Gordon Richardson

Announcing Sale 50

by

Lot 2 Canada #3TC 12d Queen Victoria “Scar” Die Proof in Orange, on India paper with huge margins (29 x 29 mm), clearly showing a “scar” in CE of PENCE. An extremely rare proof, with only a handful known in any colour, this one is accompanied by a 2023 Greene Foundation certificate describing it as having a “natural diagonal paper crease, tiny pinhole at crown and thin in top margin.” Unitrade CV$12,500.

Welcome to our General Public Sale #50, the second of three scheduled for 2024. This sale offers our usual wide range of material, with quality Canada and provinces, British Commonwealth and worldwide singles, sets and collections. These include part three of the W.J. McGill collection of Scandinavia, a good offering of Canadian Federal and Provincial Revenues, several remarkable Wildlife Habitat Conservation lots and much more. Also of note is the second part of the Andrew Ellwood precancel collection.

Be sure to have a close look at our over 120 lots of postal history and postcards, and part four of the Gordon Richardson early Manitoba postal history collection, as well as a fine selection of useful postal history from Canada and worldwide countries including those in Scandinavia. Also of note in this sale is another great offering of philatelic literature.

We are proud to continue our long-standing tradition of showing online photos or scans of every single lot, so you know what you are buying, especially if you are not able to do pre-sale viewing in person. This sale is accompanied by thousands of high-quality pictures, far more than we can show in the print catalogue, which can all be seen in full colour on StampAuctionNetwork.com.

As usual, this sale will be conducted live on StampAuctionNetwork.com, also with a live floor, via telephone and other traditional bidding methods. A reminder that our buyer’s fee is still at 17%, and that all transactions are in Canadian dollars—a bonus for US customers and those using other currencies.

Enjoy the sale!

The Sparks Auctions Team

Announcing Sale 49, February 29-March 2, 2024

by

Welcome to our General Sale #49, our first auction of 2024. This will be my last sale with Sparks Auctions, as I am moving on to other projects. I wish to thank all those who have consigned to us, and bought from us during my 16 years with the company. I am very proud of what I have accomplished while here, and it is in big part because of our customers, philatelic friends, and our small team of dedicated and passionate staff.

Lot 367 Tristan da Cunha #B1-B4 1961 Set of Four Tristan Relief Fund Surcharges, all four values are mint never hinged and have sheet margins at right or left. A fresh and remarkably well centered set, very fine. This is the first we have offered, and these do not come up very often, with only 454 sets produced. Each stamp has an expert signature on back in light pencil. S.G. #172-175, £8,000. Scott CV U$7,600.

This sale offers our usual wide range of material, with quality Canada and provinces, British Commonwealth and worldwide singles, sets and collections, including part two of the W.J. McGill collection of Scandinavia, a good offering of early Great Britain, and much more. Also of note is the first part of the Andrew Ellwood precancel collection and a great offering of the Canadian Admiral issue.

Be sure to have a close look at our over 400 exciting lots of postal history offerings, including part three (and last) of the extensive David Hobden and Michael Rixon pre-Confederation Upper Canada postal history collection and part three of the Gordon Richardson early Manitoba postal history collection, as well as a fine selection of useful postal history from Canada and worldwide countries including those in Scandinavia. Also of note in this sale is another great offering of philatelic literature.

We are proud to continue our long-standing tradition of showing online photos or scans of every single lot, so you know what you are buying, especially if you are not able to do pre-sale viewing in person. This sale is accompanied by thousands of high-quality pictures, far more than we can show in the print catalogue, which can all be seen in full colour on StampAuctionNetwork.com.

As usual, this sale will be conducted live on StampAuctionNetwork.com, also with a live floor, via telephone and other traditional bidding methods. A reminder that our buyer’s fee is still at an industry-low 17%, and that all transactions are in Canadian dollars – a bonus for US customers and those using other currencies.

Enjoy the sale!

