Specialist Valuer, Andy Bowden looks ahead to another promising sale.
“This is always an enjoyable time of the year to put these previews together at home, with a good coffee, sitting at my desk in shorts and a T-shirt! Welcome to the fourth Stamp and postcard auction of the year. On this occasion, we have 150 lots of stamps, postcards, trade cards and cigarette cards for you to peruse in Saleroom 3 at 1818 Auctioneers.
Stamps:
“If I am honest, it’s a much more eclectic accumulation of material assembled, some of which is away from our usual focus of GB and Commonwealth offerings. However, in compiling this auction, for you, it does show what a diverse range of items our vendors are now bringing in to us at 1818 Auctioneers and entrusting us to sell on their behalf, so thank you.
“Lots 1001-1014, see a diverse range of Chinese material, including some of the elusive Mao sets from the late 1960s, along with posters and some later turn of the Millennium yearbooks. There are also ranges of errors and oddities, including the Tanganyika 1961 30c UHRU issue with the 196 error, which is accompanied by its RPSL certificate. A fine strip of the 1973 IMO Centenary from Tanzania, Kenya & Uganda, is also included with a major mis-perf resulting in the bottom value having no country name but the printer’s imprint at the bottom of the stamp. Add to this Lot 1025 a fine 20ct Franco from Spain issue of late 1930s with a major mis-perforation, where the corner of the sheet has folded on itself when the item has been subsequently perforated, or the Italian postage dues of 1894 with an inverted value, in a scarce multiple of 4. (Lot 1027). In between this, there are some fine former British East Africa GV sets and other European material from Italy, Russia, etc. If numismatics is your thing, there is a range of covers for you to see as well, some with silver coins along with earlier issues of the Royal Mail/Royal Mint issues from the mid-1990s onwards.
“If you are looking for something a bit more meaty, there are plenty of one country collections, and albums with omnibus issues such as UPU from 1949 mostly in corner MNH marginals with extras sets from outside the Empire, ranges of USA material, Egypt, Malta, Russia, Belgium, GB, Papua New Guinea, Switzerland and more!
Postcards:
“When viewing postcards as an auctioneer and also as a buyer, we don’t always have time to read some of the messages on the rear of them, after all, generally it’s the pictures on the front that are what we are looking for! However, I would like to draw your attention to LOT 1141, a general lot of postcards with military, Northern England and other interesting items such as Indian Railways.
“There are two cards that stuck out, and reading the rear of them left us with the hairs on the back of our neck standing. One real photo postcard depicted the 147 Fortress Corps Buxton, the message written in pencil says “I will be on pass out this week…I shall be on the early train. We are now under orders…” The second one is a French card, which, to the front, has a platoon of soldiers, approximately 50 or so, states “We had this taken when we were on rest about 2 months ago…But of all the band on this photo, there are now only 23 left, all others are killed or wounded.” With further notes about a platoon of soldiers who had left Canada. The writer and one other soldier are marked on the front of the card, being the only two surviving Canadians left. These sorts of things on cards are really important social history items. This lot forms one of several postcard lots in our sale.
Trade Cards:
“Lot 1127, a small lot, but we see on this occasion Coca-Cola trade cards from South Africa. The Our Flower sets. This issue had 100 cards; we see the full set of envelopes with cards within. It’s not often that we see overseas cards at the auction house.
“Lot 1126 is a bit more ‘traditional’ in that it has A & BC along with other trade cards that are less common from the likes of Bubbles Inc, and Badsah Tea. The Outer Limits Series from Bubbles Inc. is sought-after with 50+ cards noted. A & BC sees some of the Batman series with pink backs and without the Batman Fan Club imprints. There is, though, plenty more in this lot that needs exploring!
“I look forward to seeing you all viewing in the next few weeks.”