THE ROCKET MAIL PAGE, PART 2
By Paul A. Roales
Updated: July 1, 2008 Return to the opening Rocket Mail page here.
NEWS
(Added July 1, 2008) NOT MUCH NEWS TO REPORT
By Paul A. Roales
ITEM 1: FURTHER REFLECTIONS ON GOLDBERG AUCTION
I continued to sell on eBay the duplicates I acquired in the Golddberg auction. US EZ156C1 which cataloged in Kaufmann at $15 sold for $61, but US EZ62C1 only sold for its catalog price of $10. The difference here in in the number of covers flown. Only 305 of EZ156 were flown, but a total of 2000 EZ62's in total were flown. Years ago the rocket mail experiments may have carried up to 5000 covers. The hobby might have been able to support that fan base back then, but not now. With 5000 (or even 2000) covers on a flight the market will not support a high price.
REMINDER
This page depends upon your information to prosper. Please contact me if you have any rocket mail information or news.
(Added June 3, 2008) SOME THOUGHTS ON THE GOLDBERG AUCTION AND A NEW LAUNCH IN AUSTRIA
By Paul A. Roales and Others.
ITEM 1: MY ACQUISITIONS IN THE AUCTION
As I mentioned in my last column I won 4 Lots in the April 11, Goldberg Auction. I got Lots 301, 303, 308, 328. Because the Lots were groupings of covers I had to accept a number of covers I already had to get some new ones. All in all I got examples of US EZ61, 63, 64, 65, 67, 100, 101, 156, and 161. On some of those I got multiple varieties. 64, 65, 67, 100 and 161 were the new example I acquired. I paid .965 of the Kaufmann prices for the total accumulation (some more, some less). That included the 15% buyers premium and all shipping charges. On the left I picture the most valuable of the new covers I acquired: EZ 100C1. It was flown on September 18, 1967 at Bear Pen Mountain, NY by J. P. Nagl and only 20 flown covers exist. It is valued in Kaufmann at $40.00 but I suspect it is more valuable than that.
ITEM 2: SELLING DUPLICATES FROM THE AUCTION
To prove that the Kaufmann prices are badly out of date I sold 2 of the duplicates I received in the Goldberg Auction on eBay this month. They were both valued at $10 in Kaufmann. EZ 61C1 sold for $113.61 and EZ 63C1b sold for $158.85. The market for rare and scarce rocket mail covers is very strong, but the market for the common covers is weak.
ITEM 3: A NEW LAUNCH IN AUSTRIA
On June 2 I had an email from Sandra Matejka. Here is what it said: "I am happy to inform you about an additional rocket launch, the GMÜNDER WELTRAUMFREUNDE arranged on April 4, 2008 at Gaissau (AUSTRIA ). Two different covers were flown: 50 anniversary launch of EXPLORER-2 and 75th anniversary Eng. F. Schmiedl rocket launch V-14. The Schmiedl-covers are cancelled at the exact landing-place as in 1933. Also both covers were cancelled on the exact launching-date. From each cover only 100 covers exist. You will find both covers in the attachement. As usual the covers are going to be sold on Ebay soon.
This year we plan further rocket-launches in memoriam to: 60 years US-monkey ALBERT; 50 years SPUTNIK III; 50 years PIONEER I; 50 years US-monkey GORDOMONK; 50 years LUNIK I."
The two covers are shown below.
(Added April 30, 2008) THE FIRST LAUNCH OF THE YEAR
By Paul A. Roales and Others.
ITEM 1: THE FIRST LAUNCH OF 2008
On April 13 I got an email from Miri Matejka announcing the first rocket mail flight of 2008. Miri said: "First rocket launch in spring 2008 by the GMÜNDER WELTRAUMFREUNDE. On the 28th March 2008 we were again able to fly memoriam covers with our new postal rocket AUSTRO EXPERIMENTAL in Gaissau/Vorarlberg/Austria. These memoriam covers are postmarked exactly 50 years after that happening and honour the first both sattelite-starts of the USA. As usual it is possible to receive a few covers on ebay soon. From each kind of covers only 80 exist."
