News from Spink

AUCTION OF GREAT BRITAIN STAMPS AND POSTAL HISTORY ACHIEVES OVER £1 MILLION

CARRUTHERS, STEVENSON AND FFOOKS COLLECTIONS
FEATURE IN THIS IMPRESSIVE REALISATION

1440 lots were on offer in the Spink Galleries on the 6th and 7th of December, and the total of £1,006,763 was spread between 109 active buyers with some 80 vendors sharing the proceeds.  This total represented 86% by value and considering the diversity of the offering represents a most satisfactory result. A few of the highlights are mentioned below.

A 1912 Birmingham silver stamp and sovereign case (lot 36) combined with a finely enamelled 1840 1d black on the obverse with a spring loaded compartment inside with sloped interior for stamps realised £2,700 from a low estimate of £1,300.  Sterling silver boxes were very popular and lots 44 and 45 - which contained two and three compartment boxes with enamelled reproductions of Chile and Maltese stamps - realised £3,000 and £2,400 over estimates of £1,000 and £800.  Clearly the market for Stamp boxes is most enthusiastic for items made in silver, enamel, bronze or gold.

Mulready envelopes and caricatures featured strongly and lot 201 (an uprated envelope with an 1840 1d black, plate 3 with B.P.A certificate) fetched £2,900 from a low estimate of £2,000.  Likewise, lot 203 with a 1d black plate lV addressed to Hawich realised £1,600, whilst lot 205, another copy of 1d black plate lV but with black Maltese cross, sold for £2,000.  Line Engraved essays and proofs featured two examples of the "Rejected Die" by Perkins, Bacon.  Lots 291 and 292 were examples of the 1d in rose-carmine and grey-black.  Although these were reprints on thin cream wove paper, they rose to £6,500 and £7,000 over their low estimates of £4,500.  Rainbow "Colour Trials" followed and were extremely popular as usual.  Nine lots of single copies or pairs varied in price from £2,100 to £4,800.

The 1840 1d blacks commenced auspiciously – an example is lot 304 from plate 1a dated the 8th May. Originally from the "Maximus" collection, and with R.P.S certificate, this soared to £2,200 from a low estimate of £1,000; whilst lot 337, a 1d grey-black also from plate 1a but used late on the 15th June 1841 and showing marked plate wear, on cover to London with undated circular "Burnham" on reverse, realised £1,000 from a low estimate of £400.  Most of the realisations of the 1d black either on or off cover are worth studying as nearly 300 lots were on offer.  Lot 362 from plate 1b, a strip of 6 with red cancellations on cover to Edinburgh and dated 28th December 1840 realised £4,000 and a bottom marginal copy with inscription on cover from Penrith to Carlisle dated 13th July 1840 realised £3,000 from a low estimate of £1,200.  Lot 450 was a 1d red, from plate V used on cover with the rare red Maltese cross cancellation.  Used in Hayle and dated 24th May 1841 (which is very late for the red cross), the estimate of £3,500 was exceeded by double, and the cover realised £7,000.  Finally, lot 503 was an entire with no less than six examples of the 1d black, plate 8 with red Maltese cross cancellations and dated 12th September 1840.  Addressed to Sheffield, this pretty entire realised £2,600 from an estimate of £1,200.

There followed 125 lots of scarce and unusual cancellations.  Lot 714 - a 1d red, plate 33 on entire letter to Dublin with the rare "Hollymount" Maltese cross with blue date stamp alongside of the 30th October 1843 - soared to £7,000 from an estimate of £2,000.  This "ex. Cawardine" example well exceeded the catalogue price of £6,500 and came with an R.P.S certificate.  Lots 817 and 818 included examples of the 1d black plates 2 and 3 with straight line town cancellations.  The first, a cover dated 14th September 1840  tied by a superb strike of the "Idle Penny Post", raised £2,500 from an estimate of £800 and was ex. the Victoria collection.  The second,  dated 2nd June 1840 with a fine strike in black of the "Kirkham Penny Post" with R.P.S certificate, realised £3,800.

In the Surface printed issues, lot 884 the 1867/78 £1 brown-lilac, a part o.g. example with B.P.A certificate, S.G.129 fetched £33,000 and lot 895, £5 orange on blued paper, part original gum but with small defects, S.G.133 with R.P.S certificate realised £14,000.  A significant realisation occurred when lot 954, a vertical pair of the £1 brown lilac, watermark Orbs from the top margin of the sheet and overprinted "Specimen" leapt to £8,000 from an estimate of £2,500. Lot 956 - the 1888 £1 brown-lilac, as the previous lot but unused with gum - has always been rated as a rarity.  This fine example, S.G. 186 with B.P.A certificate achieved £27,000, well above the low estimate of £20,000.

The final session commenced with the fine collection of the 1883/4 "Lilac and Green" issue formed by O. Ffooks.  This gold medal collection of some 240 lots included every aspect of this short lived issue.  Prices were firm throughout, with particular strength in the Proof department, particularly the "Hand Painted" essays.  Lot 967 contained the first De La Rue scheme for the 4d, 5d and 3/- values.  Removed from the printer's record book, this sheet realised £5,000, comfortably ahead of the £2,000 estimate.  Lot 989 was a De La Rue record book page from 1884 showing 10 examples of the "Colour Trials" perforated on unwatermarked paper with various manuscript notations.  This unique item in private hands realised £4,000.

Finally, and containing three of the most expensive items, we have the 1887/1900 "Jubilee" issue.  Lot 1216 £1 green, plate 2, ND imprimatur, from the Latto collection, this example is one of three in private hands and sold for the amazing price of £23,000 over the low estimate of £10,000.  Next, lot 1220: a complete sheet of the £1 green of 40 stamps with sheet margins with TA showing the variety "Broken Frame".  This rarity is considered to be unique in private hands and was sold for the not inconsiderable sum of £85,000.  However the most extraordinary price was for lot 1225, a £1 example with 3d and 1/- values on large cover to Sweden.  Although this was not the prettiest item in the sale and with a very large franking, it nevertheless realised £24,000, over the lower estimate of £8,000.  The description also mentions that this is evidently the only known example on cover.  The auction concluded with the reigns of Edward V11, George V through to Queen Elizabeth with the usual firm prices for the attractive "Seahorse" issue of George V.

In all, a most rewarding three sessions achieving some excellent realisations.  As usual, we recommend perusing the prices realised. If you would like to find out more about buying or selling quality Great Britain stamps and covers, please don't hesitate to contact us.