Christoph Gärtner has recently conducted its 50th auction on 9-10 and 21 - 26 June 2021. This anniversary sale offered to collectors’ attention an extremely rare and expensive philatelic item, namely a famous “Ball” cover that contains a valuable Mauritius penny red-orange stamp issued in 1847. The lot achieved an impressive price of €8.1 million that is equivalent to almost $12 million. The realization is thought to be the highest price ever paid for a single philatelic item.
Philatelists assert that only three “Ball” covers exist nowadays. One copy is owned by Queen Elizabeth II, and the other is in the Philatelic Collection of the British Library in London. Both can never be sold. This is the only cover in private hands that can be offered for purchasing.
It was called so because the cover was used to send invitations or admittance cards for a Ball being given by Lady Gomm the wife of the Governor at Government House, Port Louis on 30th September 1847. The auction house described this lot as follows:
“One Penny red-orange, first primitive printing, completely clear four margins. The stamp at top right of the envelope is tied by framed "PAID" handstamp in black to small-sized BALL INVITATION ENVELOPE. At top left of the envelope is a clear black framed "PENNY POST" local handstamp.”
The previous owner claimed that he had parted with this scarce collectible with a heavy heart.
"I have enjoyed every second of the prestigious Mauritius Ball Cover of 1847 and felt it was now time to pass it on to someone equally passionate and proud to own it".
