This Will Be The Week That Will Be

Plenty to keep the Grosvenor team busy at present with public viewing and the September auction taking place during the same week in which the describing of lots for our two November auctions is to be completed.  

This configuration of events will stretch our endurance but testing times can be the most rewarding. For many of us the idea of working without deadlines is unthinkable. The pressure keeps us nicely simmering, if a little red in the face sometimes.

This week we will be closely observing the realisations achieved for each of the lots that we offer whilst we continue to prepare and promote collections that are forthcoming. So here are . . .

Ten Things You May Not Know about the Seychelles

1. The Republic of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean is comprised of an archipelago of 115 islands.

2. The islands were named after Jean Moreau de Séchelles, Louis XV’s Minister of Finance.

3. Grosvenor Auctions' November 2011 British Empire sale will contain over 130 lots of Seychelles stamps and postal history, featuring material from the Robin Burges collection.

4. The mature fruit of the "Coco de Mer" palm can weigh up to 42kg. and frequently appears on postcards sent from the islands. Its popularity partly derives from its resemblance to a woman's buttocks, but this should never be mentioned. Sorry.

5. The first Seychelles postcards appeared in around 1903 and many early cards are rare. Grosvenor's November sale will feature an exceptionally comprehensive offering of over 60 lots of Seychelles postcards.

6. Together with French and English, Seychellois Creole is an official language of the islands.  The Creole word for a cigarette is "kingsayz".

7. With a population of around 86,000 the republic is officially recognised as having the smallest population of any African state.

8. There is only one known example of the "Bel-Ombre" cancellation on a Seychelles adhesive. It will be offered for sale in Grosvenor's November auction.

9.  The Seychelles flag contains five colours radiating from the lower left corner. These are symbolic of the sky, sun, people, justice and the land.

10. It is not technically possible for an auctioneer to announce "Seychelles" in a crowded auction room without someone replying "Shells" in a low voice.

Happy days or, as a coin collector might say, 'Redeunt Saturnia Regna', if you can understand what they say, that is. They tend to mumble and shy away from bright lights.

JG