The two covers are shown below. As usual with this organization they will only be available on eBay.
ITEM 2: THE SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER, 2007 ASTROPHILE
The September-October issue of THE ASTROPHILE has an article titled "The Greenwood Lake N.Y. Rocket Flight" by Joseph J. Frasketi, Jr. and Dennis Dillman on p. 205. The article has several letters from Willy Ley about the launch. There is also a picture of a White Sands NM V-2 rocket mail cover on p. 213.
ITEM 3: RESULTS OF THE APRIL 11 GOLDBERG AUCTION.
The April 11 Auction of rocket mail by Goldberg had moderate sucess. Many lots only got 1 bid, but the rarest lots had competative bidding. I won 4 of the 5 rocket mail lots I bid on. I won 301, 303, 308 and 328. I believe the lesser material did not receive more bids because of the manner that Goldberg grouped the covers/stamps into mixed lots. In order to get a cover you needed you had to bid on a Lot with other covers you already had. I assume they did this to keep the price per lot high, but it probably discouraged some bidders. I have not yet received my lots and will report on them next month.
ITEM 4: ANOTHER AUCTION WITH ROCKET MAIL
On May 2-4 Regency-Superior will have an a Space - Coin - Collectables Auction which will include 18 rocket mail lots. There are not a lot of items, but a few high-value ones are included.
(Added March 31, 2008)AN UPCOMING AUCTION AND NEWS
By Paul A. Roales
ITEM 1: AN UPCOMING AUCTION
I received the catalog for the Ira & Larry Goldberg Space & Aviation Memorabilia Auction recently (far right). The auction is to be held on April 11, 2008. There are 321 Lots of rocket mail material. The US section is mostly sets of covers from a particular launch with all the vareties. I noted a few mistakes or errors, so be careful if you plan to bid. The catalog can also be seen online at www.goldbergcoins.com or on eBay.
ITEM 2: THE JULY-AUGUST, 2007 ASTROPHILE
The July-August, 2007 issue of the ASTROPHILE is a special 50th Anniversary of the start of the International Geophysical Year issue. It includes my article on the Rocket Research Institute rocket mail launch that I coordinated here in Tulsa, OK on July 1, 2007 which included both new covers being launched and RRI covers originally flown on July 1, 1957 being re-flown. The article "IGY 50th Anniversary Rocket Mail" starts on p. 165. The cover of that issue shows two IGY rocket mail covers (near right).
(Added February 29, 2008)LAST YEAR'S LAUNCHES
By Paul A. Roales
ITEM 1: A LAUNCH IN COLORADO LAST YEAR THAT I MISSED
On December 8, 2007 Jim Roth flew 12 minature covers (2.5x4.5") at Peyton, Colorado to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the unsuccessful launch of the Vanguard 1 satellite on December 6, 1957 (below). Jim still has a few copies of some of his 2006 and 2007 covers available for sale at $5 each. You can contact him at: Jim Roth, P.O. Box 7606, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7607 USA. Check with Jim for availability.
ITEM 2: THE REVIEW OF 2007 ROCKET MAIL FLIGHTS
I just submitted my annual review of rocket mail flights of the world for 2007 to THE ASTROPHILE. 2007 was a good year for rocket mail flights with 16 different flights in Switzerland, England, Germany, Austria, and the US. Lets hope 2008 is even better. I'll let you know when the review is published.
(Added January 31, 2008)AN ANNIVERSARY AND SOME OLD ROCKET MAIL PRICE LISTS
By Paul A. Roales
ITEM 1: AN ANNIVERSARY
This column marks the 10th Anniversary of this Rocket Mail web page. I posted the first one on January 31, 1998. I am happily surprised it is still going strong.
