Grosvenor Auction of British Empire and Foreign Countries Postage Stamps and Postal History, Sale 73 was held on June 13, 2012. The Sale comprised 1479 lots, including 1032 British Commonwealth lots. Total estimate of the sale was £635 870 - £759 870. Total estimate of all British Commonwealth was £411 570 - £489 430.
From total 1479 lots 71% were sold (1055 lots). From total 1479 British Commonwealth lots 72% were sold (751 lots).
Total realization (exluding buyer's premium) was £527 600 with total average estimate £697 870 (24% below total average estimate). Total realization for British Commonwealth lots (exluding buyer's premium) was £347 495 with total average estimate £450 500 (22% below total average estimate)
| Chart 1. Total Lots in British Commonwealth and other contries |
| Chart 2. Total Realization for British Commonwealth and other contries |
The most represented countries from British Commonwealth were Falkland Islands (354 lots, total realization £155 565, average lot realization £439), India (35 lots, total realization £16 110, average lot realization £460), Falkland Islands Dependencies (26 lots, total realization £13 465, average lot realization £517), Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika (19 lots, total realization £12 530, average lot realization £659), Nyasaland (24 lots, total realization £12 460, average lot realization £519), Rhodesia (26 lots, total realization £12 045, average lot realization £463), Australia (22 lots, total realization £11 010, average lot realization £500), South Africa (38 lots, total realization £10 720, average lot realization £282).
| Chart 3. Total Realization for different British Commonwealth countries |
| Chart 4. Average Lot Realization for different British Commonwealth countries |
| Chart 5. Realization/Average Estimate Ratio (%) for different British Commonwealth countries |
The most underestimate lots were Lot 838 (estimate £400-£600, sold for £2 800), Lot 94 (estimate £3 000-£3 500, sold for £5 500), Lot 506 (estimate £400-£500, sold for £2 500), Lot 496 (estimate £500-£600, sold for £2 600), Lot 1264 (estimate £2 000-£2 200, sold for £4 000).
Below are presented the most valuable and outstanding lots.
| Australia: 1913 £2 black and rose, a used example, fine. S.G. 16, cat. £3,250, A.C.S.C. 55.. Sold for £2 000 plus buyer's premium. Lot 261 |
| Australia: 1913 £1 brown and ultramarine, very fine c.t.o., scarce. S.G. 15, cat. £2,250, A.C.S.C. 51. R.P.S. certificate (2005). Sold for £900 plus buyer's premium. Lot 260 |
| Australia: 1915-28 £2 grey and crimson, used, fine. S.G. 45a, cat. £2,500. R.P.S. certificate (2005). Sold for £820 plus buyer's premium. Lot 264 |
| Bechuanaland: 1888 (Aug.) “Protectorate” 10s, green and black, large part original gum, fine. S.G. 50, cat. £4,250. R.P.S. certificate (2004). Sold for £1 800 plus buyer's premium. Lot 314 |
| Bermuda: 1938-53 £1 purple and black on salmon, Third printing March 1943, showing HPF 1b shading omitted from top right scroll, mint, fine and rare. Known only on this printing with just 95 examples possible. S.G. 121cb, cat. £3,750.. Sold for £1 300 plus buyer's premium. Lot 352 |
| Canada: 1897 Jubilee 1/2c. to $5 set, used, the $1, $3 and $5 with c.d.s’s and mostly fine. S.G. 121-40, cat. £3,000.. Sold for £920 plus buyer's premium. Lot 382 |
| Ceylon: 1861-64 rough perforation 14 to 151/2 2s. dull blue, cancelled by part strike of “CANCELLED” oval mark, very fine and fresh. Only three examples recorded (one in the collection of HM The Queen). S.G. 37, cat. £10,000.. Sold for £5 500 plus buyer's premium. Lot 391 |
