A strong selection of Egypt Zeppelin airmail will highlight world stamps at Cherrystone Auctions' September 9-10 auction in New York.

There are only four covers to have been dispatched and flown from Egypt

The Egypt stamps were issued to celebrate the flight of the LZ127 Graf Zeppelin, a German built passenger airship that made numerous flights over the Middle East in the 1930s.

Leading the selection is a 1931 cover from the Palestine round trip, which bears a 50m (milliemes) stamp with Suez acceptance. Addressed to Haifa with the pyramid cachet, it is a very rare Zeppelin dispatch from Egypt and one of only four flown, bringing the starting price to $9,000.

Also starring is another cover from the 1931 flight to the Middle East, which saw the airship call in Cairo and then Palestine, before returning to Friedrichshafen.

The menu is a great centrepiece for a collection of Egypt Zeppelin mail

The pre-printed "Per Zeppelin" cover bears a 100m (milliemes) on 27m double overprint, used on April 10, 1931. Now selling at $5,000, it is signed by respected philatelists Gappe and Hermann Sieger, with an additional 1965 letter confirming the cover's authenticity.

Expected to sell well is a lunch and dinner menu from the 1931 Egypt flight, which is franked with a 2m South America flight stamp that was cancelled on board. Signed by crew member K Shoenherr and addressed to Switzerland, it has an opening price of $2,000.

Paul Fraser Collectibles offers exceptional rare stamps for sale with guaranteed authenticity.