April 14th, 2018

1851 12p Black on laid paper stamp auctioned by Siegel! A famous Canadian rarity fetched $135,000

1851 12p Black on laid paper stamp auctioned by Siegel! A famous Canadian rarity fetched $135,000

FindYourStampsValue.com is excited to let our readers know that Robert A. Siegel has sold one of the brightest Canadian philatelic items - 1851 12p Black on laid paper. This stamp is considered to be a fabled rarity and one of the world`s most desirable classic stamps. The lot boasted with its pristine original gum and its intense colours. 

1851 12d black Canada stamp is one of the rarest examples of Canada`s first classic stamps. The item shows the portrait of the young Queen Victoria. For the stamp image, the Queen's portrait by Alfred Edward Chalon (1780–1860) was used. This design is called the Chalon head. The stamps were printed in New York.

A total of 50,000 stamps were printed from 250 sheets of 200 subjects (two panes of 100). Only 1,450 examples were sold with the balance being destroyed. It is estimated that only eighteen original gum singles and four pairs exist today. The mint examples with the intact gum are considered to be the most valuable, and one of such bright items was sold for $135,000 on March 13, 2018. 

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