Lot 1715 Impressive Mint British America Collection, from Classics to 1970, in two Scott Specialty albums, ending in 1970. This valuable collection includes a host of better singles and sets, such as: Antigua, Bahama, Barbados, British Guiana, British Honduras, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Falkland Islands Dependencies, Grenada, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Nevis, St. Christopher, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Vincent, South Georgia, Tobago, Trinidad, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks Island, Turks & Caicos and Virgin Islands. Where it was not clear, we have cited the least expensive shade/variety. Included also are numerous additional shades. The Common Designs are also basically complete in period. This remarkable collection had been put away for many years, thus the colours are super fresh and vibrant, and it is definitely worth a closer look, starting with the 90 images that accompany it. Overall fine to very fine and not often offered this nice. Estimate $7,500, sold for C$17,000.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.
st. vincent
Scarce Singles
One of the joys of our hobby is the search for the elusive. If you collect an esoteric field like modern postal history there might be a difficult-to-find rate cover — when and if you ever find it, it might only cost you a few of the coins in your pocket.
There are also postage stamps which are more elusive than the catalogue value indicates. In the back section of each country listed in the Scott Catalogue are stamps for special purposes. These have a prefix and most collectors are familiar with “C” for airmail, “J” for postage due, “O” for Official, etc. Not many could immediately identify what type of special service uses the prefix I. Our lot 879 offers the “Late Fee” stamps of Victoria complete (there was only one). Although we have bought and sold this stamp a number of times the one offered here is likely the best we have handled. One indication of its rarity is the fact that the Scott Classic Catalogue still has a black and white image of this stamp. This lot came from a consignment which included some interesting Australian States (Lots 876-882)
Australian States-Victoria #I1 1855 6d lilac and green Late Fee, imperforate, used with four full margins, fresh colour and very fine. Scarce this nice. Scott CV$300.
Another consignment offers a stamp which is scarce because of a rare postmark.
St. Vincent #42 1883 1p drab Victoria, Crown CA watermark, with abbreviated village handstamp in red of Chateaubelair dated MY.23.1883. A comparable example sold in the 2006 Jaffe sale for a hammer of £140 (then about $300), fine-very fine. Est. $200
And a third consignor brought in rare proofs and progressive proofs which we offer as Lots 886-888.
Barbados E/P 1892-1910 ½d Seahorse trial colour proof in black and carmine on unwatermarked gummed paper, nice margins and very fine appearance but with horizontal crease and thin in top margin well clear of proof. Est. $200.
All of these are much less available than the very expensive British Commonwealth high values. However because there is less demand for the esoteric, they are more affordable.