Lovely Q3 Parcel Post On First Flight Cover

Out of my usual collecting area, but I liked the aesthetics of the cover. Moreover, how often are you ever going to see a parcel post plate block on cover? Presumably philatelic, but attractive nonetheless.

That seems like a significant overpayment of the 1928 domestic airmail rate!

This was flown on the first north bound flight from Richmond, Virginia to New York City on Contract Air Mail (CAM) Route number 19. This was one of the 16 legs of service between Atlanta and New York City and the cities in between that occurred on May 1 - 2, 1928It was interesting in that the many legs of this first flight. There are a number of varieties of most of the legs making a total of 46 covers to have a full set. Some legs and varieties are more rare than others, this one is one of the most common. It is American Airmail Catalog number 19N4 and has a catalog value of $5 but you can find this one for less. The airline that flew this first flight was Pitcairn Aviation and an interesting aspect is these legs were the first time overnight air mail service was regularly offered for US mail.

If anyone is interested in collecting first flight covers the best place to start is to join the American Air Mail Society at http://www.americanairmailsociety.org/ You get a really nice small monthly magazine on old first flight covers, discounts on airmail catalogs, and access to major experts.

I'm not a first flight cover collector. Presumably that catalog value is based upon common garden variety postage being used?

IMO, the appeal/value of this cover has nothing to do with being a first flight cover, but rather the usage of a Q3 plate block, which philatelic or not, you're not likely to find on a cover.

Correct, first flight covers generally are not given catalog values based on the postage used, unless the standard postage that is expected has a high value such as Graf Zeppelin stamps are expected to be used on the June, 1930 Second US dispatch of first flight covers on the Europe - Pan America Round Flight where the US issued the famous C13 - C15 stamps specifically for use on that flight and the catalog values reflect having those stamps (in excellent condition) on those particular first flights. Covers on such flights that do not have high value stamps issued specifically for a particular first flight have a small fraction of actual commercial value compared to ones that do have such stamps. One can find high value stamps on any first flight cover, but normally their use is purely philatelic and such covers are typically valued mainly at the value of the high value stamps rather than being completely additive to the value of the first flight. Pilot autographs also add value though the cover shown does not have such.

Still a great cover in my mind. I have examples of the 1cent on postcard and the 2 cent on cover but I've never seen a block on cover.