News from Spink

BRITISH EMPIRE STAMP SALE HELD ON THE 26TH AND 27TH OCTOBER A STRONG SEASONAL DEBUT

Spink's Autumn opener of 1451 lots has many significant realisations

Over forty vendors consigned to this important and varied philatelic auction, which achieved a very satisfactory 91% success rate (over £820,000). The sale included the final portion of the “Dallas” collection, and most of these lots sold for well in excess of estimates. Some of the highlights are itemised below.

Australia is very popular with collectors at the moment and there were six fine examples of the various £2 values in mint condition. These varied in price from £900 to £1,300, and in all cases exceeded the low estimate. British Guiana had two cut round “Cotton reels” – the 4c orange, S.G. 2ii realised £2,700 from an estimate of £1,000 and the 8c green with thin frame, S.G.4ii, £2,400 - close to the £3,250 catalogue price. This stamp emanated from the Ferrari and “Small” collections.

Cape of Good Hope had some major rarities. In 1861 the 4d value was issued in black, possibly in recognition of the death of Prince Albert. Evidently only some 12 examples exist and lot 1264 from Die A with indistinct cancellation realised £16,000. With B.P.A certificate and originally from the Riesco and Dale-Lichtenstein collections, this is a key item for collectors of the Cape. The 1861 “Woodblock” issue always attracts interest. Locally printed because of a shortage of stamps from England, these fairly primitive designs are keenly sought after. Lot 1266 (the 1d brick-red, with traces of gum but with a couple of small faults, S.G.13b) realised £9,000. This may be reasonable as it is a most elusive stamp missing from most collections. The following lot 1267 was a fine looking copy of the 1d pale bright blue error of colour, although technically an error of cliché, fine used with B.P.A certificate, S.G. 13ca, achieved £11,000.

Ceylon probably provided the most significant section with many stamp and proof rarities present. Lack of space must restrict us to a few examples. Lot 1313, the 1918 50r value in a mint corner block of four, reached £3,800 from a low estimate of £1,500. Lots 1318 and 1319 were examples of the 1912 printing of the 500r mint. The first, a marginal example, raised £4,000 and the second £2,500. The following two lots were the elusive 1000r value. The first of these, lot 1320, a wonderful corner example with plate number, must have set a record by fetching £20,000; whilst lot 1321, a regular example, fetched £11,000 – still a fine price compared to the S.G. catalogue price of £16,000 for S.G.323. Lots 1331 to 1339 exemplified the 100r, S.G. 359 to 360a. Prices here were solid and varied between £750 to £2,300 for an upper right corner example. Finally in this section, lot 1340 – the 1922 1r 46 black on pale grey booklet containing four panes of six of the 6c bright violet - sold for £2,300, a considerable price for any booklet.

Falkland Islands has always been popular with collectors but lot 1373 was a considerable surprise. The 1876 envelope to England, with an example of the “Black Frank” and rated “6” in manuscript, was expected to realise from £3,500. Many thought £5,000 was a possibility but the final bid of £7,500 was remarkable! The set of eight Falkland Dependencies Map issue die proofs in colour and of exceptionally attractive appearance, brought £9,500 from a low estimate of £6,000. Kenya had two notable stamps from the 1912/21 issue. Lot 1608 ,the 100r purple and black on red, a mint top marginal example, reached a very respectable £3,200, whilst the following lot – the 500r green and red on green, similarly top marginal and superb mint - sold for £12,000. Both these examples are surely as fine as can exist.
In the Malayan section, Straits Settlements had a superior top marginal example of the 1910 multiple watermark $100 purple and green on yellow, S.G.140. Lot 1666 realised £8,000 over a low estimate of £7,000. Lot 1669 contained no less than fourteen die proofs of the frame of the 1936/7 George V, 1c to $5 (less the 4c), S.G. 260-274. With various annotations and signed approvals, this unique set realised £14,000 after some very keen competition, well over the low estimate of £8,000. The top realisation from the Natal section came for lot 1739. The £10 green and orange in well centred mint condition is a difficult stamp to find, thus the final bid of £4,500 was substantial, but not unexpected, from the low estimate of £2,500.
Newfoundland provided a major surprise. The 1857 6d die proof in black on India paper sold for £4,500, easily a record for one of the Perkins, Bacon proofs, and much higher than when it last sold in the Chan collection some eight years previously. Nyasaland had three £10 values mint. The 1903 S.G.67 reached £2,600 and looked reasonable next to the 1913-19 £10 shades at £2,900 and £1,800. These were lots 1974, 1977 and 1978 catalogued as S.G. 67, 99 and 99e.

One final price to record came in the Rhodesia section. The 1910-13 Double Head issue has many followers and one lucky owner acquired lot 2070, the £1 scarlet and reddish mauve error of colour in well centred fresh mint condition. Although the price of £7,000 was well over the low estimate of £5,000, this example of S.G.166b is catalogued at £9,000 and there are not many finer examples that can exist from the one hundred or so examples which reached the public domain.

Prices realised are available here, and as this was such a diverse auction, it is well worth spending time studying these most informative results.