| Falkland Islands: THE ONLY KNOWN COVER BEARING FALKLAND ISLANDS NUMBER ONE - THE CROWN JEWEL OF FALKLAND ISLANDS PHILATELY: 1879 envelope to Bromsgrove, Worcestershire with 1878 1d. strip of three (one with repaired corner) and single tied by the first known use of the “F.I.” steel obliterator (Ob.1/78) with type F.1 c.d.s. “AP 4/1879” at lower left, “MY 19/79” arrival backstamp, and with the envelope showing “LANCASHIRE WITCH/R.M.Y.C.” illustration on flap. Carried by the “Black Hawk” departing Stanley on Apr. 4 and thence on the “llimani” from Montevideo to Liverpool, arriving on May 19. Ex Dudley Stone and first mentioned in “The Philatelist” in July 1941 (when Stone’s entire collection was offered for sale by private treaty), subsequently ex Ken Clough (purchased from a dealer in the Strand in 1947 for just £26) and later sold for £21,000 in 1997, thereafter ex Norman Hubbard, being sold for £31,000 in 2002. Heijtz certificate (2011). also on front cover. This cover was sent on the first mail after the islands had joined the U.P.U. on Apr. 1 1879, the imperial rate being reduced to 4d. The need for a 1d. stamp was due to two reasons, firstly as the postal rate for newspapers and books was 1d. at this time, but also because it was intended for use as a supplementary value, the only other value then available being the 6d. stamp. It seems to have seen very little use until the imperial letter rate was reduced from 6d. to 4d. Fourpenny stamps did not arrive in the colony until Sept. 1879 until which time the only way to make up the 4d. rate was by using four of the 1d. stamps. This is the one cover known bearing the first 1d. stamp and is regarded as not only the most important cover of the Falkland Islands in existence but also one of the major rarities of the British Empire, of major significance as a unique item among the treasures of “number ones of the world”.. Sold for £32 000 plus buyer's premium. Lot 475 |
| Falkland Islands: The 1891 Bisect Provisionals: “1/2d.” on half of 1d. brownish claret, the famous mint “pair of two unsevered pairs”, fine. An important rarity. S.G. 13a, cat. £7,000+. Ex Grant. Holcombe certificate (1985). llustrated on p. 39 of “The Postage Stamps of the Falkland Islands and Dependencies” by B.S.H. Grant.. Sold for £9 200 plus buyer's premium. Lot 489 |
| Falkland Islands: THE BLACK FRANK ON COVER TO MONTEVIDEO: 1872 very attractive blue cover with superb strikes of the Black Frank and type F.1 “JA 2/1872” c.d.s., addressed to Messrs De Lisle & Co. in Montevideo, carried by the “Foam” leaving Stanley on Jan. 2 and arriving in Montevideo on Jan. 13, paid at 4d. rate to Uruguay with ms. “4” and charged “10” (centavos) for delivery within the city, part of flap missing and trivial tiny tear, otherwise in superb condition. One of only six known Black Frank covers not addressed to Great Britain. Ex Heyburn. Barnes 3/72. Heijtz certificate (2011).. Sold for £8 000 plus buyer's premium. Lot 457 |
| Falkland Islands Dependencies: South Georgia: 1912 (June 3) 2d. reddish purple, the unique block of twelve (2 x 6) on piece cancelled by four good to fine strikes of the SG1 c.d.s. Spectacular. S.G. Z16, cat. £3,900. Heijtz notes “blocks of four and larger multiples are very scarce, both mint and used”. Ex Heyburn. B.P.A. certificate (1966). Sold for £7 200 plus buyer's premium. Lot 822 |
| Falkland Islands Dependencies: South Georgia: 1911 (Apr. 19) ‘Lawson’ envelope registered to Liverpool bearing a ‘set’ of values comprising Q.V. 9d., K.E.VII 1/2d., 1d., 2d., 21/2d., 6d. and 1s., all marginal and each showing small “South Georgia” imprint below. Registration label affixed at lower left, backstamped London May 25 transit and same day arrival. Some folds and slight soiling, the envelope rejoined at right. A most attractive and major item. SH SGU2b. Ex B.S.H. Grant.. Sold for £2 500 plus buyer's premium. Lot 819 |
