One of the world’s rarest unsurcharged Condor stamps is going on sale as part of my Collection of Columbian Air Post Issues.

It was a very exciting moment for me to hear that the collection had been valued at over half a million Singapore dollars, as it demonstrates how important a part of history these items truly are.

The Collection of Columbian Air Post Issues

The early Colombian Air Post stamps and the flight covers on which they were used are, in my opinion, among the most ‘classic’ and beautiful of any worldwide Air Post issues.

Many of these items have previously been part of the famous collections of illustrious philateists such as Rendon, Boonshaft, Gebauer, Goeggel and Johnson. It is my hope that they will continue to be appreciated for their rare beauty as they pass to future generations of collectors.

The Condor SG7/C

In particular, the rare Condor SG7/C is drumming up interest, probably because it is the only recorded usage of the un-overprinted multicoloured vignette used on letter. The letter on which this one-of-a-kind stamp features is also unique in that it bears the mark of a famous New York stamp dealer in the 1930s, L.W. Charlat.

The Condor SG7/C has been described by Andrew Titley, philatelist at the auction gallery selling the collection, as a “magnificent cover bearing the only recorded example of the unsurcharged Condor stamp is one of the ‘aristocrats’ of worldwide Air Post philately. Without question, the stamp is one of the rarest Air Post issues in the world. It is rarer than other Air Post rarities that have commanded much higher prices, such as the 1925 ‘Black Honduras’ (two known, one of which was lost), the Russia 1935 Moscow-San Francisco inverted surcharge (approximately six known), or even the US 1918 ‘Inverted Jenny’ (100 printed and nearly as many known).” This is high praise indeed, considering the latter has sold for over USD 1 million in previous auctions!

Find out more

I will keep you all updated on the result of the sale.

And of course, my book, A Collectors Notes and Comments on the Rare and Mysterious Colombian Airmails, 1919-1923, delves into the history of these stamps and their role in South American aviation history. So, if you want to discover more about the unique Collection of Columbian Air Post Issues, please do take a look.