The Christoph Gaertner auction firm organizes its next auction on Feb 18, with specialized sales of China, Asia, Spain and Germany, as well as Europe and worldwide stamps, covers and collections. The highlight of this auction is 1897 30¢-on-24-candareen carmine Dowager first-printing stamp that is also known as “the Red Ruby”. The stamp is one of the great rarities of both the Dowager issues as well as all of China, possessing exceptional physical. The lot is being offered with a starting price of 50,000€, or roughly $57,360.
The “Red Ruby” 30c on 24ca rose-carmine is one of the treasures of the Dowager surcharges with no used examples recorded. The stamp offered by Christoph Gaertner is with narrow 1 1/2 mm spacing. It is believed that only one sheet of the 24ca First Printing Dowager was given this late large numeral surcharge with such spacing. This sheet of 20 stamps was discovered by A. Dierkin at the Chungking PO. According to the auction house, this lot “possesses exceptional physical features that make this an especially pretty stamp including being marvelously well centered within large margins, complemented by full even perforations, the color is bright and distinctive of the first printing Dowager issue”.
This amazing rarity will be definitely a great part of the finest collections of Chinese stamps.