| Falkland Islands Dependencies: 1944-45 Overprints, full set of 32 values perforated “SPECIMEN” (Samuel type B9) and hinged to large piece (204 x 247mm.) from a Middle Eastern postal archive (inscribed in Arabic and French on reverse). Unique. S.G. A1s-A8s, B1s-B8s, C1s-C8s, D1s-D8s, cat. £2,400+.. Sold for £800 plus buyer's premium. Lot 810 |
| Gibraltar: 1886 “GIBRALTAR” overprint, the set of seven with additional 6d. shade, each in a very rare mint block of four, the 21/2d. and one 6d. corner marginal, odd imperfection, one 1d. with damaged corner and the 1s. block just cut-into at left. Also 1886-87 21/2d. blue mint block of eight (4 x 2) with four unmounted, fine. S.G. 1-7, 11, cat. £6,640+.. Sold for £2 300 plus buyer's premium. Lot 909 |
| Gibraltar: 1980 Nelson Anniversary 3p. error with Nelson’s portrait facing left instead of right, in a top left corner plate block of four with extended margin at left, prepared but not issued and printed in five colours (additional pale brown) with cream gum, the issued stamp printed in four colours with white gum, a few wrinkles in margin otherwise fine unmounted mint, with normal gutter block of four for comparison. S.G. 437 var, EC GIB874a - circa 50 known, cat. £1,800+.. Sold for £1 000 plus buyer's premium. Lot 910 |
| India: 1968 Triennale Art Exhibition 15p. variety orange omitted, fine unmounted mint from the foot of the sheet. S.G. 564a, cat. £6,000.. Sold for £4 000 plus buyer's premium. Lot 949 |
| India: 1978 Schubert 1r. variety black (face value) omitted, unmounted mint from the foot of the sheet, a few minor gum creases, otherwise fine. S.G. 907a, cat. £750.. Sold for £1 800 plus buyer's premium. Lot 954 |
| India: 1976 Wildlife 25p. unmounted mint vertical strip of four from the top of the sheet, the lower stamp variety black (name and year date omitted), fine. S.G. 825, a, cat. £2,000+, EC IND1650a.. Sold for £1 700 plus buyer's premium. Lot 953 |
| Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika: 1938-54 3s. showing ‘damage on mountain’, a scarce used example. S.G. 147ab, cat. £3,000 as mint. R.P.S. certificate (2006). Sold for £1 850 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1079 |
| Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika: British East Africa: 1891 Mombasa Provisional “1/2 Anna” in ms. on 2a. vermilion, initialled “A.D.” and original face value not obliterated, used, fine. S.G. 22, cat. £3,000. R.P.S. certificate (2000).. Sold for £1 400 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1067 |
| Malaysia: Straits Settlements: 1922 “MALAYA -/BORNEO/EXHIBITION.” overprints, 1c., 2c., 4c., 5c., 8c., 10c. and 20c. used on 1931 flown cover, registered to Sweden, with 1921-33 10c. and 12c. on reverse, fine.. Sold for £900 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1105 |
| Malta: 1919 Watermark Mult. Crown CA 10s. black, unused, part original gum, fine. S.G. 96, cat £3,250.. Sold for £1 100 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1133 |
| Malta: 1899-1901 2s.6d., three imperforate colour trials on unwatermarked paper in mauve, indigo and vermilion respectively, odd bend otherwise fine and rare.. Sold for £950 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1130 |
| Malta: 1899-1901 41/2d. in sepia and 5d. in vermilion, imperforate colour trials in issued colours on gummed, watermarked paper, the latter with some paper adhesions on reverse, fine and rare.. Sold for £800 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1128 |
| North Borneo: 1925-28 perf. 121/2 $5 black and lake fine c.t.o. used on piece, cancelled by 1939 (Aug. 24) Jesselton c.d.s., very scarce. S.G. 293, cat. £1,300.. Sold for £880 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1238 |