ITEM 2: A 1949 ROCKET MAIL SALES PRICE LIST
Recently on eBay I bought two price catalogs from 1949 which feature Rocket Mail. One is the Vol. 30, #1 1949 issue of "Philatelic News" issued by Karl H. Hennig. This issue of his News was issued when he was moving his business from Germany to the Dominican Republic. It lists both addresses, but the German address is crossed out. The News has 6 illustrated pages of German and US rocket mail covers and stamps being sold. An interesting item is the give-away mentioned inside the back cover.
It states: "That which surely will be missing in your collection - we give away only for the purpose to enjoy you and to draw the attention of further collectors to our house. We are in possession of PROOFS of the winterhelp issue of Rocket stamps issued 1934 - the last German Rocket stamps.
German Rocket stamps 1934 - so-called Winter-Relief stamps, issued in favor of the National Socialist Welfare, printed by Duvel, Hamburg, three values of 1/2 Mark, 1 Mark and 3 Marks. They are printed on white chalk-surfaced paper, without gum, imperforated. The Original stamps are of brown - olive green - silvered colour printed on paper with watermark, perforated and imperforated, whilst thePROOFS - all three values - are printed in red - black yellow, without gum, imperforated only.
We shall be pleased to send you FREE OF CHARGE a complete set of them, if you would care to send 10 Cents in mint US stamps to cover postage, If you want them to be sent to you by registered mail, please send 20 Cents in mint stamps instead. You will be pleased with them.
We have only a modest request: Please add some addresses of collector friends of yours (if possible of those gentlemen, who are active collectors and solvent). We wish to send them a specimen copy of our Philatelic News and we will do so without mentioning your name. We have lost (besides many other items) a valuable stock of addresses of collectors all over the world. We are now re-establishing our foreign business and therefore we should be much obliged even for the smallest assistance in this direction." (I wonder what those Proof stamps are worth today?)
The other catalog is his Rocket - Post Price list (shown on left). It is undated but only has his Dominican Republic address, so it may date from late 1949. The price list is 28 well illustrated pages and lists rocket mail stamps and covers from Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Holland, Austria, Switzerland, US, India, and Australia. Interestingly, the only US items listed are the stamps and covers from the 1936 NY TIPEX Show that did not actually fly. Willy Ley's Greenwood Lake flight of 1936 is mentioned, but nothing is for sale.
ITEM 3: THE ASTROPHILE
The May/June, 2007 issue of THE ASTROPHILE does not contain any rocket mail articles. It does have my article on "An Early Submerged Polaris Launch Cover" on p. 106.
(Added December 31, 2007)THE FINAL LAUNCHES OF 2007
By Paul A. Roales and Others.
ITEM 1: HAPPY NEW YEAR -2008-
ITEM 2: THE FINAL LAUNCH OF 2007
On the day after Christmas I got an email from Sandra Matejka telling me of a new rocket mail launch on December 7. It said: "I have the honour to inform you of two rocket-launches of the GMÜNDER WELTRAUMFREUNDE. The post-cancelis from the landing place in 1932 - St. Peter nearby GRAZ, dated November 8. Both launches started from Gaissau (Austria). First launch on December 7, 2007 with about 150 covers honouring Eng. Friedrich SCHMIEDLS rocket launch "TRICHTER-Rocket" 75 years ago. Second launch on December 14, 2007 with about 150 covers, too. The second launch was honouring the 75th anniversary of Eng F. Schmield´s rocket launch "KEGEL-rocket"."
Below the two cover are shown.
(Added November 30, 2007)A COLLECTION OF NEW ROCKET MAIL LAUNCHES
By Paul A. Roales and Others.
ITEM 1: A COLLECTION OF RECENT LAUNCHES IN COLORADO
Jim Roth, who belongs to the Colorado Springs Rocket Society, began launching rocket mail last year. I have acquired 7 covers that he flew last year and this year. Jim is a graphic designer and his covers reflect his expertise. Most of Jim's launches are in small model rockets. The six covers shown below are minatures and measure about 2.5x4". The larger IGY cover measures 3.5x6.5". Here is what Jim had to say. (PAR Note: the first three covers are shown in the first image below). "The Challenger launch is COSROCS monthly launch for Scouts and members low weight/altitude rockets. This was my first visit and members were enthusiastic about the concept. Three months later I joined the club.
