2018-03-31 Sat

The London to London Flight Stamp of 1927 speaks of an unusual competition which involved great risk, thrill and adventure.

Almost a century ago, a Pilot was offered a $25,000 prize to successfully fly from London, Ontario to London, England. In August of 1927, former World War I pilot Terrence Tully, along with navigator James Medcalf, set out on their trans-Atlantic journey.

Before taking off, a bunch of special stamps were issued commemorating this historic event. Their plane was packed with stacks of mail, all with a new stamp on it commemorating the historic flight.

However, the place set out on the journey had to turn away immediately because of the thick fog. In a couple of months, the plane departed for the second time. This time it didn’t return. It disappeared into the mist, never to be seen again.

Eighty years later, what journeyed back was the special stamp made for the occasion. A Toronto businessman discovered this treasure in a sock drawer. Curious, he took it to a stamp dealer, who confirmed it as a rarity.

This 25cent green and yellow stamp depicts a flying place with the portraits of Tully and Medcalf and a label showing the proposed route.

With only nine of the surviving pieces, a mint condition stamp is worth $100,000.

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