SWITZERLAND 1934 1.50Fr TOTAL FRANKING ON SWISSAIR BALKANFLUG COVER TO ATHENS WITH WEATHER DELAY
1934 (June 28), commercial-grade flight cover from Zurich to Athens, Greece, carried on the Swissair Balkan Flight (Balkanflug) and returned to Fribourg. The face of the envelope is franked with a 1923 50c grey and red Airmail definitive paired with a 1924 1Fr purple Winged Figure definitive, satisfying a 1.50Fr total tariff. The adhesives are tied by red circular special flight cancellations inscribed "SWISSAIR / Balkanflug" dated June 28, 1934. The face features a printed route indicator reading "par Avion Express ZURICH-Athènes", a blue trilingual airmail label, a purple pictorial Greek arrival cachet depicting a biplane inscribed "AΦIΞIΣ" (Arrival), and a prominent carmine rectangular service delay handstamp reading "Abflug wegen ungünstiger / Witterung verschoben." (Departure postponed due to unfavorable weather). Central transit processing is recorded by a black circular Athens Aerodrome dater ("AΘHNAI - AEPODPOMION") dated June 28, 1934. It is type-addressed to Monsieur Jos. Thalmann in Fribourg, Switzerland. The reverse exhibits an additional partial strike of the Athens circular dater and a second purple biplane arrival cachet across the flap. The envelope is fully intact and in clean condition.
This domestic-addressed document records the logistical operations of the June 1934 Swissair special flight route to the Balkans. Originally scheduled to depart earlier, the aircraft was grounded at the Zurich terminal due to adverse alpine weather conditions, certified on the face by the carmine rectangular postponement handstamp. Once conditions cleared on June 28, the flight pouch was transported to Greece, receiving its immediate same-day Athens Aerodrome arrival daters and pictorial biplane marks within an eleven-hour window before re-entering standard international mail streams for return delivery to Switzerland.
Please examine lot scan carefully and please send any questions at least 48 hours before the auction closes. Please note that cover condition usually includes normal wear and tear to cover edges, opening tears and some creases and wrinkles. Only exceptional or extreme condition issues will be mentioned.
Legend:
PS - Postal Stationery
FL - Folded Letter
SFL - Stampless Folded Letter
RPO - Railway Post Office
CDS - Circular Date Stamp
DPO - Dead Post Office
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