Welcome to our first ever blog post! It’s almost time for our next auction on May 12th and we have some very exciting material coming up in this sale. There are over 1100 lots, with about half of these world and half GB providing a good selection of material for everyone.
A couple of lots really stand out for us because of their uniqueness.
The first is a specialised collection of USA TASCO booklets. These were a series of 15 different volumes of booklets, produced by the Tathham Stamp and Coin Company between 1928 and 1956. Being passionate stamp collectors themselves, the Company produced these booklets in order to explain the finer points of stamp collecting. Our lot contains a good range of all of the booklet types including some of the scarcer ones. It’s the first time we’ve ever seen a collection of these booklets and quite excited to see what our clients will think of them as well!
Another interesting couple of lots are local covers sent from Christmas Island, part of the Gilbert and Ellis Islands. These local stamps were printed between 1915 and 1934. Four types were produced, all showing a schooner approaching an island with palm trees. Generally these locals are found on covers together with stamps from other Pacific territories, mainly the French Oceanic ones. In our May 12th auction we have a collection of these stamps and also a range of individual covers. Definitely worth a close look!
The third collection we would like to draw your attention to is one consisting of George V Ideal stamps. These stamps were issued for the 1912 International Stamp Exhibition. At the time there had been some outcry among philatelists about the new definitive stamp design. A competition was held and people from all over the country sent in stamp designs with the idea to produce a stamp ideal in design and workmanship. However the chosen stamp ended up being very similar to the one chosen for the defins! We have a range of these stamps in the auction, varying from a large collection to sheets and postcards. Most notable among these is a sheet of 240 printed on silk which is thought to have been presented to the king himself.