large queen

Welcome to Auction #12

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Session One (Canada, Lots 1-653) and Two (B.N.A., Lots 701-869) offer great depth combined with many top-quality lots.

In the pence issues the laid paper lots have exceptional singles, multiples and covers, while the wove papers add cancels, varieties and rarities (stitch watermark; two of the very scarce six penny reddish purple on thick fibrous paper; three of the six penny perforated). The 1859s continue on with three of the ten cent black brown and a block of twelve of the 17 cent Cartier. The Large Queens offer a mint watermarked two cent, a Goatee variety, the rare mint 15 cent on thick paper (30c) and 15 cent with script watermark as well as a fine one cent and a very fine three cent on laid paper.

Every series goes on to offer quality and rarity as well as nice stamps for the general collector. Among the numerous special items is the discovery example of a previously unrecorded #1815 variety.

Canada #CLP6Our section of semi-official airmail is especially strong with nearly 100 lots highlighted by the London to London stamp #CLP6. In two sections within Canada we have grouped an extensive collection of mint sheets. The B.N.A. is especially strong in British Columbia with #3 and many of the elusive numeral cancels. A wonderful New Brunswick shilling on cover, and an equally wonderful watermarked Nova Scotia shilling are highlights from these colonies. Another shilling, from Newfoundland, is just one of the highlights of Newfoundland.

The Postal History section has gotten stronger with each auction and the trend continues in this sale, with a great many lots not having been on the philatelic market for decades, and sometimes being offered for the first time.

Lots and Collections have many strong and worthwhile offerings. Of note is ten very nice lots of Norway which are among the 29 Scandinavian lots. Germany, with 30 lots, has much to offer the collector of post-WWII never hinged, and the 44 Canada & B.N.A. as usual constitute a diverse group.

In a change from previous sales, we have lotted the type of single-franking covers (often with expensive stamps) within the stamps section rather than postal history, reasoning that these appeal to both stamp collectors and postal historians.

Live bidding is now active on Stampauctionnetwork.com. PDF Catalogues and Image Gallery will be available here on Sparks-auctions.com later this week.

Lot 47 — Canada 24vi Used Two cent green Large Queen with vertical stitch watermark

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Canada #24vi usedLot 47 Canada #24vi 1868 2c green Large Queen with Vertical Stitch Watermark used, with part 2-ring #36 cancel (St Johns, R.F. 6). This is the stamp pictured in the 2012 Unitrade catalogue, and is quite undervalued, due to its scarcity (Unitrade states three copies exist, two with faults – this is thus the best of the three) and especially compared with recent auction realizations of stitch watermarks on Pence and Cents issues. Fine-very fine and rare. Accompanied by 2006 Greene Foundation certificate. Unitrade CV$ 1,000, SOLD for $1,800 plus premium.

Auction 11, November 13-15, 2012

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We are pleased to present our Public Auction #11, taking place at our
Ottawa premises on November 13-15, 2012.

Auction #11 starts with a wonderful selection of the scarce Canada
pence issues.  Seldom indeed have there been four of the perforated six
penny offered in one auction. Complementing the classic issues of
Canada are some of the great mint stamps of the provinces: the
imperforate ten cent of Vancouver Island and the first issue of
Nova Scotia are two of the highlights. The whole of the Victorian
era is strong and one cannot fail to be impressed with the lovely
mint Large Queens as well as some very rare stamps. The three Kings
period offers gems such as a set of the Quebec Issue large Die Proofs
and then into the Admirals beginning with the Madukhar Belkhode
International Gold Medal Collection. Rarities abound through the
period and then throughout the Elizabethan period with the greatest
rarity being the inverted $2 Normal School which is quite a bit
scarcer than the inverted Seaway. Our back of the book offerings are
strong, highlighted by possibly the finest of the inverted $3 Third
Bill issue and the tremendous offering of Consular Fee stamps with
an uncatalogued variety, rare imprint blocks, and even full sheets.

Sparks Auction #11 PDF CatalogueDay Two of the auction has four sessions. Dominating the Commonwealth
is the Geoff Leech offering of New Zealand. Many of these lots are
opportunities to obtain quite rare but not necessarily expensive
varieties which were acquired over a lifetime by a very keen student
of New Zealand. Worldwide offers a broad selection from such diverse
places as China, Estonia, France, Germany, Greenland, and Thailand.
Postal History has a handful of lovely covers with rare and expensive
stamps. Of greater interest to many will be the groupings, in which
there are treasures to be acquired. Literature — which merits a
separate section — is bulky (seven full bookcases) but also contains
many scarce and sought after reference works.

Our third day offers the strongest group of lots and collections ever.
One lot is Malta essentially complete which might have been offered
as several dozen lots; another lot of France which has a short and
modest description but an astounding catalogue value of E55,000;
Norway has many strong lots; and of course Canada is very well
represented. Viewers should plan on spending more time than usual
to appreciate the depth and quality of the lots.

The sale is now posted on Stamp Auction Network at:
http://stampauctionnetwork.com/ik/ik11.cfm

Print catalogues are now at press and will be mailed out next week.
Also beginning next week, this site will have PDFs of the catalogue
as well as the Auction Gallery with additional images, corrections
or notes on the sale, featured items, and comprehensive instructions
on how to bid.

We are sure you will find something of interest in this sale.