Spink is going to hold Philatelic Collector’s series auction in New York City on September 12-13. This great sale includes United States, British Commonwealth and worldwide stamps and postal history, with a number of select stamp errors and choice rarities. One of the most interesting philatelic items that will be presented at this auction is Canada’s 1851 12-penny black Queen Victoria stamp on laid paper - one of the rarest examples of Canada`s first classic stamps.
1851 12d Black on laid paper is considered to be a fabled rarity and one of the world`s most desirable classic stamps. The item shows the portrait of the young Queen Victoria created by Alfred Edward Chalon. This design is called the Chalon head. A total of 51,000 stamps were issued, however, the stamp was not very popular because it could only be used for specific postal rates to distant destinations. Only a mere 1,450 stamps were ever sold in over three and a half years of use and all remaining stamps were destroyed in 1 May, 1857. 1851 12d Black on laid paper is a highly desirable philatelic rarity which is missing from most collections.
Spink described this item as “a magnificent used example of this great classic rarity, being in a condition that only a tiny number of the known used examples can boast, featuring four large margins including a portion of the adjoining stamp at top, strong color and a crisp detailed impression on fresh white paper, light target cancel not obscuring the design as it so often does, extremely fine; one of the finest used examples in existence.”
The catalogue value of this Canadian philatelic rarity is $139,269, whereas Spink offers the stamp with the starting price of $75,000.
