Jay Smith & Associates: Greenland: Locals: Rockwell Kent Airmail Stamp

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Greenland: Locals: Rockwell Kent Airmail Stamp

Rockwell Kent, the American artist, writer, adventurer, and so much more, lived in Greenland in 1929, 1931-1932, and 1934-1935. During 1932 Kent came into contact with a German film expedition, known as the "Universal - Dr. Fanck Expedition", which had the goal of making the film "S.O.S. Iceberg" (actually Eisberg). As a personal endeavor, Rockwell Kent created for the expedition a stamp design and printed about 50 copies copies of the stamp by carved wood-block printing. The stamps were created to be affixed to letter mail being transported by airplane flown by expedition pilot Ernst Udet, from the base camp to a smaller camp located close to the glacier. The stamp as purely a private creation, without official authorization, but as it was applied to a few, quite exotic, flown covers, it has attained a very high status in aerophilately. [Information from DAKA GF7 1999, Wikipedia, and other sources.]

The original stamp, printed under difficult circumstances in the wild lands of Greenland, is orange-red in color with a very rough printing surface (ink) texture, and are imperforate with fairly small margins. [The original stamps are rare and valuable; any supposedly original example should be expertized.]

After his return to the U.S., Rockwell Kent reprinted the stamp -- also described as a "second printing" -- in the same size of design, in a bright carrmine-red color. The reprints are by much better quality typography, with a much smoother appearance, the details of the design are much more clear, and are again imperforate, but on thick, ungummed paper with wide margins. The reprints (and the original) were printed one at a time; some of the reprints are signed by Kent (or so they are described) in the bottom margin. Kent lived until 1971, thus if he signed any of the stamps, the signing could have happened at any time from the 1930s to 1971. The literature states that between 200 and 400 reprints were made, however, I believe that the reprint quantity may be slightly greater.

There exists a few imitations (typically in a smaller size) and potentially there are outright forgeries. There are also a few items for which the status is unclear -- such as printed in black on thin, gummed, colored paper -- but appearing to be identical impressions to the known red reprints.

Rockwell Kent Airmail Stamp

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US$

201939

The famous Rockwell Kent private airmail stamp MINT SUPERB ORIGINAL ISSUE MADE BY KENT IN GREENLAND while on a film-making expedition. Kent made a very small quantity of crude woodblock-printed original stamps that were used on letters flown from the expeditions base camp to a working camp. It is said that Kent made only about 50 original stamps (they had no gum). Quite a few (most?) of the stamps were used on covers. Only a few mint examples remain in existance. This example is Mint, Superb, and without gum as issued. Accompanied by a 1995 Wowern certificate and a 2002 Lasse Nielsen certificate. The color and appearance is typical for this issue -- the orangish color and rough texture is correct and proper (remember that these stamps were made in the field under difficult conditions). Certainly the key stamp for any Greenland collection and in extremely nice condition.

ACTUAL item.

WANTED
Originals needed on or off cover, in any condition or quality. Please make offer.

231693

The famous Rockwell Kent private airmail stamp Second Printing made by Kent upon his return from a film-making expedition to Greenland. While in Greenland, he made a very small quantity of crude woodblock-printed stamps that were used on letters flown from the expeditions base camp to a working camp. It is said that Kent only made a few hundred (a quantity between 200 and 400 is the range that I have heard several times) of the Second Printing and only signed a fraction of those. This example is SIGNED and is in Superb NH (ungummed as issued) condition. A wonderful example!

ACTUAL item.

Reference
For reference only. NOT for sale.

201851

The famous Rockwell Kent private airmail stamp Reprint made by Kent upon his return from a film-making expedition to Greenland. While in Greenland, he made a very small quantity of crude woodblock-printed stamps that were used on letters flown from the expeditions base camp to a working camp. It is said that Kent only made a few hundred (a quantity between 200 and 400 is the range that I have heard several times) of the reprints and only signed a fraction of those. This example is SIGNED, but has a serious thin in the top margin. Normally signed copies sell for $600-750. This is an outstanding opportunity at a great price.

