Top 10 philatelic sales of the year 2018

In 2018 the collectors had a great number of opportunities to enrich their assets with some of the rarest and the most valuable stamps. The auction houses offered for sale some of the most interesting and world renowned collections such as “The William H. Gross Collection”, “The Highlands Collection of British North America”, “The David Mace Collection of U.S. Stamps” etc. These sales proved that the stamps could very well be one of the best investment choices. This article will give you a quick look at some of the brightest philatelic sales of the year 2018. So let’s begin!

The Whole Country is Red stamp is one of the greatest rarities of Chinese philately. The stamp has such a name due to a slogan that it contains. The item represents Mao’s enormous political revolution that imposed China’s commitment to Communism. It featured an army of smiling Chinese citizens holding Mao’s ‘Little Red Book’, a symbol of communism. Although the overall design of this philatelic item was made in red colour, the small island of Taiwan, to the right, was left in white. That is why this stamp is so valuable, as it contains a design mistake! “The Whole Country is Red” fetched 13.8 million yuan (roughly $2 million) at China Guardian auction that took place in November, 2018. There are only nine such stamps, and this example was said to be in pristine condition.

The 1918 24-cent Inverted “Jenny” Error 1918 is one of the greatest philatelic gems with an inverted center. It is called several names, but without a doubt, it is the most famous U.S. stamp ever. It is considered that only 100 specimens are left in existence. The example, which had lain secretly hidden away in a bank safe-deposit box for a century, rarely exposed to light and never hinged onto an album page, was sold for $1,593,000, including the 18 percent buyer’s premium by Robert A Siegel auction house on November 15. The sale beat the prior record of $1.35 million set for the position 58 Jenny Invert in 2016.

China`s 1897 Red Revenue small figures surcharge $1 on 3c red is acknowledged as the rarest regularly issued stamp of China, and ranks among the great world rarities. Only 32 examples of this great stamp have been recorded. This is type A with the "1 Dollar" of the surcharge partly covering the word "Revenue". The stamp was offered by InterAsia auction with an estimate of HK$4,000,000 – 5,000,000 on December 10-12. The auction house described this lot “as a superlative example, bright exquisite colour on wonderfully fresh white paper, centred within good to large margins, unused with much original gum”. The stamp managed to fetch HK$5,520,000 (or roughly $703,601).

2¢ Blue Hawaiian Missionary stamp is one of the key world philatelic rarities. It is also considered as one of the most iconic and most valuable stamps, of which the only unused example was recorded. There are fifteen specimens of 2¢ Blue Hawaiian Missionary stamps, of which ten are in private hands. It was used primarily on newspapers and other printed matter which was often destroyed. A completely sound example of this world famous philatelic rarity was sold by Robert A Siegel in October, 2018. The stamp was a part of the renowned “Willian Gross Collection” and fetched $525,000. 

24c Green & Violet Center Inverted stamp, 1869 is one of the rarest of all inverts in unused condition. Only four unused examples are recorded, of which only three are available to collectors. One of the finest examples of 24c Green & Violet Center Inverted stamp was auctioned by Robert A Siegel in April, 2018. The stamp offered at this sale had the best centering of the four. It was the part of world famous “The David Wingate Collection of United States Stamps”. The lot with “with perforations well clear of the design on all four sides, tiny thin spot in the grill” fetched $525,000.

4-koruna light green Austrian Coat of Arms stamp is considered as the most valuable Czechoslovak stamp. It was issued in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, of which the Czech Lands were part until the foundation of the Czechoslovak state in 1918, but it has a reversed overprint saying Posta ceskoslovenska (Czechoslovak Post) 1919. The item is printed in green ink, and in German. It also features the words "imperial and royal Austrian post: four crowns". Only a single specimen of this stamp has been known. The stamp was auctioned for $448,600 by Burda Auction of Prague on March 11, 2018.

5c Brown A Grill stamp issued in 1867 is one of the key rarities of the United States stamps. As philatelists assert there are only four specimens of this unique stamp, all of which are cancelled. Two are in shades of Brown, and two are in the true Dark Brown shade. The United States was the first country to issue grilled stamps and was the only country to do so until the mid-1870s, when Peru also began using grills. The letters in the stamp’s name classify the various grill types. And “A” grill covers the entire item. One of the finest examples of 5c Brown A Grill stamp was auctioned by Robert A Siegel on 12 December. The lot featuring deep rich color, very fine perforations fetched $340,000.

$2 Dr Sun Yat Sen invert is one of the most valuable Chinese stamps. The stamp features Dr Sun Yat Sen who was not only a Chinese revolutionary but also, the first president of the Republic of China. He is often referred to as the "Father of the Nation". $2 Dr Sun Yat Sen invert is one of the rarest stamps in all of the Chinese philately, with just one sheet of 50 stamps ever issued featuring the inverted centre error.  One of the finest examples of this philatelic item featuring deep rich colors was auctioned for $150,000 by Cherrystone in April, 2018.

1908 Straits Settlements $500 King Edward VII stamp is one of the rarest philatelic items. The Straits Settlements was the name the British East India Company used to describe a series of territories under its control in South Asia. It became a crown colony in 1867 and began printing its own stamps. Only eight unused examples are in private hands. These stamps were almost certainly used only for revenue purposes. The only example with a plate number was auctioned by Spink in April, 2018. The stamp was one of the stars and key items of this philatelic sale fetching $134,400, including a 20 percent buyer’s premium.

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. A total of 51,000 were printed and shipped to the Canadian postal authorities on May 1. The price for these unique stamps was very high therefore just 1,450 of the stamps were sold in the three and a half years they were offered. A used example of this highly desirable stamp was sold by Eastern Auctions in November, 2018. The lot displayed rich colour with characteristic bold impression on fresh paper with clear laid lines, surrounded by ample to superb margins. A beautiful example of this iconic classic, among the very nicest postally used examples available, fetched $64,260.

 

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