Matthew Bennett International, United States ~ September 2010. The four sales achieved a sales rate of 93% at 20% over pre-sale estimates. Overall, the stamp market is showing renewed strength in a number of areas with the exception of the more common postal history as well as commercial and/or off-quality U.S. stamps. An 1847 (1875 Reproduction), 5¢ & 10¢, plate proofs on card (lot 165) realized $17,000 and an 1873, $2, $5 & $20 inverts, plate proofs on card (lot 268) realized $16,00. A Brattleboro postmaster’s provisional 1846, 5¢ black (lot 66) was sold by $18,000.
The Golden State Collection of U.S. stamps was widely perceived as a bellwether for not only graded material but for the health of the high-quality U.S. market in general. This section sale was all important with significant result. An 1893 $5 Columbus flawless centering within wide and balanced margins (Scott $10,500, lot 2048) made $80,000, an 1857-60 (1875 Reprint), 1¢ bright blue, perfectly centered within huge, balanced margins (lot 2006) made $9,500 and an 1867, 1¢ blue, E. grill, amazing centering within large margins for a 1¢ E grill (lot 2011) made $22,000.
The Harbour Auctions, US stamps and postal history, where an 1918 24c. ‘Jenny’ airmail stamp “fast plane” (lot 3906) made $800, from an expected $200-$300. An 1926, 15¢ Map & Planes, perfectly centered with wide beautifully balanced margins (lot 3911) made $2,400.
The Charles G. Firby stock, featuring British North America. An 1868 1c. brown red ‘Large Queen’ on laid paper (lot 5176) made $9,500, an 1861 Prince Edward Island 3d. blue ‘double impression’ with a tiny thin (lot 5045) realized $4,000 and a Canada imperf 1⁄2d. rose, very fine used with the major re-entry (lot 5108) sold for $3,750.
Cavendish Philatelic Auctions, United Kingdom ~ November 2010. The 24-25 auction in the auction rooms at Cavendish House saw hot competition for all categories. The first day’s sale –Worldwide Maritime Mail, Canadian Stamps and U.S. Confederate States mails– saw many sections 100% sold and all areas hotly contested with a large roomful of buyers, busy overseas telephone-bidders, and one of the strongest groups of ‘on-the-book’ bidders yet seen at Cavendish.
The ‘Malcolm Montgomery’ Collection of Canadian Mails saw the tiny 1781 Quebec “fhip” mark reach £5,382 ($8,659), the 1788 “AMERICAN PORT” make £3,510 ($5,647), and a whole range of other prestamp rarities top the £1,000 or £2,000 mark; the British buyers won the day with surprisingly few lots selling to North American collectors. The ‘Oakhill’ Transatlantic mails proved equally popular with many world-record prices: a rather unremarkable (but rare) 1840 SS ‘Unicorn’ cover achieved no less than £2,574 ($4,141) (lot 173; est. £150!), an 1840 pair of SS Britannia’ covers made £1,755 ($2,823) (lot 174; est. £300) – being just £100 more than an 1842/6 pair of ‘Unicorn’ covers (lot 179; est. £150) – while an 1842 SS ‘Britannia’ cover also reached £1,755 ($2,823) (lot 232; est. £150). The market for rare Transatlantic mails has clearly moved on since the Cavendish “Ian Little”, “Jack Tysk” and “Wysiwyg” auctions; there was hardly a lot left unsold from the 304 lots in these two superb collections.
The much-publicised 1801 signed autograph letter from Lord Nelson to Emma Hamilton (lot 308) also sold well, at £11,700 ($18,824) (the top price for the day), and the Antarctic Expedition covers were equally popular; e.g. the 1934-37 ingoing cover from GB to the “British Graham Land Expedition” at £3,042 ($4,894), and the similar 1936 cover at £1,872 ($3,011). Strong competition for the West Indies Postal History section was then followed by the very strong ‘Boisvert’ Collection of Canadian Stamps with the unused SG1a ‘Beaver’ soaring to £7,605 ($12,235) (lot 421) after strong competition from both sides of the Atlantic (in spite of its having conflicting certificates and being offered “as is”; clearly the Greene cert. was right and the BPA cert. was wrong!). All the Victorian issues up to 1898 went like hot cakes, and the 20th century material was equally in demand although the QEII period proved less popular (but the famous 1959 Seaway Invert still made £4,064).
