Found This In With A Pile Of Zeppelin Stamps On Covers 1930-S

I was surprised to find it among Zeppelin covers with stamps

see ebay item

ILL FATED AIRSHIP R103 PIECE OF THE FABRIC TAKEN FROM THE AIRSHIP ~ ZEPPELIN - 201278334022

Do Zeppelin stamp collectors have interest in airship fabric?

I would mount a "PIECE OF THE FABRIC TAKEN FROM THE AIRSHIP" right next to my "PIECE OF THE ONE TRUE CROSS".

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey

So whats something like it worth to collectors? I have not come across similar Zeppelin fabric before in any stamps I have seen. So I am guessing its a rare piece?

I would check:

- aviation museums, in general;

- auction catalogs of the relevant auction houses ... Bonham's, for example, does a major aerospace auction at least 1x/year.

What may be rare is the nerve to claim such an item is genuine.

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey (who edited this post to reflect the fact that not being built is also an ill fate)

I wouldn't discount it but would look into it with great caution. Even if it is legitimate you would need it authenticated fo it to reflect any monetary value anyway. Neat item and I hope you get it all figured out.

EDIT:

This is pretty neat.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ILL-FATED-A...em2edd1fa446

duncanvr I notice the listing is yours. Since the R103 was never built, it is highly unlikely that your piece of fabric has any relevance at all as claimed. Of course you need proper provenance to prove otherwise. Also since the airship was not built, why would it be described as "ill-fated"?

While almost everything has some collectible value, to someone, this one seems like a stretch. I think bids on it will depend upon at least two persons who don't understand the background, and don't do even the least bit of research or critical thinking.

The listing doesn't make it clear that R102 wasn't built, either, and that the "picture" is an artist's rendering.

Caveat emptor, I guess?

So if R103 was not built is it possible they started to build it but then scrapped the project? I find it strange that someone would choose r103 if they were going to fake a piece of airship fabric? Got me on the ill fated but the pencil note above it clearly says that, or was it built but crashed straight away?

Neither one got off the drawing board.

The fabric for a bird that size would have been a massive expense. Which makes it highly unlikely that any fabric was ordered and sitting in a warehouse somewhere, waiting to skin the ship.

So conclusion. Its not real? And then again I stress what person would label something illfated r103 if it never existed? Surely they would have named a real airship.

Well, not getting built would be an ill-fated design, even if it were not an ill-fated ship.

I would mount a "PIECE OF THE FABRIC TAKEN FROM THE AIRSHIP" right next to my "PIECE OF THE ONE TRUE CROSS".

Hey, so you have one too!

Who knows? It might have been a joke from a philatelic society meeting? It might have been a scam? It is not impossible that it might be a sample of the fabric that was planned to be used.

The possibility that it really is related to R103 seems remote, however.

At least I stated in the ebay add I had no way to prove it was authentic. Maybe like cjd said a remote possibilty it was sample fabric that never got used. Would a philatelic society play a joke like this? And if it was a scam why would they not say piece of a famous Zeppelin?

Perhaps a more likely possibility is that the written notation is incorrect and the fabric piece is actually from the R101, which did crash. Only the steel skeleton remained after fire destroyed the airship, but it did go through a refit before its final flight. This fabric could have been somehow connected to the aircraft but removed prior to its "ill fated" flight. All conjecture of course.

I suggested (way above) searching Bonham's because they have sold:

FABRIC FROM THE KITTY HAWK FLYER, 1903.
1. Swatch of fabric, 1½ x 1¼ inches,
Sold for US$ 33,750 inc. premium
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20944/lot/4/
(Note the letter of certification.)

CONRAD'S LUNAR MODULE STOWAGE STRAP EMBEDDED WITH LUNAR DUST.
OVER 31 HOURS ON THE LUNAR SURFACE.
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21425/lot/241/
(Note astronaut's hand-written letter of certification.)

MERCURY ERA SPACESUIT.
AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THE COVER LAYER FOR THE FAMOUS SILVER SPACESUIT OF THE MERCURY PROGRAM.
Sold for US$ 43,750 inc. premium
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21425/lot/56/

FLOWN AROUND THE MOON ABOARD APOLLO 13.
FLOWN SWATCH OF SEAT FABRIC FROM THE APOLLO 13 COMMAND MODULE.
Sold for US$ 3,750 inc. premium
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21425/lot/254/

LINDBERGH MEMORABILIA.
1. A square fragment of silver-coated textile, 4 x 6½ inches, believed to be from the Spirit of St. Louis.
Sold for US$ 2,750 inc. premium
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/20944/lot/48/

FABRIC FROM LINDBERGH'S SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS?
A square fragment of silver-coated textile,
Sold for US$ 2,000 inc. premium
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/19632/lot/1025/

EARLY TROUSER PROTOTYPE OF THE SPACE SHUTTLE IN-FLIGHT CABIN CREW SUIT.
Sold for US$ 600 inc. premium
https://www.bonhams.com/auctions/21425/lot/60/

Cheers,

/s/ ikeyPikey (who bought the catalog)