Spink auction house is to conduct its next auction on November 21-22. It will offer to collectors` attention The "Hermione" Collection - one of the finest collections of France that will come on the auction market since Lafayette in 2003 and will be a landmark series of sales for collectors for years to come. The highlight of this auction is 1919-22 Type Blanc Surcharged "GC" Paper ½c. on 1c. grey, surcharge inverted, block of thirty. The lot is estimated at €100,000-200,000 (or roughly $113,430-226,860).
The auction house described this block as having “vertical interpanneau margin and Millésime "9" between the fifth and sixth rows, pre surcharging paper fold resulting in six examples without surcharge and two only traces of the surcharge and surcharge on the reverse. A superb and unique block extraordinarily combining two varieties, making a spectacular showpiece of the highest calibre of rarity in this issue”.
This great gem of the post-classic France consists of the stamps with the lowest denomination in French philately. Its issue is due to the need of paying the ½c. rate applied, in accordance with their publishers, on newspapers weighing less than 20 grams. This stamp was issued to substitute the handstamps featuring the ½ centime denomination which appeared in 1908. Only two sheets featuring the surcharge inverted were discovered. These rare stamps became even rarer when the sheet got folded during the printing process, leaving non-surcharged stamps se-tenant with surcharged stamps. This extraordinary block hasn`t been offered on the philatelic market for 50 years!
