The Robert Jenkins Collection: 19th-Century British, French and Italian Stamps Head to Auction
Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries in New York City is set to offer the Robert Jenkins collection of 19th-century unused stamps across a three-day auction running from 17 to 19 March.
Comprising 1,171 lots spanning British, French and Italian areas, the sale is being conducted in association with Charles F. Shreve, director of Siegel International in Dallas, Texas.
The collection is notable not only for its size but for the exceptional quality of the material it contains. Andrew Titley, vice president of Siegel International, provides an introduction to the sale catalogue that offers useful context for prospective bidders. He highlights well-known rarities within the collection, including the Mauritius Post Paid issues, an India 4a Lithograph pair, a New Brunswick 1sh Heraldic, and a New Zealand 2p Chalon First Issue, all of which are considered highly desirable, particularly given the standard of condition that Jenkins maintained throughout his collecting career.
Titley also draws attention to a less obvious aspect of the collection - the stamps that might not immediately attract attention based on catalogue value alone. As he notes, many of the more modestly valued items in the Jenkins collection are considerably harder to find than their catalogue prices might suggest. His advice to bidders is not to rely solely on catalogue values when assessing lots, but instead to consider how frequently a given stamp appears on the market in unused condition.
A Mauritius Rarity in Exceptional Condition
Among the most significant lots in the collection is an unused 1848 2-penny Queen Victoria stamp from Mauritius, printed on yellowish white paper and identified as an early impression (Scott 4a). The stamp originates from position 8 in the sheet of 12 and retains its original gum, described by Siegel as barely hinged. The margins are large to full on each side, and the impression is noted for its sharpness and the quality of its paper.
To understand the significance of this stamp, it helps to know something of the background to Mauritius's early issues. Although postal services on the island date back to the 1770s, an organised inland mail service was not established until 1846. A local printer and engraver named Joseph Osmond Barnard was contracted to produce two stamps. The first printing, which carried the inscription "Post Office," is believed to have amounted to around 500 examples and sold out almost immediately. For the second printing, from which this example comes, Barnard engraved the designs directly onto two copper plates of twelve stamps each, one for each value, with the revised inscription "Post Paid." The copper plates wore away with use, resulting in the different impressions that are listed by specialists today. Siegel notes that early impressions in unused condition are considered just as rare as the earliest Post Office issues.
The stamp is accompanied by a 1967 expertising certificate from Alberto Diena and a 1979 certificate from the British Philatelic Association, and has previously featured in both the Tatiana and Port Louis collections. Its Scott Classic Specialized catalogue value in unused condition stands at $35,000, a figure that is italicised to reflect the difficulty of assigning a precise value to a stamp that rarely appears on the market. Siegel has placed an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000 on the lot.
An Elusive French Classic
The final day of the auction on 19 March includes a number of highlights from France, among them an unused 1849 1-franc pale vermilion Ceres stamp (Scott 8c), known to French philatelists as the Vervelle issue. The stamp is described as having strong colour on bright paper, and Siegel notes that it is rarely found in completely sound condition with four clear margins.
The Vervelle name derives from a French stamp dealer, Ernest Vervelle, who purchased an ungummed sheet of these stamps from the printer Anatole A. Hulot in 1895. The issue is widely associated with thins and other faults, to the extent that the French Yvert catalogue makes specific reference to this characteristic. Finding an example with four margins and no faults is, as Siegel puts it, quite remarkable.
The stamp carries a 2006 expertising certificate from French specialist Roger Calves and was previously included in the Napoleon collection of France, which Siegel sold in December 2024. At that sale, the stamp realised $17,110 inclusive of the buyer's premium. Against a Scott Classic Specialized catalogue value of $20,000, Siegel estimates the lot at $7,500 to $10,000.
Looking to Buy or Sell British and World Stamps?
If the Jenkins collection has sparked an interest in buying or selling rare philatelic material closer to home, Tony Lester Auctions offers a specialist auction and valuation service with over 45 years of experience.
Based in the Midlands near Rugby, we hold three online auctions per year through Easy Live Auction, featuring 700 to 900 lots covering all areas of the world, with estimates ranging from £10 to many thousands of pounds.
Whether you are looking to add to your collection or considering selling, our team is on hand to offer honest, straightforward advice. We also purchase collections outright, providing immediate payment where preferred.
To find out more, or to arrange a free, no-obligation valuation, please call us on 01926 634 809 or email info@tonylester.co.uk.
