News from Spink

The Dr. Alan Drysdall Transvaal Stamp Sale a Near Sell-Out

Spink's First Philatelic Auction of the New Season a Resounding Success

Please note that images are not actual size.

There was a good representation of collectors and dealers to participate in the Dr. Alan Drysdall collection at the Spink auction galleries at 10.30am on the 1st March.  Of the 359 lots offered, 353 were sold, representing a 98% selling rate.  The low estimate of £197,000 was comfortably exceeded with a realisation without premium of £312,240.  Transvaal collections seldom appear on the market, but this did not deter bidders in producing this excellent result.  Below we list some of the higher realisations, but it is advisable to study the full prices realised for this ground breaking auction.

Lot 1040 from the Otto printings, fine roulette 15½ to 16, narrow setting, 1d orange red in a mint block of 4, SG4a realised £1,300 from a low estimate of £600.  This piece is considered unique.  The 1871 First Essay 3d pale lilac on thin paper, vertical tête-bêche with part original gum: two examples here, lots 1047 and 1048.  The first and finer realised £2,100 and the second £850 (SG24).   From the Viljoen printings, lot 1076 contained a 1/- yellow green imperforate horizontal pair, variety tête-bêche, unused with part o.g. (SG14a).  This considerable rarity with RPS certificate sold over the telephone for £15,000- well over the £10,000 lower estimate.

Next from the same printing: 6d ultramarine, fine roulette, used horizontal pair again variety tête-bêche (SG16a).  Another great rarity, this sold for £10,000.  Lot 1088 was a remarkable triple combination cover bearing the 1871 fine roulette 6d ultramarine with an Orange Free State 6d rose and three copies of the Cape of Good Hope 4d blue.  Only three examples are recorded and this one realised £11,000.  The following lot was an interesting combination cover to Switzerland dated April 1872 and bearing the 1/- deep green in combination with Cape of Good Hope 6d lilac and 1/- green.  This rarity sold for £3,500.

Next we move on to  the Typographed issue by JF Celliers on thin soft opaque paper 1875/77.  Lot 1131, the 6d blue in an unused block of 16, positions 25-40, with positions 25 and 26 tête-bêche with sheet margins on either side, SG45 and 45aa with RPS certificate.  This is the only recorded multiple and is catalogued at £10,550; realising £12,000.

From the Ferrari collection, lot 1152 was a vertical used pair of the 6d bright blue, SG 63ca, variety tête-bêche used.  This pair is the only one remaining in private hands and thus it was warmly contested to £11,000.

Two big surprises occurred in the "Cellier printings" cover selection. Lot  1169 - an envelope to Uitenhage dated 1876 and bearing a vertical strip of 5 of the 1d dull red on pelure paper (SG52) - was estimated from £600 but rose to £4,000. The following lot, 1170, was an 1876 "Via Natal" envelope to England with the 6d deep blue on pelure paper and Natal 6d bright reddish violet horizontal pair, addressed to London.  The Natal stamps are slightly overlapping the Transvaal stamp (SG54b) but this is still a considerable rarity.  Estimated from £1,000, this lot realised £9,500!

Lastly the "H. Rider Haggard" cover (lot 1219) - an envelope to England via Cape Town bearing the 1877 6d deep blue, imperforate, two copies with Griqualand West "G" overprint in red, 6d lilac, two different, dated May 1877.  Signed "H.R.H" and addressed by Haggard, with one or two defects on the stamps, it realised £3,800 from a low estimate of £2,000. The excellent provenance of ex. Seybold collection no doubt contributed to the impressive realisation.

We hope this short analysis indicates the current strength of the philatelic market and we would be happy to discuss with you the sale of your collection whether it merits one of our "single owner" catalogues or in one of our specialised British Commonwealth or Foreign auctions.