Comments on: Graf Zeppelin Covers

By: JohninCali

JohninCali — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 13:28:07 +0000

I just purchased Graf Zeppelin Flight #242C which was dispatched from Miami to Sevilla, Spain via the “Century of Progress” in 1933 and then, apparently, sent back to Howard Beach, NY by boat after arriving in Sevilla. Is this one of the rarely seen Miami dispatches to Sevilla? Thanks!

By: PostcardCollector.org

PostcardCollector.org — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 02:21:14 +0000

I just found this postal history page today. It is great to know that postal history and postcard collecting is alive and well online.

By: Dan (Airships.net)

Dan (Airships.net) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:16:20 +0000

I don't usually comment on the authenticity or value of historical items, and would not feel comfortable commenting on something I have not seen in any event. But more importantly, the real expert on Zeppelin philately is Dieter Leder, whose information can be found on the page about zeppelin mail forgeries.

By: Sam Palmiotto

Sam Palmiotto — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 00:23:23 +0000

Dan,
Please review-
Re: Brown Envelope with 3 stamps. At the right side of the envelope are 2 brown stamps @ 4 reichmarcks each and one blue stamp valued at 2 reichmarcks postmarked twiced 15 -Aug-29, 1-2V, Friedrichshafen, Luftpost. An additional ” Mit Luftpost PAR AVION ” blue stamp is affixed to the top center of the envelope. On the left side of the letter is a red circle stamp which states in 360 degrees , ” LUFTSCHIFF GRAF ZEPPLELIN WELTRUNDFAHRT 1929″ in addition the bottom right states in red ink” Friedrichshafen [Borensee]- Lakehurst”.
The reverse side of the letter is maked with 2 green postmarks one in a circle which posts the time 9:30AM LAKE HURST NJ Aug29 1929, and the other in the spape of the zeppelin and is marked “Graf Zeppelin Round the World Flight”.

Your expertise is appreciated. Thank you for allowing me the the time to request iinformation from you on this find. I am not a stamp collector so your comments will be most respected.

Again thank you,
Sam Palmiotto NY

By: david helms

david helms — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:12:07 +0000

i would love to chat with the 94 year old grandfather. can anyone help? i have been researching airships for 20 years. please assist if you can. we can exchange some good memories. thanks.

david helms
704-753 3612

By: Dan (Airships.net)

Dan (Airships.net) — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:49:07 +0000

For various reasons, I don’t like to comment on the value or authenticity of items (and I don’t have sufficient information about this item — date, stamp, cancellation, condition, etc — to give an opinion in any event). I am sorry I cannot be more helpful, but thank you for visiting the site.

By: Tim Austen

Tim Austen — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:20:00 +0000

My grandfather has a first flight stamped letter from 1927 (i think that is the right year) Graf Zeppelin that flew from Fredrichhaven to St. Hubert (Quebec) Canada.
He lived near St. Hubert and picked the letter up in person when it landed. Any idea of approx value ? I don’t think he wants to sell it – he is 94 years old and it has great sentimental value to him.

By: Chris Scott

Chris Scott — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:04:23 +0000

This mail is also listed as Z 181 ON PAGE 292 OF THE AMERICAN AIRMAIL SOC. CATALOGUE VOL ONE fifth Edition. published 1974 when the value given was 4.50 dollars. To give a comparison this compares with 25 dollars for the highest valued cover flown on the South American route in 1932. Hope this also helps.

By: Dan (admin)

Dan (admin) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 14:12:41 +0000

Thank you for sending the scan.

Your item was carried on the 238th flight of the Graf Zeppelin, which left Recife, Pernambuco on April 9, 1932 and arrived at Friedrichsafen, Germany four days later. The cover is Sieger Catalog #144.

While I don’t like to give opinions about value, this does not seem to be an especially valuable zeppelin cover, party because zeppelin mail with Brazilian stamps is relatively common. And while I can’t really give an opinion about authenticity without holding it in my hand, I would be surprised if anyone went to the trouble of counterfeiting this item.

I hope this has been helpful, and very best regards.

By: Dan (admin)

Dan (admin) — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 13:59:04 +0000

I don’t usually like to discuss the value of items, for various reasons, but if you would like to email me a scan, I might be able to give you some information about the cover and the flight on which it was carried. (And if you give me your permission, I will post a copy of your item here for others to look at, as well.)

As for judging authenticity, that’s hard to do without holding an item in my hands, but as a general matter, very few zeppelin covers are sufficiently valuable to be worth the effort of counterfeiting, since the vast majority of them are worth less than US$500 (and the more common first flight covers are worth a lot less.) There have been famous counterfeits of Hindenburg crash mail, but that is due to the very high value of an original crash cover.