The APS is pleased to announce that the auction catalog for Part One of the Alfred “Al” F. Kugel Collection of Postal History of the World is now available to download, and pre-bidding is open. Kugel, of Hinsdale, Illinois, died on May 11, 2022, at 91. Honoring Al’s wishes, his widow, Dottie, donated his collection to the American Philatelic Society. In February, the APS Board of Directors selected Cherrystone Auctions of Teaneck, New Jersey to handle the sale of his material.
“This sale offers collectors a chance to buy a piece of a truly amazing collection of material and support the APS, APRL, and philately for years to come,” said Scott English, Executive Director, “So please bid early and bid often.”
Session one of the auction, comprising of United States, China, and German Colonies, will begin on Tuesday, June 18, at 10 a.m. Eastern. Session two of the auction, comprising of German Colonies (con’t), British Commonwealth, Ottoman Empire, and Spanish Colonies, will begin on Wednesday, June 19, at 10 a.m. Eastern.
To view the catalog and browse all lots, please visit the Cherrystone Auctions website. The first of many sales to come, Part One is only a sample of the material from the Kugel collection.
This sale will feature:
- United States Dollar values on cover
- U.S. States Postal Agencies in the Far East
- U.S. International Registration Exchange Labels
- U.S. Intervention in Mexico and Registered Mail from U.S. Possessions
- International Intervention in China during the Boxer Rebellion
- German Colonies in China and the Pacific, with dozens of rare and unusual items, including unique Tientsin handstamps on 2m and 3m Reichspost
- World War I British occupation of Baghdad, Salonika, Mafia Island
- Elusive covers from the Austrian, British, Ottoman, Russian, Spanish and Portuguese Empires
This is a public auction, with floor bidding and live internet bidding via CherrystoneLIVE. For information about how to bid, click here.
About Alfred F. Kugel
Kugel was associated with many philatelic organizations, especially Chicagopex, the Military Postal History Society (MPHS), and the American Philatelic Society. He served as a director of the Chicago Philatelic Society (CPS) and as exhibit chairman and general chairman of Chicagopex. The CPS honored Kugel with its Saul Newbury and Aubrey Berman awards.
A Life Member of the MPHS, Kugel served as its director, vice president, and president. Kugel had the lowest membership number (434) of any active member at his death.
With his experience in the investment field, Kugel brought financial stability to Chicagopex, considered one of the best World Series of Philately venues. As an American Philatelic Society finance committee member, he advised the APS on its investment portfolio.
Kugel was an expert on military postal history and had more than 100 single and multiframe exhibits in this field. He contributed scores of articles in this area, many of them in the Military Postal History Society Bulletin. He also contributed to The American Philatelist; the Collectors Club Philatelist; the Postal History Journal; Rossica; and German Postal Specialist, among others. Kugel and co-author Ed Dubin received the United States Stamp Society’s Barbara Mueller Award for the best article in the 2017 issues of The American Philatelist.
Al was an APS-accredited philatelic judge and served on CANEJ. In 2005, he was awarded the John N. Luff Award for distinguished philatelic research, and in 2011, he was elected to the APS Writers Hall of Fame. He was a council member of the American Philatelic Congress, an officer in the Collectors Club of Chicago, a Fellow of the Royal Philatelic Society London, and he served on the Smithsonian National Postal Museum’s Council of Philatelists. The APS Board of Directors selected Kugel for the APS Hall of Fame in 2023.
About the American Philatelic Society
Founded in 1886, the APS serves collectors, educators, postal historians, and the general public by providing a wide variety of programs and services. With members in more than 110 countries, the APS is the largest non-profit organization for stamp collectors in the world.
About Cherrystone Auctions
Cherrystone is a global leader in Philatelic Auctions, bringing over $30 million worth of stamps and postal history to market yearly. Their frequently held public auctions feature the widest selection of philatelic material in the world, with a focus on rarity and exceptional quality.
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