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Great Britain s Rarest Stamps Collection

$2,754,337.41List Price

About the Item

We are delighted to be in the privileged position to present you the defining collection of the rarest philatelic treasures from Great Britain. Building the collection took years of effort and searching, made particularly challenging by our adherence to strict quality controls in that only the finest examples in existence were permitted into the collection. The collection in its entirety undoubtedly has a premium value to its component parts. The collection tracks the first 100 years of the British prepaid postal system from its birth on the 6th May, 1840 with the issue of the penny black. The collection comprises some of the most elusive and valuable classic rarities and, as a complete collection, represents a work of miniature art in its own right, not to mention a museum quality preservation of our postal history. Whether you are a collector or motivated by wealth preservation from owning a rare and portable tangible asset with a pricing mechanism detached from all other traditional investments, this collection presents you with a once in a generation opportunity to own some of the most important and rarest stamps from British philately. The history of price appreciation of the collection can be tracked back to 1954 and shows an average annual compound growth rate of 9% over the past 66 years. Illustrating the non-correlating qualities of rare stamps, in 2008, during the last major recession, the stamps in the collection increased in value by 40%. Most stamps in the collection are accompanied with independent certificates of authenticity from the most prestigious philatelic societies in Great Britain, including the Royal Philatelic Society and British Philatelic Association. All items are also sold with our lifetime moneyback guarantee of authenticity as a standard term of sale. 1. Great Britain 1840 1d black, plate 1a, SG2 A superb example lettered 'BH' used on a neat entire lettersheet from London to Birmingham on May 6th 1840, the first day of use, tied by red Maltese Cross cancellation. A stunning quality first day cover of the world's first postage stamp marking the dawn of prepaid postage and spawning a communications revolution. Shows a fine circular date stamp for "MY 6 1840". A beautiful display piece of the ultimate trophy asset in philately. Accompanied with an independent certificate of authenticity from the British Philatelic Association (BPA). GB Specialised Catalogue Number: A1ta. £160,000 2. Great Britain 1840 1d black plate 4, SG2 Very fine and fresh unused original gum four margin block of four lettered AD-BE. A very rare and desirable block of the world's first postage stamp. Provenance: Ex. Lea, Tes. Accompanied with a British Philatelic Association (BPA) certificate of authenticity. GB Specialised Catalogue Number: AS23 £150,000 3. Great Britain 1840 1d black, plate 3, SG2 mint block of 12. This mint block of 12 Penny Black stamps is the largest known multiple from Plate 3 in private hands. Provenance from the esteemed Chartwell Collection. Accompanied by a 2012 British Philatelic Association (BPA) certificate. One of the crown jewels of Great Britain philately. The magnificent unused original gum, bottom marginal block of 12 is lettered SD-TI, with rare full deckle edge selvedge, four good margins and sheet inscription. Vertical creasing in "D" and "I" columns does not detract from this being one of the great mint multiples of this issue. This is an extremely rare opportunity to own a sizable, mint condition multiple from the original stamp issue, which continues to be one of the most widely collected in the world. Plate 3 was the first to be hardened before being put into press, resulting in stamps that were notably stable in printing, with even colour, and showing the deepest shades of black. Providing some of the finest stamps of the issue, it soon became worn and was the first plate of the issue to be destroyed. As such, good quality stamps from this plate are a rarity. £695,000 4. Great Britain 1840 Unmounted Mint "Penny Black", 1d Black Plate 9, SG2 Exceptionally fine and fresh unused original gum four margin example of the world's first postage stamp, lettered IG. A very difficult plate to find mint and an absolutely stunning example. Plate 9 accounted for only around 5% of the total number of penny blacks printed. Accompanied by a 2002 Brandon Certificate of Authenticity. £21,000 5. Great Britain 1840 1d Mulready lettersheet (Forme 1, Stereo A9) A very fine used example sent from Market Drayton to Deptford neatly cancelled by a red Maltese Cross with a matching Market Drayton dispatch circular date stamp alongside for MY.19.1840. Backstamped by a London transit datestamp for MY.20.1840. A very scarce and attractive "May date" cover. Provenance: Ex. "Mayflower" Grand Prix Collection. Accompanied with a 2010 British Philatelic Association (BPA) certificate of authenticity. SGME1. £18,000 6. Great Britain 1840 2d Mulready Envelope (Forme 1, Stereo a202) Very fine used example uprated to the 6d per 3oz rate with four additional 1d blacks from plate 8 lettered QA, SE, SG SJ (SE SG State 2 provisional printing) all neatly cancelled by crisp black Maltese Crosses. Sent from London to Dulwich with a "T.P./Chief Office" handstamp and circular date stamp on reverse for AU.19.1841. Some soiling nevertheless a spectacular uprated franking, one of only two recorded 6d frankings prepaid with four additional 1d blacks. Provenance: Ex Yates "Mayflower" Collections. Accompanied by a 1996 British Philatelic Association Certificate of Authenticity. One of the great rarities of Great Britain Philately. An ex Stanley Gibbons stock item. £125,000 7. Great Britain 1840 2d Blue, Plate 1, SG5 A very fine and fresh unused large part original gum example lettered RE from the first printing plate of one of the world's first two postage stamps. The two penny blue is 10 times rarer than the penny black. Despite the thin margin on the bottom right of the stamp, it is very scarce in such fine condition, particularly benefiting from wonderful colour. The SG catalogue price is £38,000. £30,000 8. Great Britain 1840 2d Blue (MK) Plate 1 on Post Office Form from William Wordsworth SG5 Great Britain 1840 2d Blue plate 1, lettered MK, with large margins placed diagonally (perhaps suggesting a kiss) and tied by a superb red Maltese Cross in an orange vermilion shade on printed invoice headed Postage Stamps in the hand and signed by William Wordsworth. The letter was posted in Amble on Christmas Eve 1840 to Mrs. Hannah Backhouse Postmistress of Kendal. Features a blue Ambleside circular date stamp on reverse. William Wordsworth (1770-1850) Poet Laureate (from 1843) was distributor of stamps for the County of Westmorland until 1842. A stunning and unique piece of philatelic history. £10,000 9. Great Britain 1851 2d Violet blue (Thicker lavender tinted paper) Plate 4, SG15aa Superb unused original gum example with four very large to enormous margins lettered SE. Unmounted Mint. The best quality example we have ever seen of this beautiful and very difficult stamp to find. In 1851 a few sheets of the new Twopenny Blue were printed and something went wrong… The printing ink reacted with a bleaching agent in the paper creating the rarest shade of the 2d Blue – “The 2d Violet Blue”. There are less than 20 known surviving examples of this very rare stamp. Accompanied by a 2001 British Philatelic Association (BPA) Certificate. £30,000 10. Great Britain 1841 1d red brown Plate 10 A superb unused original gum four margin bottom left hand corner marginal plate block of ten lettered SA-TE, with full deckle edge selvedge, sheet inscription and plate number '10', SG7, plate 10. A magnificent and very rare exhibition showpiece of the highest quality. Provenance: Ex Manzi. £100,000 11. Great Britain 1854 1s Green (Die W.W.2), SG55 plate 2 Very fine and fresh four margin unused original gum vertical pair lightly mounted on top stamp only. Tiny insignificant split along silk thread at very top not detracting from this magnificent and very rare multiple. Embossed postage stamps from Great Britain were issued during the reign of Queen Victoria and were only in issue for a short period between 1847 and 1854. The 1-shilling rate was for postage to the USA. The printing process for embossed stamps was laborious. Stamps were printed one at a time on silk thread paper. The design was raised and recessed to create a rough surface. The working die had to be used to apply each impression individually to the printed sheet by hand. As a result, the impressions were usually poorly spaced, either being too close together or too far apart. It was quite common for stamps to overlap. Postal workers would then often cut around the octagonal design before they were sold. Few quality examples were produced from the printing process in the first place. Most were used for postage. Because of this, good quality mint examples are very desirable to collectors, but very difficult to find. Mint, clean