The final section of Day One was the ‘Eiron Morgan’ Collection of U.S. Confederate States Postal History; only a couple of the 100 lots failed to find a new home, though much of the collection (understandably) will soon be on its way back across the Atlantic. Notable prices included the five Blockade-Runner covers (lots 602/3/4/6/7) that sold from triple estimate up to 10 times estimate - reaching £1,638, £1,053, £1,404, £1,755 & £2,223 ($2,635, $1,694, $2,258, $2,823 & $3,576) respectively - while the many POW and Patriotic envelopes sold very well.
The second day was equally hectic and had just as many surprises; the first lot – a good pair of Imperial albums – sped from an £1,800 estimate to £4,680 ($7,529) in the blink of an eye, and the whole “Collections” section went for well above estimates on average. One of the surprises of the week then followed with the enormous ‘Bernard Lucas’ collection of Pneumatic Mails of the world being 100% sold with fierce competition from the Continent and beyond for every lot; of the 53 lots (that included 1,000s of items in total; from Brazil and Argentina to France, Austria & the US) the highest prices paid were £643 ($1,034) each for lots 808 and 822 (early and later Paris lots) with the Marseilles collection close behind at £585 ($941). The later France lots also went well, except for the Railway material which proved surprisingly unfashionable.
The Foreign P.O.s in China brought equally high prices, notably £1,521 ($2,447) for a French POs group (lot 914; est. £200, and £1,111 ($1,787) for the unused collection of CEF Postal Stationery (lot 906; est. £140). The Egypt was rather ‘patchy’ but the small group of 20th century Hong Kong covers went very well as did a 1941 “Detained in Hong Kong” cover (lot 1083 reaching £760 ($1,222)), but with a small group of Revenues taking the top price at £994 ($1,599). The fine stamps of British East Africa and K.U.T sold out with the early overprint varieties and High Vale Specimens provoking extended bidding in the room and on the ‘book’; the 1919 KUT 4c on 6c strip with misplaced surcharge reached £994 ($1,599).
The GB section was very strongly supported (in spite of the ‘small’ GB sale in London on the same day!) with 1d Black covers achieving high prices; e.g. the “Amlwch/Penny Post” cancel (lot 1221) at £2,574 ($4,141) or the 8th May 1840 cover at £3,042 ($4,894), and the Plate 177 ‘dot below diadem’ 1d Red Imperf. fetching double estimate at £1,872 ($3,011). Then a Mint Seahorses set (lot 1332) made £1,755 ($2,823) and the whole ‘Alan Wall’ KGV section exceeded all expectations. Finally, the G.B. Postal History was as strong as ever with 100% of the ‘Alan Wall’ Bristol going well above estimates, and even the Derbyshire section proving popular.
Grosvenor, United Kingdom ~ December 2010. All World Auction, held over two days on the 9th and 10th, achieved a total realisation of £871,517 ($1,4m), over 20% above the pre-sale estimate for this sale. The following is a selection from amongst the many notable prices paid:
- K.G.VI collection in 4 New Age albums (lot 2) realised £14,637 ($23,549).
- The Colin Tabeart collection of Transatlantic Mail (lot 68) realised £8,998 ($14,476).
- 1879 Tay Bridge Disaster cover (from the Jerry Santangelo Collection of Interrupted Mail, lot 151) realised £2,874 ($4,615).
- Collections of Egypt Officials in 8 albums (lot 217) and British Forces in Egypt in 12 albums (lot 295), from the second part of the late Dennis Clarke collection of Egypt, realised £6,084 ($9,769) and £5,039 ($8,107) respectively.
- Falkland Islands 1964 6d. H.M.S. Glasgow error (lot 375) realised £23,995 ($38,605).
- South Georgia 1909 “SOUTH GEORGIA” imprint postcard (lot 478) realised £11,038 ($17,759).
- British Bechuanaland 1888 1/2d. on 3d. broken “f’ variety (S.G. 29a) in mint block of four (lot 596) realised £13,797 ($22,155).
- Great Britain 1877 Telegraph £5 orange superb mint (lot 1198) realised £14,997 ($24,128).
- South Kensington Exhibition 1d. plate proof block of six (lot 1476) realised £5,758 ($9,264).
Sources
1. 2011, Matthew Bennett International website. Consulted 4/Feb/2011.
2. 2011, Cavendish Philatelic Auctions website. Consulted 4/Feb/2011.
3. 2011, Grosvenor website. Consulted 4/Feb/2011.
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