Sotheby’s will auction two major philatelic rarities, world-famous British Guiana One-Cent Magenta, and a block of four Inverted Jenny stamps, at its sale on 8 June 2021. These rare philatelic items are now owned by Stuart Weitzman. The British Guiana stamp will be offered with estimates of $10-15 million and is likely to set a new world auction record. The Inverted Jenny will carry an estimate of $5-7 million (the price that is likely to set a new record for an American philatelic item).
Weitzman will also offer a famous 1933 Double Eagle coin, that is why this upcoming action is called as “Three Treasures” sale.
Weitzman acquired the British Guiana for $9.68 million in 2002 at Sotheby’s. Whereas the Inverted Jenny Plate Block was bought for $4.8 million from famed bond investor William Gross in 2014. All money received from this sale will be given to charity, including The Weitzman Family Foundation, which supports medical research and higher education.
Richard Austin, Sotheby’s Global Head of Books & Manuscripts, said:
'As the most aspirational objects in their respective collecting fields and each with their own illustrious provenance, the Double Eagle, the British Guiana, and the Inverted Jenny all hold an indelible place in history, and in our collective imagination.
'Each treasure is unique in its own right: the 1933 Double Eagle as the only legally owned example, the British Guiana as the only one known, and the Inverted Jenny as the only plate block from a unique sheet of stamps. It would be a true privilege to present just one of these sought-after rarities at auction but offering all three one-of-a-kind treasures together in the same sale is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.'
