2017-10-26 Thu

Coming 3rd and 4th November, Eastern Auctions is offering a sale that includes issues of the People’s Republic of China from the Max Goldman estate; worldwide stamps, covers and collections; and hundreds of lots of British North America and Canada.

Numerous significant multiples are being offered during the China session, with several lots presenting examples of the 1962 Stage Art of Mei Lan-fang stamps, both perforated and imperforate.

An imperforate unused set of the sheet stamps is offered with each of the eight issues in a block of 18. The Eastern catalog gives a full description of each block, and images of each are provided on the website. Eastern describes the set as “one of the highlights of the Goldman estate.” It lists the lot with a catalog value of $117,000, which matches the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue value of $6,500 for a set of imperforate individual stamps, multiplied by 18 — the number of stamps in each block.

Eastern points out that its auctions are conducted in Canadian dollars. Other lots in this sale offering the popular Stage Art of Mei Lan-fang stamps include various sets of perforated multiples, and single perforated and imperforate stamps on cacheted unaddressed first-day covers.

The 124 lots of China are followed by other worldwide material. A very interesting British Commonwealth variety comes up as a 1942 issue of Seychelles, the 1.50 rupee ultramarine King George VI and Coco-de-mer Palm stamp on ordinary paper with inverted watermark.

The unused stamp is a variety of Scott 146 but is specifically listed by Stanley Gibbons as No. 147aw, with a £5,000 value cited by Eastern. The stamp is given an estimate of $2,500-plus. Eastern has observed that the British North America offerings include many classic and airmail rarities, archival proofs, plus large lots and collections.

Newfoundland’s 1861-62 imperforate 1-penny reddish brown on medium hard wove paper (Scott 16) is infrequently seen in unused condition, but a rare example of this classic is offered in this sale. It is being described as having noteworthy and distinctive rich colour and strong impression, surrounded by full even margins, the stamp is listed with the $16,000 value found in the 2017 Unitrade Specialized Catalogue of Canadian Stamps.

It is accompanied by two certificates, from the Royal Philatelic Society London (1930) and the British Philatelic Association (2015).