Auction #12

April 3-4, 2013

Welcome to Auction #12

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Session One (Canada, Lots 1-653) and Two (B.N.A., Lots 701-869) offer great depth combined with many top-quality lots.

In the pence issues the laid paper lots have exceptional singles, multiples and covers, while the wove papers add cancels, varieties and rarities (stitch watermark; two of the very scarce six penny reddish purple on thick fibrous paper; three of the six penny perforated). The 1859s continue on with three of the ten cent black brown and a block of twelve of the 17 cent Cartier. The Large Queens offer a mint watermarked two cent, a Goatee variety, the rare mint 15 cent on thick paper (30c) and 15 cent with script watermark as well as a fine one cent and a very fine three cent on laid paper.

Every series goes on to offer quality and rarity as well as nice stamps for the general collector. Among the numerous special items is the discovery example of a previously unrecorded #1815 variety.

Canada #CLP6Our section of semi-official airmail is especially strong with nearly 100 lots highlighted by the London to London stamp #CLP6. In two sections within Canada we have grouped an extensive collection of mint sheets. The B.N.A. is especially strong in British Columbia with #3 and many of the elusive numeral cancels. A wonderful New Brunswick shilling on cover, and an equally wonderful watermarked Nova Scotia shilling are highlights from these colonies. Another shilling, from Newfoundland, is just one of the highlights of Newfoundland.

The Postal History section has gotten stronger with each auction and the trend continues in this sale, with a great many lots not having been on the philatelic market for decades, and sometimes being offered for the first time.

Lots and Collections have many strong and worthwhile offerings. Of note is ten very nice lots of Norway which are among the 29 Scandinavian lots. Germany, with 30 lots, has much to offer the collector of post-WWII never hinged, and the 44 Canada & B.N.A. as usual constitute a diverse group.

In a change from previous sales, we have lotted the type of single-franking covers (often with expensive stamps) within the stamps section rather than postal history, reasoning that these appeal to both stamp collectors and postal historians.

Live bidding is now active on Stampauctionnetwork.com. PDF Catalogues and Image Gallery will be available here on Sparks-auctions.com later this week.

Mint Canada #CLP6, 1927 Semi-Official Airmail

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We are approaching the end of lotting and input for Auction #12, with catalogue preparation to follow shortly. While we do not have a firm auction date yet, we expect a March auction and will make an announcement soon.

The first of our Auction #12 previews showcases a seldom-offered Canadian rarity.

Canada #CLP6

Canada #CLP6 1927 LONDON to LONDON FLIGHT 25 cents green and yellow. In 1927, Carling Breweries offered a $25,000 prize to the first Canadian or British pilot to fly from London, Ontario to London, England. A Stinson SM-1 was christened Sir John Carling and attempted the flight starting August 29, 1927, flown by pilot Terrance Tully and navigator James Medcalf.
Postal Authorities approved the printing of a special label to be applied to the envelopes which were to be carried on the flight. Only 100 labels were printed and approximately 87 were affixed to envelopes.

The flight had difficulties with fog and returned. It restarted on September 1 and made a landing in Maine, then later in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. On September 7 the flight set off across the Atlantic, never to be seen again. No covers on that flight survived.

The special label which was officially approved features portraits of Tully and Medcalf and shows the proposed route.

The example we offer is very well-centered, has full original gum which has never been hinged and has very fresh and deep colour, unlike some other surviving examples.

The stamp has two certificates. In 1987 it was “in perfect condition” and Enzio Diena lightly initialed the stamp on the back. Since then the stamp has acquired small stains on Tully’s forehead, a light vertical crease and very slight soiling. All of these are mentioned (accurately but somewhat harshly) in a 2006 Greene Foundation certificate.

Despite the faults this is an attractive, well-centered example of this very rare stamp of which only 13 unused examples are known. Unitrade Catalogue Value is $100,000.