A Traditional Philatelic Auction House — Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
A modern error in best possible condition selling for near catalogue.
Canada #775i 1978 30¢ Virgin & Child Christmas imperforate pair, with large margins all around, never hinged and very fine. Rare item with virtually all known examples being badly creased – this pair is the finest one we have seen. Unitrade CV $1500, sold for $1300 hammer.
An extremely fine stamp, selling for near catalogue value.
Canada #5d 1855 6d grey violet Consort on thick hard paper, with four large margins and 4-ring numeral cancel. An extremely fine stamp worthy of the finest collection. Accompanied by 1968 RPSL certificate. Unitrade CV $4000, sold for $3,400 hammer.
A Large Queen that sold for nearly five times catalogue value.
Canada #30iv 1873 15¢ greenish grey Large Queen, perf 12, used with light cancel, good colour, very fine. With 1997 Greene Foundation certificate. Unitrade CV $150, sold for $625 hammer.
The three lots of classic Iceland stamps were eagerly anticipated and did not disappoint, culminating in Lot 1237.
Iceland #62a 1902-1903 1g overprint on 20a greenish blue Numeral, perf 14×13½, from the third printing, very well centered, original gum, hinge remnant, very fine. Accompanied by 1993 Debo certificate (Facit #47c). A lovely example of this world-class rarity, Scott CV $10,000. Hammer price of $4400.
There is really no other place to start our account of the good realizations from Sale #6 than with lot 85, the 3¢ bright red Large Queen on laid paper. Local CBC television news was here to witness as bidding opened at $11,500, and two bidders some 10,500 kilometres apart took the price to $18,000.
Canada #33 1868 3c bright red Large Queen on laid paper, unused (regummed) single possessing nice bright colour, full perforations and pleasing centering, fine. Accompanied by 2002 APS and 2010 Greene Foundation certificates (latter one pink due to regumming). This is one of Canada’s rarest stamps with fewer than ten mint or unused examples recorded to date. In fact, from all Canadian stamps with major Scott numbers, only the 1851 6d Consort on laid paper (#2) and the 1868 1c Large Queen on laid paper (#31) are known in similar small quantities. This specific stamp is likely the second finest example (only the original gum example that was in the Firth collection appears to be of a higher quality). Unitrade CV $25,000
The record price drew the attention of CanadianStampAuctions.com, which has provided detailed commentary about this item and several other stamps in the sale.