Selling Dreams

The first British Empire & Foreign Countries auction of Grosvenor’s Autumn season, held on September 23rd-24th was a deep and diverse sale, an intriguing basket of offerings for the serious collector. The final sale total of £780,348 was a tremendous return.

No-one should doubt the potential of the China market and the classic collection formed by the late Colonel Cosmo George St. Clair Harvey, untouched for many decades, certainly caught the imagination, having the twin advantages of being both packed with rarities and fresh to the market. A collection of the ‘Large Dragon’ first issues of Shanghai [lot 683] soared to a magical price of £31,600. From Taiwan, two 1888 die proofs produced for the 20c. in green and brown [lot 735] reached £3,360.

The Brian Sole collection on the theme of Cycling was small but filled with the scarce and unusual, including popular items from the goldfields of Western Australia. An unused example of the Lake Lefroy Cycle Mail 1897 6d. [lot 215] impressed at £3,538 after the Coolgardie Cycle Express 1894 1s. used on a local envelope [lot 213] had been fought to £4,270.

The second presentation of Mauritius postal stationery section from the landmark collection formed by the late and lamented Alan Huggins was received with enthusiasm, following on from the success of the first offering. The only recorded example of registered usage of the 1862 6d. envelope, sent in 1872 from Port Louis to Brussels additionally franked by 1d. (2) and 4d. (3), is a real gem and was fought to a price of £4,270.

The Malta collection formed by Lou Wadley was similarly exceptional and it was very pleasing to see the warm response that it received from fellow collectors. Top price lots here were collections of postman’s handstamps [lot 1330] that realised £4,880 and of civilian internee mail [lot 1348] that reached £5,309. Cyprus once more showed its strength. The 1887 envelope from Larnaca to London showing the very rare straight line “PAID LATE FEE” mark [lot 766], one of two known examples, climbed to £6,320.

There was a good response also to the ‘Oliver’ collection of Cayman Islands, star item here being the 1908 Provisional stampless cover from George Town to Jamaica [lot 644] showing manuscript “Postage Paid/G.A.P.” which reached £2,654, a deserved price, only four such covers being recorded.

A result that will be long remembered was the Zambia 1975 15n. unmounted mint strip of three with magenta missing error [lot 1722]. Although very rare (only four examples are believed to exist) a price of £8,296 was exceptional, the Stanley Gibbons catalogue value being just £4,500.

Realisations quoted include buyer’s premium. For further information please contact Tom Margalski or Verity Smith at the Grosvenor London office.