The "Wings over Falcon" was an experiment that succeeded/failed. Launched on a member's 48" rocket with an 1366 engine, it flew beyond the airport's boundaries and I managed to spot the rocket's banner hung up in a tree on private property. That was a fun day, but also a rainy day, so the expected crowd to the air show did not show and the large set of covers did not sell as anticipated.
NAR's 50th is a set of 10 covers being flown multiple times on COSROCS flights. #1 is mine, # 2 thru 4 go to NAR headquarters, and the rest are up for grabs - after we fly them.
This is part of the Mission Fiffyseven's regular cover sets (PAR Note: the cover shown at right flown July 1, 2007), the only "rocket mail" offered to subscribers. The first launch on my home-made ’payload’ rocket which my wife bought for me at a yard sale for 25¢. George Schaeffer is a 'Santa Claus' sort of guy, white beard and bright disposition. He misjudged the weight and the first flight, with a B engine, "lawn-darted" into terra firma. The second flight with a C engine flew very well.
(PAR Note: The next 3 covers are shown in the second image below). Rockets to the Stars is the inaugural launch and stargazing meet out on the plains 25 miles east of Colorado Springs at COSROCS other launch site, appropriate (or larger class of rockets (but NOT the class 3 type, that's up in Hartsel, CO). Covers were launched in rocket with strobe light.
Eight members assembled at Peyton launch site paid tribute to the 50th anniversary with home-made 'Sputniks‘. All eight were launched successfully, two of them with payload pods carrying these small Sputnik covers. I also launched 15 large covers in my home-made rocket but they're part of a 13 piece set and unavailable separately.
I built a home-made R2D2 rocket with payload capacity, only to have fellow members warn me that if probably wouldn't fly as expected. With a maximum altitude of 9 feet, I watched the effects of center of gravity reacting with the center of pressure on my poor R2D2. The ejection blew the top off and melted the parachute, which was useless as the "rocket" was flying at an altitude of zero inches at the time."
In case you cannot read the launch dates below they are: 8/12/06; 8/19/06; 1/28/07 (twice) & 3/10/07; 9/15/07; 10/04/07; 10/13/07. Some of the actual launch photos can be seen on the Colorado Springs Rocket Society web page at www.cosrocs.org. Jim still has a few copies of some of these covers available for sale at $5 each. You can contact him at: Jim Roth, P.O. Box 7606, Colorado Springs, CO 80933-7607 USA
ITEM 2: ANOTHER LAUNCH BY GMUNDER WELTRAUMFREUNDE IN SWITZERLAND
Sandra Matejka of the Austrian group GMÜNDER WELTRAUMFREUNDE tells me they flew some Sputnik Anniversary rocket mail on September 22, 2007 in Neuchatel, Switzerland. They were flown in Austrian Mail rocket #3 which reached an altitude of 1632 meters. As usual with this group many different varieties were flown. Many covers had only 5 examples of that variety. They were first sold only on eBay in early November. According to Sandra: "All covers were cancelled on October 4, 2007 (exact 50 years later). # 1 - 50 were posted “registered”, # 51 - 250 were posted with 55c SPUTNIK-stamp. From this 55c SPUTNIK-stamp worldwide only 1000 exist. Only few covers have a 210c SPUTNIK-stamp -from this rare stamp worldwide only 300 exist. Like always there exist VIP, test and other rarest covers too. In all only 400 covers were flown." I show two of the cover varieties below.
(Added October 31, 2007)THREE NEW ROCKET MAIL LAUNCHES
By Paul A. Roales and Others.
