Wiley Post

Aviator Pioneer

Spring 2021 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 6 N202 — Wiley Post — 11/20/79

This trip brought about two unexpected Collins covers because of one act of nature and one act of man. My plan was to fly from Oklahoma to Cheyenne, Wyoming via Denver for a lovely unofficial pictorial cancel, but a blizzard was raging, and both the Denver and Cheyenne Airports were closed. I improvised and did get my N201s done. As for this cover, the amazing part of the story is that while I was in the Oklahoma post office, a Collins collector who was there offered to take 50 of my covers to Wichita, Kansas for a beyond tremendous pictorial postmark. He got them done, and the result is fantastic with the cancel tying both pairs to the envelope. Rarely does this cover appear, and I think it's the first time it has been in one of my sales.

Spring 2024 Mail Sale Commentary 

Lot 4 N202 — Wiley Post — 11-20-79

My visit to Oklahoma City was very enjoyable. Working oil wells dotted the landscape within the city limits. The personnel at the post office were very cordial, and the lobby had a most interesting display about the earliest Oklahoma Territory Post Office complete with original artifacts and photographs.

This trip brought about two unexpected Collins covers because of one act of nature and one act of man. My plan was to fly from Oklahoma to Cheyenne, Wyoming via Denver for a lovely unofficial pictorial cancel, but a blizzard was raging, and both the Denver and Cheyenne Airports were closed. I improvised and managed to get my N201s done. As for this cover, the amazing part of the story is that while I was in the Oklahoma Post Office, a Collins collector who was there offered to take 50 of my covers to Wichita, Kansas for a beyond tremendous pictorial postmark. He got them done, and the result is fantastic with the cancel tying both pairs to the envelope.

The hand painted cachet shows two vintage aircraft doing an aerial circus routine. In his earlier years, Wiley Post participated in barnstorming performances and was known as "The Flying Redskin." An unusual philatelic feature about this cover is that both postmarks tie both pairs to the envelope.