de Pinedo

Winter 2026 Stamps and Postal History of the World

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Welcome to our Winter 2026 Stamps & Postal History of the World sale.

Lot 352 Newfoundland #C4 1927 (May 20), ‘De Pinedo’ 60c black on cover to London, the stamp affixed upside down and tied by St. John’s machine cancellation with Trepassey split-ring (21 May) below. Unitrade CV $25,000

We are pleased to present our Winter 2026 auction, bringing together a wide-ranging and carefully curated selection of stamps and postal history from Canada, British North America, and the world. Canada and British North America are represented by a fine array of high-quality singles, including a number accompanied by graded certificates, complemented by proofs, essays, and a varied group of unusual postal history, including scarce pre-stamp mail, noting incoming correspondence to Canada from elusive foreign destinations, as well as a scarce Newfoundland 1927 De Pinedo flight cover.

We are proud to offer Part III of the exceptional “Simone Collection” of Canadian Revenues, with this sale highlighting Bill Stamps, Lock Seals, Petroleum Labels, and Law Stamps, including a rare 1917 “In Prize” document. The section is further strengthened by War Savings and Prisoner of War Free Franks, including the rare 1918 25c orange Timbre d’Économie.

Worldwide singles offer numerous highlights, with strong representation of both stamps and postal history of Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa, including a further selection of Victorian India postal history, a rare set of Saudi Arabia 1970–1972 1p–100p Officials in corner blocks of 24, and selections from the British and French Offices in the Levant, among many other notable offerings.

Our Lots and Collections section, offers a broad range of material, from smaller, specialised groupings to large intact collections. Canada and British North America are well represented by many collections offered by issue, including strong selections of Pence and Decimals, Small Queens, and New Brunswick. Worldwide collections include substantial holdings of Great Britain, Austria, Persia, and the Australian States, together with a handsome Victorian-era British Commonwealth collection with many desirable items, offered across several lots.

High-quality online images, along with videos of collection lots, may be found on Philasearch and Stamp Auction Network. Live bidding will take place at our offices in Ottawa, Canada, on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, beginning at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time, with participation welcome in person, by telephone, or online. All transactions are conducted in Canadian dollars, typically providing a favourable exchange rate for many of our international clients.

Looking ahead to the spring, we will present our third Postal History of the World sale, followed by a further Stamps & Postal History of the World auction in June, for which we continue to welcome consignments. Finally, we wish to thank those who joined us at the World Stamp Exhibition in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where it was a pleasure to meet collectors from around the world. We look forward to connecting again at WESTPEX in San Francisco in April, ORAPEX in Ottawa in May, and later in the month at the Boston 2026 World Expo.

We wish you success with your bids,
The Team at Sparks Auctions

Lot 368, Newfoundland 1927 De Pinedo Flight overprint in red cover on sixty cent black King Henry VII

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Lot 368, Newfoundland 1927 De Pinedo Flight overprint in red cover on sixty cent black King Henry VIILot 368 Canada #C4 1927 De Pinedo Flight Overprint in Red on 60c Black King Henry VII, with tied postmark St. John’s MAY.21.1927 and St. John’s receiver MAY.25.1927. Accompanied by a 2015 Greene Foundation certificate and a 1976 Diena certificate, both noting that the cover was not carried on the De Pinedo flight (those covers bore a May.20.1927 postmark), but was delivered locally instead. Only 300 stamps were overprinted for the flight. Fine. Rsv. $14,000. Unitrade CV$25,000.

Lot 1550, India 1925 de Pinedo World Flight, Calcutta to Melbourne, sold for C$1,345

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Lot 1550 India 1925 de Pinedo World Flight, Calcutta to Melbourne, franked with a ½a and 1½a KGV definitives, with a red handstamp reading “Italian Consul General’s (Melbourne) letter of 12-11-25. / No. 750/11. / Calcutta to Melbourne by Seaplane, 13/5/1925.”. Back shows a purple cachet with map “ITALIAN / WORLD AIR / FLIGHT” (also another strike partly visible on front), with green initials of Stephen Smith and the president of the Aero Philatelic Club of India H.A. Outhwaite (these, apparently to prevent duplication). This is the right half of the cover only, as the 93 existing covers had all been intentionally cut in half, as they had been signed by de Pinedo after a promised charity donation had failed (the half with his signature are missing). Accompanied by a fairly contemporary article written on these interesting covers. This one is numbered 76 (out of 93), very fine and rare. See scans here. From the The Leon Victor Pont Collection of Early India, New Zealand and Worldwide Pioneer Flight Covers. Estimate $500, sold for C$1,150.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.