Curate’s Egg

Like the curate’s egg in the 1895 Punch cartoon, the March 16th/17th GROSVENOR auction was ‘excellent in parts’. This large auction contained offerings from no fewer than 218 vendors and results varied noticeably from country to country, the sale producing nevertheless a creditable total realisation of £648,085.

Amongst a most unusual offering of New Zealand wills and probate documents bearing ranges of Stamp Duty and Arms high values, the highest price achieved was the £1,666 paid for the wonderful 1925 will of Dorothea Ziele (lot 1457, detail left) displaying values to £17,359, an extraordinary denomination, probably unique.

Featured on the front cover of the sale catalogue was the unused block of ten of the 1862 6d. blue-green, first stamp of Antigua, the largest recorded multiple and additionally showing double perforations between the second and third columns (lot 232). This showpiece item found a new home for £11,710

Lot 318

Other notable realisations included the Australia 1915-27 5s. grey and yellow marginal mint example with “CA” monogram (lot 318), one of just six known examples, which reached £3,451, the Negri Sembilan 1898-1900 4c. on 8c. dull purple and ultramarine with black surcharge in a mint upper marginal pair showing plate number (lot 1303) climbed to £2,702, the same price being paid for an unused example of the Sungei Ujong 1878 handstamped 2c. brown (lot 1291).

Lot 1632

There was a strong response also to a specialised study of the attractive Rhodesia 1910-13 ‘Double Head’ 3d. stamp with £4,760 paid for a mint example of the perf. 15 deep rose-lilac and ochre shade (lot 1632) and £5,355 for a rare complete sheet of the maroon and ochre, perf. 14, one stamp showing the ‘hook in Queen’s ear’ variety (lot 1621).

Prices quoted include buyer’s premium and taxes.

Full listings of prices realised at each auction may be downloaded from the Grosvenor website www.grosvenorauctions.com. Contact Andrew Williams or Tom Margalski at Grosvenor for further information.