square-cut examples with four clear margins are rare. Finding this quality in a pair is quite exceptional. GB Specialised Catalogue No: H1(2). £50,000 12. Great Britain 1854 6d Dull lilac (watermark reversed), SG59 Exceptionally fine and fresh unused original gum four margin vertical pair. Lovely fresh colour and greenish gum. Embossed postage stamps from Great Britain were issued during the reign of Queen Victoria and were only in issue for a short period between 1847 and 1854. The 6d stamp covered the rate to Belgium. The 6d stamp is quite unusual in that it has tinted gum. This was the result of a printing made in error on the gummed side of the paper. The printing process for embossed stamps was laborious. Stamps were printed one at a time on silk thread paper. The design was raised and recessed to create a rough surface. The working die had to be used to apply each impression individually to the printed sheet by hand. As a result, the impressions were usually poorly spaced, either being too close together or too far apart. It was quite common for stamps to overlap. Postal workers would then often cut around the octagonal design before they were sold. Few quality examples were produced from the printing process in the first place. Most were used for postage. Because of this, good quality mint examples are very desirable to collectors, but very difficult to find. Mint, clean square-cut examples with four clear margins are rare. Finding this quality in a pair is quite exceptional. A very rare multiple accompanied by a 2003 Brandon Certificate of Authenticity. GB Specialised Catalogue No: H3(2)g. £40,000 13. Great Britain 1878 (26 September) £1 Brown-lilac (Plate 1), Watermark Maltese Cross, Perforation 15½ x 15., SG129 Very fine unused example with large part original gum. A great rarity of GB philately and in very fine condition for this exceptionally rare stamp. One of the finest examples amongst the very small number that exists in mint condition. Accompanied by a Brandon certificate of authenticity. The Stanley Gibbons catalogue price is £90,000. £75,000 14. Great Britain Queen Victoria Surface Printed 1880 2s brown, plate 1, SG121a Very fine and fresh example of this great rarity unused and with full original gum. Imperforate example lettered PJ. A beautiful and rare stamp. The normal 2 shilling brown stamp issued in 1880 included perforations and is a key rarity of British philately. This rarer imperforate variety is all but unobtainable in the market. It is the first time we have handled one. It is the best quality example we know of with fresh colour, unused and with all the original gum in-tact. Quite remarkable! Accompanied with a Brandon certificate of authenticity. It also enjoys distinguished provenance, once residing in the collection of the famous and charismatic Scottish collector, Dr Douglas Latto. SG catalogue price is £30,000. £25,000 15. Great Britain 1882 5 shilling (Plate 4) On Blued Paper, SG130 A superb mint example of this very rare stamp. Exceptional Quality for this stamp. The quality in terms of freshness, perforations and centring makes this one for the “philatelic connoisseur”. The 5 shilling rose epitomises the golden era of the Victorian postal revolution. This rare printing plate on blued paper is an incredibly elusive stamp to find in mint condition. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the British Philatelic Association (BPA). £40,000 16. Great Britain 1882 £5 Orange (Plate 1) On White Paper, SG137 A superb, well centred unmounted mint example with lovely vibrant colour, lettered “AC”. Exceptional quality rare example with full original gum. Most attractive example of one of the most iconic and desired stamps in GB philately, rarely seen in such pristine condition. £14,500 17. Great Britain 1884 10 shilling Ultramarine On Blued Paper, SG177 A superb mint example of this very rare stamp. Exceptional Quality with outstanding colour and well centred. The finest quality example in existence. In 1883, the parcel post began and there was a need for higher value stamps. The 1884 10 shilling is very rare for the obvious reason that it had a high face value. When you consider the average take-home pay at the time was under £1 a week, 10 shillings represented more than half a week’s wages. Due to being so expensive, few stamps of this value were purchased by collectors at the time. Almost all were used for postage. These stamp designs also had a comparatively short lifespan and came from only 2 printing plates. This 10 shilling was originally released on 1 April, 1884 in the ultramarine shade on blued paper. There are no more than six examples in existence, most of which have condition defects. