Stamp Sells For £1 Million At UK Auction
The World’s Most Famous Stamp “Post Office Mauritius” Sold Today At Spink In London
London, 28th June 2011- The world’s most famous stamp, the elusive “Post Office Mauritius”, was sold today for a record breaking £1,053,090 at Spink in London. The auction room was buzzing with excitement as the famous stamp, lot 31, came up for sale as part of The Chartwell Collection. Nearly half a dozen bidders in the room participated as the price of the lot shot skyward. However, the final and winning bid came from a bidder who was participating in the sale via telephone. This is a record price for a stamp sold in the United Kingdom.
Over the next 18 months, through a series of 9 auctions, Spink will sell The Chartwell Collection, which is the most valuable collection of stamps to come up for auction in modern times. The Chartwell Collection, formed by the custodian of the collection Sir Cyril Humphrey Cripps, consists of some of the finest material for Great Britain and the British Empire ever seen before and it is all material that is fresh to the marketplace.
Currently held in just over 80 stamp albums, The Chartwell Collection is estimated to fetch well in excess of £20,000,000 before the last lot is sold in December 2012. This is a collection that will undoubtedly rewrite the book for auction records and bring in collectors from around the globe.
Tomorrow’s auction of rarities from Great Britain includes the quasi “mythical” 1840 1d. Black Plate II Corner Inscriptional Plate Number Example, Used on Cover and dated 13th May. Many have spoken of its existence but few have ever seen this unique piece. This is estimated to fetch between £150,000 - £200,000 and is considered to be one of the finest and most beautiful Penny Black covers in existence today.
Source: UKauctionnews