India

Sale 51 coming October 17-19, 2024

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Welcome to the Sparks Auctions Fall 2024 sale!

Lot 688 CVR India 1911 (February 18), First Aerial Post registered postcard to Calcutta, 1a stationery uprated with 4a adhesive, tied by neatly-struck rose “First Aerial Post / U.P. Exhibition Allahabad” cachet, registration etiquette alongside, Allahabad despatch and Wellesley Street Calcutta c.d.s. (2½2 Feb) c.d.s. on front, some light edge wear and trivial marks at lower left, a fine and rare registered card, and a desirable example from the world’s first official air mail flight. Estimate C$1,500

We are pleased to offer our traditional selection of quality stamps and postal history of Canada, British North America, and the world. Select single stamps of Canada and B.N.A. are complemented by a range of scarce multiples, plate proofs, die proofs, and more. Our Worldwide section includes artist essays, specimens, and ever-popular varieties and sets of the British Commonwealth. Postal history includes an extensive offering of single covers, including a broad worldwide component, particularly of India and pioneer aviation, with a variety of pilot-signed covers. Our offerings of world postal history collections and accumulations are particularly strong, sure to entice collector and dealer alike.

We encourage all bidders, even those who may not routinely browse our Lots and Collections, to peruse those sections of both postal history and stamps. Far from exclusively voluminous collections and carton lots, these sections also include smaller offerings of material, including stock pages of classic stamps, group lots of covers, wholesale quantities of single stamps or sets, and more. As always, these lots have been extensively photographed, with thousands of high-quality images available online at StampAuctionNetwork.com and Philasearch.com.

For those who cannot attend in person, the sale will be conducted live on StampAuctionNetwork.com, allowing bidders to join us as if “on the floor.” For the first time, our sale will also be available on Philasearch.com, through which we welcome pre-sale bids. For those participating from outside of Canada, we emphasize that our sale is conducted in Canadian Dollars, which may prove advantageous to many bidders who may take advantage of the strength of the U.S. Dollar, Euro, Swiss Franc, or other currencies.

We continue to welcome consignments for our Winter 2025 auction; contact us today to discuss how we may be able to assist. For those who would prefer an outright sale, we are also available to discuss the direct purchase of your collection.

This sale is the result of the dedicated efforts of a core group of professionals, including Eliseo Temprano (President), Peter MacDonald (General Manager), Kate Morrow (Auction Coordinator), and Matt Johnston (Website & Technical Coordinator), as well as an enthusiastic team supporting lotting, sale viewing, and auction day. We thank you for your interest in the sale, and wish you luck with your bids!

Chris Green
Managing Director & Chief Philatelist

Lot 1116, Collection of Mint and Used India, 1865-1962, sold for C$2,223

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Lot 1116, Collection of Mint and Used India, 1865-1962, sold for C$2,223Lot 1116 Collection of Mint and Used India, 1865-1962, with roughly 625 stamps, with mint and or used singles, sets, and partial sets, neatly organized on 35 quadrille pages. The collection begins with 37 different used issues up to 1892, with a mixture of mint and used singles and sets post-1892. Just a few of the better stamps include #s 50-52 (m.h., $170 total), 60-75 (used, $214 total), 106-116, 118-123 (m.h., $251 total), 150-167 (m.h. $406 total), 203-206 Mahatma Gandhi set (m.h., $557 total), 207-222 (m.h., $348 total), along with singles, sets, and partial sets, including officials, cataloguing $20 to $80 and up. Vibrant colours throughout, that collectors or dealers will appreciate, with the majority of stamps being lightly hinged, along with a few having hinge remnants. The used material appear to be postally used, with the possibility of a few telegraph postmarks. A nice collection, with online photos showing a sampling. Estimate CV$400, sold for C$1,900.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.

Lot 634, Group of roughly 225 India covers and cards, 1890s-1950s, sold for C$4,446

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Lot 634, Group of roughly 225 India covers and cards, 1890s-1950s, sold for C$4,446Lot 634 Group of Roughly 225 India Covers and Cards, 1890s-1950s, in one cover album along with loose material. The lot consists of a wide range of material starting with roughly 70 first day covers, ranging from 1948 to 1953, mostly addressed, with singles, sets, and partial set frankings (including Gandhi 1½a, 3½a, 12a partial set franking (x7)), noting Bombay and Calcutta G.P.O., and New Delhi postmarks. The lot continues with primarily commercial mail, with roughly 40 postal stationery items, ranging from the 1890 (with the addresses crossed out) with mostly single ¼a Indore frankings on the back. The balance of the lot generally ranges from the 1920s to the 1950s with postal stationery (used and unused), first flights, book post, and more, paying airmail, registered, express and domestic rates, Online photos show an overview. We note a few faults with some of the material including tears, soiling, etc, along with a few larger sized envelopes. An interesting mix, overall fine to better. Estimate C$200, sold for C$3,800.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.

Lot 1114, Accumulation of Used India From An Old-Time Collection, 1850s-1950s, sold for C$1,462

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Lot 1114, Accumulation of Used India From An Old-Time Collection, 1850s-1950s, sold for C$1,462Lot 1114 Accumulation of Used India From An Old-Time Collection, 1850s-1950s, with many thousands of stamps, in a stockbook, with mostly loose material. A spot check of the lot indicated a few 1854-1855 issues with ½a (x4), 1a (x7), along with Scott #s 26B (x47, c.v. $164 total), with the majority of the material ranging from the 1930s onward, including Officials, and a small selection of India States, noting #s O61 (x51, $178 total), O62 (x12, $162 total), O69 (x30, $105 total), O71 (x44, $396 total). The lot is from an old-time family collection, with the potential for finds by the dedicated collector, including better postmarks. Duplication up to 50 in some cases, including a two small boxes of bundleware. Online photos show a small sampling. We note a few faults with a few of the stamps, overall fine to very fine. Estimate C$200, sold for C$1,250.00 plus 17% buyer’s premium.

Lot 726, India 1911 World’s First Official Air Mail Flight, Allahabad to Naini Junction

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Day 2 of Sale 49 continues today with Postal History.

Lot 726, India 1911 World's First Official Air Mail Flight, Allahabad to Naini Junction, FrontLot 726, India 1911 World's First Official Air Mail Flight, Allahabad to Naini Junction, BackLot 726 India FEB.11, 1911 World’s First Official Air Mail Flight, Allahabad to Naini Junction, a registered cover with large magenta First Aerial Post cachet canceling the 2R stamp, plus a second free strike, addressed to “Local”, with Allahabad registration label. Back has two Allahabad receivers (FE 18 and FE 20). Wrinkles and light staining from label at top, else fine and rare. Estimate C$500.