SWITZERLAND 1934 PRO JUVENTUTE SET ON SPECIAL WINTER LUFTPOST COVER ST. MORITZ TO LENZERHEIDE
1935 (Feb. 25), commercial pioneer winter airmail cover from St. Moritz to Lenzerheide, franked with the complete 1934 Pro Juventute semi-postal set. The envelope in 69.jpg features the four-value charitable issue (5c green, 10c violet, 20c red, and 30c blue featuring Albrecht von Haller), cleanly tied by black circular date stamps inscribed "ST. MORITZ 1" ['25.II.35•14 / X']. The face is embellished with a hand-drawn or stamped Swiss flag corner vignette, a blue trilingual airmail label, a manuscript route indicator reading "Winterluftpost / St. Moritz - Lenzerheide", a prominent carmine circular event cachet reading "+ ERSTE + / WINTERLUFTPOST / In den / Bündneralpen / Februar 1935", and a matching carmine rectangular service delay mark reading "Abflug wegen ungünstiger / Witterung verschoben." It is manuscript-addressed to Herrn Herm. Dimmler in Lenzerheide, where it displays a sharp circular arrival backstamp or face-stamp dated March 10, 1935 ['10.III.35•16']. The cover is intact and remains in excellent commercial condition.
This domestic winter flight cover beautifully documents the challenges and achievements of early alpine aviation trials in the Grisons (Graubünden) region during the mid-1930s. Dispatched from St. Moritz on February 25, 1935, for the specialized "First Winter Air Post in the Bündner Alps" service, the letter was delayed on-site due to severe alpine blizzard conditions. This operational halt is perfectly certified by the highly desirable carmine rectangular postponement handstamp ("Departure postponed due to unfavorable weather"). The mail bag was securely held by postal authorities until weather cleared, tracking a delayed transit to the alpine resort of Lenzerheide by March 10. The use of the complete 1934 Pro Juventute campaign set to fulfill the specialized winter flight tariff makes this a remarkable diagnostic artifact from a historic chapter in Swiss aerophilately.
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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