Lot
2080 
1938, Presidential Issue, 20¢ Garfield, tied by "Chicago, Ill., Dec 2, 1941" machine postmark on cover addressed to "George H. Hotchkiss, c/o Operations, U.S. Naval Air Station, Pearl Harbor, T.H.", with airmail label and cellophane tape seal at left, circular "Passed By Naval Censor" handstamp and manuscript "12-14-41" receiving docketing, Very Fine, a remarkable airmail cover sent to the Naval Air Station at Pearl Harbor.Scott No. 825 Estimate $5,000 - 7,500.
A HISTORIC FLIGHT COVER FROM SAN FRANCISCO TO HONOLULU ON THE ANZAC CLIPPER, ARRIVING IN HAWAII LATE ENOUGH ON DECEMBER 7, 1941 FOR DIVERSION TO HILO AS THE BOMBS FELL ON PEARL HARBOR.
Ken Lawrence has written extensively on WWII postal history and the Pearl Harbor Day flight of the Anzac Clipper. In his Linn's article, "International airmail covers recall the 'Day of Infamy' ", he writes how the Pan American Airways FAM 14 Anzac Clipper, a Boeing B-314A flying boat, registration No. NC 18611 had taken took off from San Francisco late on the afternoon of December 5 but experienced mechanical trouble 400 miles out and had to return for repairs. "After being repaired, she had been rescheduled to leave at 2 p.m. California time on Dec. 6, but the veteran pilot, Capt. H. Lanier Turner, had been granted a brief postponement of the departure time, about half an hour, so he could attend his daughter's first piano recital at Oakland. At 8 a.m. the next morning, Anzac Clipper was less than an hour away from Honolulu when its radio officer received a coded flash warning that Pearl Harbor was under Japanese air attack. Turner's providentially late departure from San Francisco had delayed his approach just long enough to have kept his vulnerable aircraft out of harms way. Turner's "Plan A" secret instructions in the event of war rerouted Anzac Clipper to Hilo, 220 miles southwest of the combat zone. Gen. Walter C. Short, the military governor of Hawaii, had immediately declared martial law in the islands and had ordered the newly created Information Control Board, headquartered beside the Honolulu post office, to open and examine all transit and outbound civil mail."
The Anzac Clipper's mail was forwarded from Hilo to Honolulu for censorship, with transiting mail receiving the handstamped "RELEASED BY I.C.B." marking in black ink and the cellophane tape seal on the cover. This cover is unusual because it received the U.S. Navy censorship handstamp before being delivered to the addressee at Pearl Harbor. Mail to destinations in Hawaii was delivered, while flights farther west ceased.
Realized: $2,700
Lot
2081
1938, Presidential Issue, 20¢ Garfield, tied by mute oval handstamp on legal size surface mail registered cover to Shanghai, China, reverse with violet "San Francisco, Calif., Reg. Sec., Dec 3, 1941" origin cds with matching registry boxed handstamp on front, purple "Returned To Sender, Service Suspended" handstamp, reverse with additional "San Francisco, Calif., Mar 25 1942" return cds, Very Fine, an early service suspended Trans-Pacific surface use posted four day before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor when service was suspended.Scott No. 825 Estimate $200 - 300.
Realized: $110
Lot
2082
1938, Presidential Issue, 20¢ Garfield, in combination with Nigeria, 1938, ½d deep green (53) on incoming cover to South Braintree, Mass., all tied by "Lagos, Nigeria, 23 Fe, 46" cds's; small stamp flaws, F.-V.F. and unusual.Scott No. 825 Estimate $150 - 200.
Lot
2083
1938, Presidential Issue, 21¢ Chester A. Arthur, tied by "New York, N.Y., Jun 16, 1949" duplex postmarks on legal size commercial corner card cover to San Diego, Cal., two different "Via Air Mail, Special Delivery" handstamps and receiving backstamps, Very Fine and choice, a scarce 21¢ solo franking use.Scott No. 826 Estimate $200 - 300.
Lot
2084
1938, Presidential Issue, 22¢ Grover Cleveland, tied by mute oval handstamp on oversized commercial corner card registered cover to Elmira, N.Y., reverse with "New York, N.Y., Registered, Apr 20, 1940" origin cds and receiving cds, Very Fine and rare solo 22¢ Prexie registered use.Scott No. 827 Estimate $300 - 400.
Cover prepaid 22¢ for two-times the 1st class rate (6¢), 15¢ registry fee and 1¢ for supplemental indemnity to $50.
Realized: $170
Lot
2085
1938, Presidential Issue, 22¢ Grover Cleveland, uprating on unsevered 1926, 3¢ McKinley paid reply postal card (UY12) to Sydney, Australia, tied by "Brookings, Oreg., Jun 9, 1955" machine postmark with air label at left, reply side addressed back uprated with 1939, 1¢ Washington, horizontal coil (839) and Australia 6½d+1d QEII issues tied by "Sydney, 29 Jn, 55" cds and U.S. franking by slogan machine postmark, with receiving postmark at lower right, Very Fine, a very unusual Prexie usage.Scott No. 827 Estimate $300 - 400.
Lot
2086
1938, Presidential Issue, 22¢ Grover Cleveland, tied by "Saint Paul, Minn. May 2, 1946" machine cancel on air mail special delivery cover to Fargo N.D., Northwest Airlines airmail label tied by postmarks, purple "Special Delivery - Air Mail" straightline and "Fee Claimed by Office of First Address" two-line handstamps, receiving backstamp, Very Fine and scarce solo 22¢ Prexie use.Scott No. 827 Estimate $200 - 300.
Lot
2087
1938, Presidential Issue, 30¢ Theodore Roosevelt, solo franking on seven Prisoner of War Formula Lettersheets to Germany, all sent from New York, N.Y. from Dec 31, 1943 to Apr 11, 1945, with various U.S. and German censor marks, with POW senders from prisoner of war camps in Concordia, Ks., Trinidad, Colo. and Stockton, Cal., Very Fine, The 30¢ Trans-Atlantic airmail letter rate was effective April 28, 1939 to Oct. 31, 1946.Scott No. 830 Estimate $500 - 750.
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Lot
2088
1938, Presidential Issue, 30¢ Theodore Roosevelt, tied by "New York, N.Y., Apr 23, 1945" machine cancel on Prisoner of War Formula Lettersheet to Stalag 7-A, Germany, purple "11043 U.S. Censor" handstamp at left, with "Via Clipper" endorsement, purple "Returned to Sender, By Division of the War Department, Undeliverable as Addressed" three-line handstamp and reentered mails with "New York, N.Y., May 18, 1945" machine backstamp, Very Fine and scarce 30¢ Prexie solo on a POW Lettersheet.Scott No. 830 Estimate $200 - 300.
Effective March 26, 1944, the 6¢ military rate was extended to Prisoners of War correspondence, but air mail service was requested - the 30¢ rate was effective April 28, 1939 to Oct. 31, 1946. This cover was returned as undeliverable.
Lot
2089
1938, Presidential Issue, 30¢ Theodore Roosevelt, tied by "Midway Det. 3rd Def., Fleet Bat. Force, 30 Jun, 1941" duplex on airmail cover to Inglewood, Cal., with Pacific Naval Air Base corner card, Very Fine and rare solo use from Midway Island.Scott No. 830 Estimate $200 - 300.
This cover was sent by the U.S. Marine Corps postal facility at the 30¢ rate which ended for the military on December 25, 1941.
Realized: $110