Top 10 philatelic sales of the first half of 2019

The first half of 2019 was full of stunning philatelic sales and auctions. The material presented at this span of time provided collectors with the unique opportunity to enrich their possessions with some valuable classic stamps. The auction houses presented to our attention some of the most famous philatelic collections such as New Amsterdam collection, “ERIVAN” Collection of United States Postal History, Lam Man Yin’s collection etc. The results of these sales are truly impressive with some of the items reaching more than $1,000,000. We would like to present to your attention top ten philatelic items that achieved high and even record prices during the first half of 2019.

The Baden 9 Kreuzer Error is a postage stamp error produced by the historical German state of Baden in 1851. It was erroneously printed on blue green paper instead of the intended rose paper. Nowadays this item is considered as one of the most valuable German stamps. Heinrich Koehler auction house offered the 9-kreuzer black on the mailed cover on June 8. It was a part of lifelong collection of German-born billionaire businessman Erivan Haub. The cover was mailed in 1851 from Ettenheim to Karlsruhe and was previously owned by three eminent figures in philately: Philipp la Renotiere von Ferrary, Alfred Caspary and John R. Boker Jr. Offered with a starting bid of €800,000, this spectacular lot fetched the record price of €1.26 million (or roughly $1,413,537).

1867 15¢ black Abraham Lincoln stamp with Z grill is definitely one of the key philatelic rarities. It is regarded by many to be America’s first commemorative issue, memorializing the martyred president as the nation started to heal from the wounds of the Civil War. There are only two known copies, one of which is owned by William H. Gross. The specimen that has last been seen on the market in 1975 was sold at Cherrystone auction that took place on July 10. This spectacular lot was part of the 220-lot New Amsterdam collection, the culmination of the consignor-collector’s 50-year effort to fill all the spaces in a Scott U.S. National album. Sold for $1,400,000, this bright item set a new auction record for a single United States stamp.

1867 10c green Z Grill is one of the most famous US stamps. It is thought as a major philatelic rarity, one of only five existing examples available to collectors. This spectacular item was auctioned by Cherrystone in July 2019 as a part of the outstanding “The New Amsterdam Collection” that is rich on valuable philatelic material. The specimen offered by Cherrystone has not been seen since 1958 and is worthy of the finest collection. The auction house described this lot as featuring “segmented cork cancel, well centered on crisp white paper, completely sound, ex-Laurence and Stryker, with 1958 and 2019 Philatelic Foundation certificates”. It made a great price of $1,000,000.

1897 10¢-on-9-candareen dark green Dragons and Shou stamp with the 10¢ surcharge inverted, from China’s Empress Dowager issue, is thought to be one of the most valuable and desirable philatelic items. This extraordinary rarity of 19th-century imperial China was offered during the Jan. 18-20 auction series by Spink China in Hong Kong. According to Spink, only three examples of the surcharge invert are registered today, and the stamp sold at this auction is the only unused copy. 1897 10¢-on-9-candareen dark green Dragons and Shou stamp made HK$7.32 million, or approximately US$933,300 setting a world record for a Dowager stamp.

The “Blue Boy” is much more than just a postage stamp. It is a story of star-crossed lovers. It is an icon of philately that has captivated generation after generation. The stamp was one of seven issued, and the only one printed on blue paper, which makes this item a wonderful rarity. Alexandria “Blue Boy” on cover was offered by H.R. Harmer on June 22. This spectacular lot was part of the renowned “ERIVAN” Collection of United States Postal History. It fetched the opening price of $1,000,000, one of only a few American stamps to ever break the seven-figure mark. This remarkable cover has been celebrated since its entry into the philatelic marketplace in 1907 and such great results verified its reputation as a veritable gem of worldwide philately.

1867 3¢ rose George Washington stamp with B Grill is one of the most remarkable stamps in the world and a key to a complete collection of the United States stamps. The four known examples of the 3¢ B grill stamp all came from the same cover sent from Mason, Texas, to Darmstadt, Germany. One of the specimens of this valuable item was sold by Cherrystone at its auction of New Amsterdam collection that took place on July 10. The emergence of this particular stamp along with the actual cover from which it originated is a major philatelic revelation, as both have not been seen in over 50 years. It was sold for a great price of $575,000. 

The Inverted Jenny is one of the most recognized and desired rarities in all of philately. This stamp showing the aircraft Curtis JN-4 was issued in the second decade of the 20th century. On seven sheets, the aircraft was imprinted upside down by mistake. Almost all of the error items were removed from sale, but the entire error sheet of 100 stamps was preserved. The Inverted Jenny stamp (position 27) was offered by Cherrystone in June, 2019. The lot was part of New Amsterdam collection that took its rightful place among the most valuable stamp collections in philatelic history. The copy offered by Cherrystone was last sold in a Robert A. Siegel auction in 1990. Previous owners include William T Robey, Eugene Klein, Colonel Edward H.R. Green, Carlton Smith, Caroline P Cromwell and Irwin Weinberg. This spectacular lot was sold for $402,500. 

1869 30c ultramarine and carmine, flags inverted stamp is one of the most outstanding philatelic rarities. The appearance of the 1869 pictorial marked a significant change in U.S. philately. For the first time in the history of the nation other than the portrait of the leader was shown on the stamp. According to the Siegel Census only seven unused examples of the 1869 30c Pictorial with inverted flags are known. Only one has original gum, the other six have no gum. The unused, wee-centered example of this great item was offered by Cherrystone at its auction that took place in July, 2019. The specimen featuring fresh colours was last offered in a 1960 H.R. Harmer's sale where it realized $6,000. This time the item managed to fetch $250,000.

Canada 12d black stamp or The Black Empress of Canada is a magnificent Canadian postage stamp issued in 1851. The item shows the portrait of Queen Victoria by Alfred Edward Chalon and is the third stamp issued by the province. The attraction of the 2¢ large queen is understandable – it is thought that only 3 exist in the whole world. But, they are all used specimens. This remarkable lot was offered by Eastern Auctions in February, 2019. The auction house described the lot as “virtually unmatched combination of physical attributes, including prominent laid lines, large margins, exceptional colour and a clear impression on pristine fresh paper.” This spectacular item realized $227,000.

£1 Brown Lilac on Blued Paper stamp is one of the scarcest Victorian issues. It is believed that no more than 20-30 examples exist in original-gum condition. Very few are completely sound and well-centered like the specimen that was offered by Siegel at its great sale that took place on March, 19. This monumental rarity was one of the highlights of the Dimitris Bertsimas collection of Great Britain. The lot that was offered is one of the finest examples known – combining centering, colour and overall freshness. £1 Brown Lilac on Blued Paper managed to fetch $75,000. This is a key stamp for even the most advanced Great Britain collection and in condition that would satisfy the most fastidious collector.

 

You may also take a look at top philatelic 10 sales of the year 2018 here. and top philatelic 12 sales of the year 2017 here.