Auction #161 Philatelic & Numismatic

NEWFOUNDLAND, second Transatlantic Air Mail Attempt, Flight effected by Capts. Raynham and Morgan in a Martinsyde plane crashed on May 18 at take off; cover (one of 25) with handwritten "Aerial Atlantic Mail J.A.R." on a 3 Ct. "Caribou" stamp cancelled St. John's 04-19, while the first three lines were written by W. C. Campbell, secretary at the Post Office, the initials "J.A.R." were written by Dr. J.A. Robinson, Postmaster General in order to authorize the "airmail-stamp"; the mail was then held for further transatlantic flight attempts and finally a mail bag was shipped to London and the covers were backstamped London January 7, 1920; a great rarity of pioneer airmail in superb condition, Bolaffi certificate (SG 142a)