News from Spink

IMPORTANT FRANCE, EUROPE, OVERSEAS AND BRITISH EMPIRE STAMPS TO BE SOLD
ON 7 & 8 DECEMBER AT THE SPINK AUCTION GALLERIES

“CHATEAU RAMEZAY” COLLECTION CAN BE VIEWED IN PARIS ON 29 NOVEMBER

Together with the Great Britain sale to be sold on the previous day and the morning of the 8th December, Spink are proud to offer some 1440 lots of all world material of which there are some wonderful select areas. Firstly there is a fine collection of France to be offered by the “Chateau Ramezay” museum in Montreal. The old museum building dates from 1706, and houses many fine objects including a portrait of Benjamin Franklin who visited as a guest in 1776. Further details are offered in the catalogue.

Some 276 lots of France start the sale. Lot 2003 is a fine block of 4 of the 1849 Ceres 10c greenish bistre, a rare shade and cancelled with a “gros points” postmark in black. With Roumet certificate, it is estimated from £2,000.
From the same issue, lot 2006 is a fine mint block of 10 of the 20c black with part original gum seemingly from the lower left corner of the sheet. Signed Balasse and with Roumet certificate, it is attractively estimated at £1,000 to £1,200. Lot 2059 is an impressive multiple of the 1863/71 20c blue, type 1 in a block of 25 with large part original gum. Catalogued as Ceres 29 (1) at E10,000, possibly the largest block recorded, this rarity is estimated from £2,200. A nice group of collections and studies can be found between lots 2103 and 2113.

Next we find a most interesting section of “Boule de Moulins” covers. Mail for besieged Paris during the 1870/71 war with Prussia was placed inside zinc circular containers and floated up the Seine river from Moulins Sur Allier to Bray sur Seine by Monsieur Delort. Some five to eight hundred letters were included as they drifted with the tide to the centre. Not all the “Boule” consignments arrived safely and the cost of 1 franc per letter was considered unreasonable. However these items are keenly sought out, and of the 29 lots on offer, we notice Lot 2128 from 1871 (Jan 4)- 1872 (Jan 13) “Boule”, an entire letter from Dijon with the 1867 20c and 80c, dated on reverse 13th January 1872. This is evidently the only recorded example and is illustrated in the Postal museum in Paris. It is estimated from £4,000. Lot 2138 is an entire letter from Montelimar to Paris franked by 1867 20c and a pair of the 40c bistre. This remarkable cover was found in a “Boule” in January 1910 at the Quai d’Auteil in Paris. Signed Gilbert (13th January 1932), it is estimated from £2,500. Lots 2150 to 2214 contain a fine collection of booklets, one of the most extensive offerings in auction.

Europe and Overseas lots commence from lot 3001 and comprise 323 lots. With countries ranging from Albania to the United States, there is the usual interesting selection of fine one country collections and accumulations. Albanian lot 3002 is a valuable holding housed in a small box dating from 1913 to 1960. There are several thousand items here, estimated from £2,500.

Chile has a fine collection housed on “FG” de luxe album pages including items between 1853/67. Condition is above average and the estimate from £6,000 may well be exceeded. Lot 3028 the Chile 1862 20c green in a used block of 22 is ex the Gerhard Blanc collection. Rare in a multiple of this size, it is estimated from £2,000. Lots 3086 and 3087 are fine collections of Italian States and are estimated from £2,800 and £3,000. Lots 3189 to 3243 incorporate items of San Marino including collections and fine mint multiples. Lot 3192 (1877-1890 1c to 40c, a set of seven with an extra shade of the 2c in unmounted mint condition, Sassone 1-7 and catalogued E7.665), is estimated from £1,400.

British Empire is as usual the largest representation and requires nearly 850 lots. Several strong sections here commencing with Aden but some depth in Antigua, Bahamas, Cayman Islands with 106 lots from the C.W. Meredith collection sold in the 1950s originally. However lot 3561 from the British Post Office in Siam, the 1881 envelope from Bangkok to Vienna bearing the Straits Settlements 8c and cancelled with the “British Consulate/Bangkok” Royal arms handstamp is a considerable rarity and is estimated from £15,000. There is a good section of Canada booklets with some 24 lots and other areas include Dominica, India and Malayan States. Lot 3907 is an envelope dated 1895 sent to London and bears Straits Settlements 8c ultramarine vertical pair and single with “Tanjong Malim” c.d.s. This rare triple rate franking is estimated from £1,500. In New Brunswick, lot 3932 is a wonderful trio of the 1851 3d dull red, 6d olive-yellow and 1/- dull mauve, each cancelled with the square of dots postmark. Most attractive and with a catalogue of £5,500, they are estimated from £1,500.

The sale concludes with the usual impressive “Collections and ranges” and lot 4166 is two volumes of the “New Imperial Album”. Reasonably well-filled with mint and used including Great Britain and Commonwealth, it is estimated from £4,000. Thus this diverse offering of no less than 91 countries or territories should include enough variety for virtually any collector or dealer to find items of interest – a veritable cornucopia!