Today in Postal History
This airmail cover was flown on the Dornier Do-X on a
segment
of a Transatlantic journey.
The Dornier
Do-X
was a 12 engine flying boat built in Germany.
The Do-X was bound for New York City.
This trip was an attempt to find a way to make the Do-X profitable.
The owners ran out of money and
the attempt failed.
After its arrival in New York City it spent 8 months sitting in a
dry-dock.
The Do-X was finally flown back to Germany in May, 1932, on its last
trans-Atlantic flight.
This cover received two special EXTRA LUCHTPOST VERZENDING
UIT SURINAME PER Do-X CDS.
The inscription is Dutch and translates to Extra Airmail Dispatch from
Surinam per Do-X.
Surinam is in the middle of the Guianas on the northeast coast of South
America.
British Guiana (now Guyana) is northwest along the coast and French
Guiana is southeast along the coast.
The preprinted airmail envelope was inscribed DOX.
The back has a special cachet noting that
Pan-American Airways was cooperating as special agent.
Pan-American had operated the United States Foreign Air Mail Route No.
6
from Miami to Paramaribo, Surinam, since September 22, 1929.
The first issue of Surinam airmail stamps, 1930 Allegory of
Flight, was specially overprinted for this flight.
This cover is franked with the 15c. ultramarine and the 40c orange
(Scott C8 and C11).
Both have a black overprint.
The mail arrived in Miami, Florida, on August 22 where it
was
given
a machine backstamp with an AIR-MAIL SAVES TIME and biplane killer.
It probably proceeded to its destination in Rutherford, New Jersey, on
an American airline.
Rutherford is commuter town about 15 mi northwest of New York City.
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