| Nyasaland: 1953-54 1/2d. to 20s. set, all in unmounted mint plate blocks of four, fine. S.G. 173-187.. Sold for £1 200 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1254 |
| Nyasaland: 1903-04 Watermark Crown CC £10 grey and blue, used, soiled and slightly faded, otherwise fine and rare. S.G. 67, cat. £4,000. R.P.S. certificate (2004). Sold for £1 000 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1243 |
| Nyasaland: Revenues: 1955 3s.6d. orange, a used vertical pair, very rare and possibly the only surviving multiple. Barefoot 26.. Sold for £800 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1263 |
| Pitcairn Islands: 1940-51 1/2d. to 2s.6d. set of ten values, all in plate blocks of four and used on separate 1956 (Mar. 20) illustrated envelopes, the 2d. with the scarce plate “1” and “2” from the eighth printing.. Sold for £950 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1271 |
| Rhodesia: 1898-1908 3d. claret vertical pair from the right of the sheet, variety imperf. between, unmounted mint, fine for this. S.G. 81a, SACC 25,000 Rand for unmounted.. Sold for £2 300 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1283 |
| Rhodesia: Northern Rhodesia: Postage Dues: 1963 4d. ultramarine, in a mint imperforate vertical pair, fine and rare. SACC 45,000 Rand.. Sold for £1 500 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1305 |
| Rhodesia: Northern Rhodesia: Postage Dues: 1963 1d. orange, in a mint imperforate vertical pair, tiny marks on gum, otherwise fine and rare. SACC 45,000 Rand.. Sold for £1 200 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1303 |
| Sierra Leone: 1897 Stamp Duty Provisionals: 21/2d. on 1s. dull lilac, in an unused (waterstained as normal) complete sheet of sixty showing two full settings of thirty, comprising first row are all type 8, second row types 8, 13, 8, 8, 10, 10, 8, 11, 9, 8, the third row with types 8, 11, 11, 11 ( with italic ‘N’), 8, 8, 8, 8, 8, 8., repeated on the lower. One of the rarest multiples of this issue, possibly unique. S.G.63-66a, cat £21,640 as singles.§. Sold for £3 800 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1334 |
| South Africa: Zululand: 1889 handpainted 1d. “REVENUE/REVENUE” essay in mauve green and Chinese white on tracing paper (60 x 77mm), dated “May 20th 89”, Ex De La Rue archives. B.P.A. certificate (2011).. Sold for £4 200 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1339 |
| South Africa: 1942-44 War Effort 1/2d. block of six, variety roulettes omitted, mint, fine and scarce, lower strip is unmounted. S.G. 97c. SACC no. 95c.. Sold for £1 400 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1357 |
| South Africa: 1942-44 War Effort 2d. violet unmounted mint block of four from the left of the sheet, variety roulette omitted, mounted in margin only, fine and scarce. S.G. 100b, SACC no. 98b, cat. 30,000 Rand.. Sold for £1 300 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1362 |
| South West Africa: 1926 (Jan.-May) 1/2d. black and green in an unmounted mint block (6 x 2) from the upper right corner of the sheet, one showing variety “SOUTH W” for “SOUTH WEST”, minor gum crease, otherwise fine and exceedingly rare. SACC 64, cat. 120,000 Rand. B.P.A. certificate (2010). Sold for £5 000 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1386 |
| Uganda: 1902 “UGANDA” overprint 1/2a. yellow-green mint horizontal strip of three, the centre stamp showing overprint double and marginal watermark letters, fine. S.G. 92c, cat. £2,250+.. Sold for £980 plus buyer's premium. Lot 1437 |
Complete catalogue of this Sale with realizations you can find on website of Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions. The images and descriptions of the lots are copyright of Grosvenor Philatelic Auctions ©.