ACTUAL item.

Reference
For reference only. NOT for sale.

231694

The famous Rockwell Kent private airmail stamp Second Printing made by Kent upon his return from a film-making expedition to Greenland. While in Greenland, he made a very small quantity of crude woodblock-printed stamps that were used on letters flown from the expeditions base camp to a working camp. It is said that Kent only made a few hundred (a quantity between 200 and 400 is the range that I have heard several times) of the Second Printing and only signed a fraction of those. This example is UNSIGNED and is in Superb NH (ungummed as issued) condition. A wonderful example!

ACTUAL item.

WANTED
Needed, either signed or unsigned. Please make offer.

246787

This appears to be related to the famous Rockwell Kent private airmail stamp Second Printing (i.e. the reprint) made by Kent upon his return to the U.S. from his 1931-1932 time Greenland. While in Greenland, he made a very small quantity of crude woodblock-printed stamps that were used on letters flown from the expeditions base camp to a working camp. It is said that Kent only made a few hundred (a quantity between 200 and 400 is the range that is seen in the literature) of the Second Printing, in bright carmine red on thick, ungummed paper. This appears to be the identical design and printing characteristics of the reprint, but this is in black on grayish green, thin, gummed paper. NH and Superb in every way. Last sold in a Danish auction in 2016, this is the first such example I have seen or heard of in 49 years. This may be a proof for the "issued" reprint, or it may be a subsequent reprint also printed by Kent, or it may be something else. I do not see any aspects of this -- other than I have not previously seen it or any mention of it in the literature, but that is not unusual for such esoteric items -- which suggest that this is not a genuine Kent item. However, at the same time, while I believe this item to be genuine, I am not able to state unequivocally, that I know it to be genuine. If I could prove that this was printed by Kent, the price would be much higher!

ACTUAL item.

Reference
For reference only. NOT for sale.
Sold

246788

This appears to be related to the famous Rockwell Kent private airmail stamp Second Printing (i.e. the reprint) made by Kent upon his return to the U.S. from his 1931-1932 time Greenland. While in Greenland, he made a very small quantity of crude woodblock-printed stamps that were used on letters flown from the expeditions base camp to a working camp. It is said that Kent only made a few hundred (a quantity between 200 and 400 is the range that is seen in the literature) of the Second Printing, in bright carmine red on thick, ungummed paper. This appears to be the identical design and printing characteristics of the reprint, but this is in black on dull yellow, thin, gummed paper. NH and Superb in every way. Last sold in a Danish auction in 2016, this is the first such example I have seen or heard of in 49 years. This may be a proof for the "issued" reprint, or it may be a subsequent reprint also printed by Kent, or it may be something else. I do not see any aspects of this -- other than I have not previously seen it or any mention of it in the literature, but that is not unusual for such esoteric items -- which suggest that this is not a genuine Kent item. However, at the same time, while I believe this item to be genuine, I am not able to state unequivocally, that I know it to be genuine. If I could prove that this was printed by Kent, the price would be much higher!

ACTUAL item.

Reference
For reference only. NOT for sale.
Sold

201852

The famous Rockwell Kent private airmail stamp image printed in very dark carmine with "Greenland Air Mail stamp (wood engraving, R)" legend printed below, apparently a reproduction of Kent's writing. The stamp design was made by Kent while in Greenland on a movie-making expedition. He made a very small quantity of crude woodblock-printed stamps that were used on letters flown from the expeditions base camp to a working camp. It is said that Kent only made a few hundred (a quantity between 200 and 400 is the range that I have heard several times) of the reprints and only signed a fraction of those. This card is a reproduction of that stamp, but I do not know when it was made or by whom.

ACTUAL item.

Reference
For reference only. NOT for sale.

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