ITEM 1: TWO GERMAN SPUTNIK ANNIVERSARY LAUNCHES
Two rocket mail covers appeared on eBay which were launched to commemorate the 50th. Anniversary of Sputnik in Germany. Thanks to Juergen Esders for the use of his descriptions and scans of the covers. The first one was listed as : "50th Anniversary Sputnik: Hoyerswerda Rocket Mail Item number: 110182964901". It is pictured below on the left. The Description reads: "This is a rocket mail cover with a pictorial postmarker from the German city of Hoyerswerda in Saxony. It commemorates the 50th Anniversary of Sputnik as well as the personnalities of Konstantin Ziolkovsky, the Russian rocket theoretician born 150 years ago, and of Sergei Korolyov, the Soviet rocket pioneer born 100 years ago. The special postmarker also shows an image of the International Space Station and of the Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft. This cover was flown by rocket mail on a model rocket. Only 100 covers were flown; this one is n° 51." The cover sold for $32.88. It was apparently flown on August 22, 2007.
The second cover was listed as: "50th Anniversary Sputnik: Neuhardenberg Rocket mail Item number: 110180512247". It is shown below on the right. The description read: "This cover was flown on a model rocket on the day of the Sputnik anniversary. Very limited number - just 100 flown from the German city of Neuhardenberg in Brandenburg. It commemorates the 50th Anniversary of Sputnik as well as the personnality of Erich Warsitz, test pilot of the 1st rocket propelled aircraft Heinkel He-111 seventy years ago at the Neuhardenberg airfield. The printed cachet shows a Heinkel He-111 rocket propelled aircraft during take off. It also has a pink circular rubber stamp used exclusively on the rocket flown envelopes. There is also the pictorial postmarker of 4 October 2007 showing a portrait of Warsitz, and the address of the recipient. A stamp showing the International Space Station was used." It sold for $4.99 (apparently no one was bidding that week). It was apparently flown on October 4, 2007.
I believe both these covers were flown by Ralf Schulz, but have not been able to confirm this. The 2 covers might be available from him: Ralf Schulz; Postfach 1219; 02962 Hoyerswerda; Germany. Or through a dealer at Heimatverein Neuhardenberg, Dietmar Zimmermann, Neudorf 41, 15320 Neuhardenberg, dietmar.zimmermann@feuersozietaet.de . From the dealer they are 5 Euro ea., as long as stock lasts.
ITEM 2: AN ENGLISH LAUNCH
The rocket mail label on this flown postcard appeared on eBay, but not the card itself. I emailed David Donald, who was selling the labels and he provided me with a scan of the postcard and this information: "Puffin Island in the Thames Channel had cards carried by rocket from the island to the mainland on 9 August 2007. They were produced by Darin Jackson of London for Puffin island. He has told me that 30 postcards were flown. This was the first flight." The two versions of the label sold on eBay were items 160168766391 (without "First Flight" notation) which sold for $26.01 US, and 160168769979 (with "First Flight" overprint) that sold for $26.42 US. I have not discovered a source for the flown postcards.
ITEM 3: MORE INFORMATION ON THE 1948 WHITE SANDS NM LAUNCH
The curator at the White Sands Missile Range Museum has promised me that she will dig into their files and provide me with more information on the previously unknown missile mail example I posted here last time (see entry below). Hopefully I'll have more to say about it in the next update.
(Added October 9, 2007)A NEW DISCOVERY
By Paul A. Roales.
ITEM 1: AN UNKNOWN ROCKET MAIL COVER DISCOVERED IN A MUSEUM
I just got back from an 8 day vacation in southern New Mexico (which is why this column is late). While there I visited the Museum & Missile park at White Sands Missile Range. I found this display in the museum. The image was taken through the glass case, but came out fairly well.
In case you cannot read the text, it says: "Guided Missile Flight Mail. A handful of these letters were sent aloft in missiles fired from White Sands Proving Ground in 1946-1948. They were then cancelled Las Cruces, New Mexico Unit 1. This particular letter, dated 16 July 1948, is addressed to G. A. Head, Bell Telephone Laboratories."
The EZ Catalog Volume 1 lists an Oct. 17, 1946 and an April 30, 1947 cancelled V-2 flown rocket mail from White Sands, but nothing in 1948. Volume 2 of the EZ Catalog and the Kaufmann 1994 Update do not list any additions to the White Sands entries from this period. So apparently the example I photographed in the museum is unknown.
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