As most of you know, I collect US Plate Block Airmail stamps. Well, I just received these that I just purchase. I know that the C4 is not a plate block, but is a block. lol Scott# C4 View attachment 2270 C18 View attachment 2271 Not well centered, but for the price, I couldnt pass it up.
U.S. #C4 1923 8¢ Radiator and Propeller Issue Date: August 15, 1923 City: Washington, DC Quantity: 6,414,576 Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing Printing Method: Flat plate printing Perforations: 11 Color: Dark green Strangely, in the early days of airmail service, mail dispatched by air took longer to reach its destination than mail sent by train. People discontinued using airmail because it was less efficient and the rate was too high. Often, mail was lost entirely, due to accidents! Postmaster General Irving Glover foresaw the possibilities for airmail service. He drew up plans for “night flights,’’ in order to prove that airmail service was a time-saving device. The U.S. (from New York to the Pacific Coast) was divided into several zones. Airmail delivery for a one-ounce letter, from one zone to the next, was 8¢. This necessitated the issuance of a new airmail stamp, and this design was created. U.S. #C18 1933 50¢ Zeppelin at Chicago Expo Century of Progress Issue Issue Date: October 2, 1933 City: New York, NY Quantity: 324,070 Printed By: Bureau of Engraving and Printing Printing Method: Flat plate printing Perforations: 11 Color: Green In 1933, the city of Chicago hosted a World’s Fair known as “Century of Progress.” Exhibits from all over the world were shown. Germany decided to send the Graf Zeppelin on a “Century of Progress” flight to Chicago via South America. The rate was 50¢ per one-half ounce for letters or post cards carried on the flight. Collectors dubbed this stamp the "Baby Zepp." One of the most attractive U.S. airmail stamps ever, the #C18 sold poorly at the time it was issued. Eventually 90% of the stamps were destroyed – today it may be scarcer than its price reflects.
Congrats on the Baby Zepp plate block. I haven't worked up the gumption (yet) to work toward filling the early airmail plate block voids in my collection. For the time being, I've not gone earlier than C25. I kinda went hog wild on eBay earlier this year with early (1920's - 2 cent reds) and onward, trying to complete my US plate blocks thru to SC# 1173. Actually, I've been working on completing my whole US (regular mail) plate block collection, including those damnable express and priority mail blocks . Good thing those aren't collected in blocks of 6? After I heal financially from that tryst, I'll start thinking about another direction in which to enhance my collection.