Stéphane Cloutier, FRPSC, FPHSC
Auction Manager

Announcing Sale 48, November 2-4, 2023

by
1911 5c and $1 British Columbia Telephone Engraved Compound Die Proof, in black, with die number 327 at bottom

Welcome to our General Sale #48, our fifth auction of the year, which will take place Thursday November 2 through Saturday November 4, 2023.

The material in this sale is the property of an impressive 143 different consignors, and the result is this wide range of material, with quality Canada and provinces, British Commonwealth and worldwide singles, sets and collections, including part one of the W.J. McGill collection of Scandinavia, a good offering of early Great Britain, and much more.

Be sure to have a close look at our over 450 exciting lots of postal history offerings, including part two of the extensive David Hobden and Michael Rixon pre-Confederation Upper Canada postal history collection and part two of the Gordon Richardson early Manitoba postal history collection, as well as the Ted Nixon collection of Canadian fancy cancellations of the Small Queen issue, and an excellent offering of R.P.O. postal history from the Peter McCarthy collection. You will also find a large selection of other useful postal history from Canada and a wide variety of worldwide countries including those in Scandinavia. Also of note in this sale is a great offering of philatelic literature.

We are proud to continue our long-standing tradition of showing online photos or scans of every single lot, so you know what you are buying, especially if you are not able to do pre-sale viewing in person. This sale is accompanied by about 10,000 high quality pictures, which can all be seen in full colour on StampAuctionNetwork.com.

As usual, this sale will be conducted live on StampAuctionNetwork.com, also with a live floor, via telephone and other traditional bidding methods. A reminder that our buyer’s fee is still at an industry-low 17%, and that all transactions are in Canadian dollars – a bonus for US customers and those using other currencies.

Enjoy the sale!

Stéphane Cloutier, FRPSC, FPHSC
Auction Manager

Announcing Sale 47

by
Lot 619 Canada #E1 1898 10c Blue Green Special Delivery First Day Cover, tied by JUL.1.1898 5pm Montréal Bickerdike flag cancel (very uncommon on special delivery mail) on 2c green Queen Victoria stationery envelope (Webb EN9) paying the 2c drop letter rate plus 10c special delivery fee, fresh and very fine. July 1, 1898 was the first day the Special Delivery was offered in fourteen Canadian cities, including Montréal. The sender of this cover obviously recognized the importance of this occasion by preparing the two covers offered in this sale (see lot 618 for the other one). Prior to the discovery of the two covers offered in this sale, the earliest recorded use of this stamp was July 2, 1898. An exceptionally rare and important early first day cover, offered to the market for the first time 125 years after its date of issue. Estimate C$500

Welcome to our General Sale #47, our fourth auction of 2023, with one more to look forward to in the Fall.

Here at Sparks Auctions consignments come in almost daily. We recommend that you contact us early if you have material to sell, so that it can be included in our next available, well-publicized sale. Our April 4-6 sale #46 resulted in 382 different buyers from all over the world.

This sale has our usual wide range of material, with quality Canada and provinces, British Commonwealth and worldwide singles, sets and collections, including a lovely and fresh British Commonwealth collection which has not seen the light of day since it was safely put away at the beginning of World War II.

Don’t forget to have a close look at our over 400 lots of postal history offerings, including part one of the extensive David Hobden and Michael Rixon pre-Confederation Upper Canada postal history collection and part one of the Gordon Richardson early Manitoba postal history collection. We also offer many airmail, first flight and airship covers, plus useful postal history from a wide variety of worldwide countries.

We are proud to continue our long-standing tradition of showing photos or scans of every single lot, so you know what you are buying, should you not be able to do pre-sale viewing in person. Our sales average 10,000 to 12,000 high quality pictures, which can all be seen in full colour on Stamp Auction Network.

As usual, this sale will be conducted live on StampAuctionNetwork.com, also with a live floor, via telephone and other traditional bidding methods. A reminder that our buyer’s fee is still at an industry-low 17%, and that all transactions are in Canadian dollars.

Enjoy the sale!

Stéphane Cloutier, FRPSC, FPHSC
Auction Manager
×