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the British Philatelic Association (BPA). £40,000 18. Great Britain 1884 10 shilling "Cobalt" on white paper, SG182 A superb mint, perfectly centred example of this very rare stamp. The finest quality example in existence. The 10 shilling “Cobalt” is one of the most famous surface printed issues of Queen Victoria’s reign. It is so rare, it is known as the notorious missing stamp in most British Queen Victoria collections. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the British Philatelic Association (BPA). £50,000 19. Great Britain Queen Victoria Surface Printed 1884 £1 brown-lilac, SG185 Very fine and fresh well centred unused example with original gum and lovely deep shade, lettered KD. Very light gum bend at right, otherwise a very attractive example of this scarce and highly sought after high value stamp in a lovely deep shade. The £1 brown-lilac stamp is a heavyweight of British philately. The Long One Pound stamp is a stunning feature of Great Britain’s postal history. They are widely adored amongst collectors, but outside the financial reach of many because they are so rare and valuable. The unique horizontal format caused a great stir at the time when it was first issued in 1884. These surface-printed stamps were produced by the printers, Thomas De La Rue. It has an ornate style with corner letters which are different for each stamp in the sheet, typical of the stamps in the reign, to deter forgers. The £1 brown-lilac was only in circulation for a very short time in 1884 as it was soon re-issued in a green colour. It is an elusive stamp missing in most collections and thus highly desirable, particularly in mint quality condition. SG Catalogue price is £28,000. £24,000 20. Great Britain 1902 10s Ultramarine (I.R. Official) - 29.4.02, SG O26 A very fine and fresh original gum example of this rare departmental issue and one of the key rarities of GB philately. Perforations at top are slightly trimmed and a couple of light gum wrinkles. Nevertheless, a magnificent GB rarity with superb colour. These stamps were used by revenue officials in the provinces, mail to and from Head Office passing without a stamp. The London Office used these stamps only for foreign mail. Only the 2nd time in 20 years we have handled this extremely elusive departmental official. Accompanied with a 2002 British Philatelic Association Certificate of Authenticity. Provenance: Ex Minoru. £85,000 21. Great Britain 1902 £1 Dull blue green (I.R. Official), SG O27 Superb unused original gum example of this very rare departmental issue printed by De La Rue. These Official stamps were for the sole use of essentially autonomous Government Departments. None of these Departmental overprints were supposed to be sold, or otherwise made available to the public in unused condition. Accompanied by a 1942 Royal Philatelic Society 1995 British Philatelic Association Certificates of Authenticity. £62,500 22 23. Great Britain King George V "The Profile Head Issue" 1913 ½d Bright green 1d dull scarlet, SG397/8 Very fine and fresh unused original set of two in 'C13' control blocks of six (½ d Perf and 1d Imperf). A wonderful pair of exhibition pieces with only three control blocks of each value known. The SG catalogue price is £36,000. £35,000 24. Great Britain King George V 1915 5s Pale carmine (worn plate), SG410 Pristine unused original gum half sheet of twenty printed by De La Rue complete with full sheet margin, lightly mounted on two stmps only. A magnificent exhibition piece of the highest pedigree Provenance: Ex Hassan Sharda gold medal collection. £35,000 25. Great Britain 1935 Silver Jubilee 2½d Prussian Blue, SG456a A superb unmounted mint with full original gum example from the top right-hand corner of the sheet. An exceptional example of the unissued colour being the most iconic error of colour in GB philately, known affectionately as "the King's error". Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from the British Philatelic Association (BPA). £20,000

Dimensions:
Height: 3 in (7.62 cm)Width: 10 in (25.4 cm)Depth: 10 in (25.4 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Paper
Period:
Early 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1800s-1900s
Condition:
Seller Location:
Jersey, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU3812119138432

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