News from Spink

SPINK TO SELL IMPORTANT GREAT BRITAIN STAMPS AND COVERS ON 6 & 7 DECEMBER

1437 LOTS FEATURING THE FINE COLLECTIONS
OF JERRY CARRUTHERS, RICHARD STEVENSON AND O.O. FFOOKS

One of the most varied Great Britain auctions to have been offered in years will be available to clients in early December. With estimates ranging from £1 million to £1.2 million, this major attraction will require three full sessions for our discerning clientele. The first 86 lots comprise Stamp Boxes and related items including lot 36, a 1912 Birmingham silver stamp and sovereign case combined with a finely enamelled 1840 1d black on the obverse and a spring loaded compartment inside with sloped interior for stamps. This most attractive object is estimated between £1,300 and £1,500. The Postal History section comprises nearly 100 lots from 1564. There are some rare and handstruck markings including a very fine collection of London Postal History (lot 87) estimated from £7,000, incorporating some 93 items with some scarce entries from the Corsini correspondence.

The 1840 Mulready is another fine section and includes several examples of uprated letter sheets with 1840 1d or 1841 1d. Lot 203 has an example dated 29th September 1840 uprated with a fine 1d black, plate 4 lettered E-J and cancelled with red maltese cross and addressed to Hawich. With R.P.S certificate and estimated from £1,500, this attractive item will make a fine addition to the next owner’s collection. Caricatures and later Illustrated envelopes including the superb "Cowell" correspondence follow.

Following the Mulready section, there are Line-engraved items with fine Proofs and Essays from the "Rejected" Die. Lots 291 and 292 are estimated from £4,500 in black and red on thin unwatermarked paper and later we have various lots of Rainbow Trials which have become increasingly popular of late.

The next section contains some 300 lots of the 1840 1d black, 2d blue and 1841 1d red values. Some 300 lots here mostly from the Jerry Carruthers collection including definitive studies from the various plates with May dates, the different plate repairs and states. Lots 560 to 568 include examples of the scarce 1d black, plate 11. Lot 566 lettered O-A on part entire from Howden to Bawtry and dated 10th February 1841 is cancelled by the rare usage of the red Maltese cross. This "ex. Silkin collection" example with both B.P.A and R.P.S certificates should realise between the estimates of £5,000 to £6,000. Lots 701 to 826 incorporate a most unusual group of attractive cancellations with distinctive and coloured Maltese cross obliterations. Such material is seldom offered and this area will command serious competition.
Lot 714 is a neat entire letter from Hollymount to Dublin bearing the 1841 1d red, plate 33 with the distinctive "Hollymount" Maltese cross and adjoining blue 30th October 1843 date stamp. This stunning item from the "Cawardine" collection is estimated from £2,000.

120 lots of Surface printed issues are next with some important "High Values". Lot 884 is a superb example of the 1867/78 £1 brown-lilac, lettered C-A, a lightly mounted example with nearly full original gum. Catalogued as S.G. 129 at £45,000, this "ex Manzi" example is estimated from £25,000. The £5 orange on blued paper is another major rarity in unused condition – Lot 895 is valued from £15,000 and is S.G. 133. The 1884 £1 brown-lilac watermark Crowns, lettered J-C with "broken frame" is another scarce stamp in part o.g. condition. Lot 953, S.G. 185a is estimated from £10,000. Finally from this formidable section, we must mention no less than three examples of the very rare £1 brown-lilac, watermark "Orbs" with part original gum. Lots 955 to 957 are estimated at from £10,000, £20,000 and £16,000. The first two are accompanied by B.P.A certificates.

Following on is the fine collection formed by O. O. Ffooks of the 1883-84 "Lilac and Green" issue with Essays such as Lot 964 – a record book page from the De La Rue archive with a mixture of hand painted Essays and Colour Trials. This lot is estimated from £12,000. Die Proofs, Colour Trials, Imprimaturs, Specimens, Trial cancellations and cover usages are included in this most comprehensive section.

The 1887-1900 "Jubilee" issues include some amazing items that seldom occur on the philatelic scene. The £1 value with extremely rare "Colour Standards", an imperforate colour trial, is a corner example with overprint "Specimen" and original gum. Lot 1214 is estimated from £8,000 whilst the following lot is a reconstructed corner block of 7 with marginal manuscript markings and is estimated from £55,000. The following lots are "Imprimaturs" of the £1 green, plate 2 and both are from the "Latto" collection, with estimates from £10,000.

The final two lots of real significance firstly contain the extraordinary mint pane of 40 of the £1 value, lot 1220 and catalogued as S.G. 212 and 212a. Estimated from £100,000 and containing T-A, the broken frame, this is probably the only existing sheet available to collectors. Lot 1225 is evidently the only recorded example on cover. Addressed to Sweden and dated 28th June 1898 with additional 3d and 1/- values, it is estimated from £8,000.

Later issues include Edward V11 and George V issues with a fine group of the ever popular "Seahorse" issue. The Auction concludes with interesting "Used Abroad" covers and the usual eclectic selection of collections and ranges. This important auction is a significant "Great Britain" occasion and it will be some considerable time before such a diverse and valuable offering will occur.