live

1924 (July 5), Berlin to Angora (Ankara), Junkers first flight cover, franked with 10pf carmine and 50pf orange Holztaube, tied by BERLIN C

1924 (July 5), Berlin to Angora (Ankara), Junkers first flight cover, franked with 10pf carmine and 50pf orange Holztaube, tied by BERLIN C 2 LUFTPOST (4 Jul) c.d.s., with semi-official 2 Mark "JUNKERS-LUFTVERKEHR / BERLIN-ANGORA" flight label at upper left, tied by ERSTER FLUG / BERLIN-ANGORA (5 Jul) double-circle datestamp, reverse with c.d.s. arrival backstamp as well as additional Berlin datestamp and translated "FIRST TRIP / BERLIN - ANGORA" flight marking, flap with imprint of the Junkers-Luftverkehr A.G., scarce and very fine.

Aviation, Pioneers, Famous Pilots

Aviation, Rocket Mail

Aviation, Pioneers, Famous Pilots

Lot 849

120.00 CAD

Live

1930 (August 18), World's Endurance Flight signed cover to Toledo, Ohio, franked with 2c White Plains and 3c Washington, tied by St. Louis

1930 (August 18), World's Endurance Flight signed cover to Toledo, Ohio, franked with 2c White Plains and 3c Washington, tied by St. Louis machine cancel , "World's Endurance Flight / St. Louis Municipal Airport" cachet, signed in ink "Dale Jackson," "Forest O'Brine," "Bill Brewster", and "P.V. Chaffee", a rare cover signed by the two men who flew the "Greater than St. Louis" as well as the refueling plane "Patsy Ann."

Aviation, Rocket Mail

Lot 968

50.00 CAD

Live

Netherlands, Rocket Mail, 1940s/1960s, selection of covers and labels, with five "Flying Saucer Mail" cachets from various countries,

Netherlands, Rocket Mail, 1940s/1960s, selection of covers and labels, with five "Flying Saucer Mail" cachets from various countries, signed H.J. Alderhof and Dr. A.J. de Bruijn, Netherlands Ellington-Zwisler #49A1 Amsterdam label, #52A1-52A1a mint sheetlet of four and used single, #85A1 label, #90C1-90C1a covers, #97A1 sheetlet, two "Cosmos Mail" cancelled covers, and several other unlisted commemorative labels and covers, unusual, fresh and fine-very fine.

Aviation

Lot 1208

60.00 CAD

Live

Aviation, 1930s/2000s, collection of material relating to Amy Johnson, pioneer aviatrix, with a few dozen items. Highlights include a

Aviation, 1930s/2000s, collection of material relating to Amy Johnson, pioneer aviatrix, with a few dozen items. Highlights include a selection of circa 1930s–40s real photo postcards depicting Johnson and her aircraft Desert Cloud and Heart’s Content, alongside Great Britain commemorative covers and a range of engaging ephemera. Noteworthy collateral material includes a pane of ten “Daily Mail / Amy Johnson / U.K. Tour” labels, a scarce ticket stub from her 1932 lecture “How Jason and I Flew to the Land of the Golden Fleece”, cigarette cards, and other period items of aeronautical and historical interest. Condition is mixed, with some small faults noted, but overall a useful and appealing foundation for, or enhancement to, a specialized aviation or thematic collection focused on early female pioneers of flight.