Review of the Spink Singapore Auction 2010: Stolz Collection
Introduction
In September 26, 2010, Spink Singapore held an important philatelic auction on collections from British Southeast Asia. This includes rare items from Malaya and states, Singapore and British Borneo. A total of 795 postal histories were auctioned and 466 were sold (329 remain unsold). Of these, about 11% represent postal histories from North Borneo and Labuan (86). Some of the collections are very important and have appeared in many standard handbooks, publications and journals.
Cumulative price realisation (excluding buyer's premium) was £584,827. The most expensive item in that auction is an entire, bearing the earliest recorded use of the India 4 annas in the Straits Settlement (1854). It managed to push the price to a jaw-dropping hammer price of S$200,000 (£96,340).
The Spotlights:
1. 1854 India stamps used in Penang
Sold for: £96,340
Description: 1854 (19 Dec.) entire ex the "Heard" correspondence to Canton via forwarding agent, S.M. Lord, in Hong Kong, bearing a magnificent 4a. 2nd. printing pair with part rosettes at foot and wavy lines, or part thereof on three sides, both centrally cancelled by diamond of dots, rated "1/-" and showing, on reverse across join, framed "penang/Paid" d.s. and Hong Kong arrival c.d.s. (1.1). A magnificent cover and a major exhibition item.
2. 1854 India Stamps used in Singapore
Sold for: £38,936
Description: 1854 (22 Nov.) entire letter from Batavia to Greenock, bearing 1a. (4, three touched or cut-into on one or more sides) and 4a. (cut-to-shape), all cancelled by circle of dots (Type K1, one of two recorded) which was applied in Singapore, showing framed "india paid" and London Paid transit c.d.s. (22.1) with, on reverse, framed "singapore/Paid" d.s. in red for December and light arrival datestamp. A very rare and magnificent franking, and a major exhibition item.
3. 1864 Labuan letter with India stamps
Sold for: £38,936
Description: 1864 (3 Nov.) envelope "Via Singapore paid" to Nelson, New Zealand, bearing India 1856-64 4a. black horizontal pair each neatly cancelled with circle of dots (Type K1) with superb "labuan" c.d.s. (Type D1) in red below, showing framed "mis-sent to/melbourne.victoria" h.s. in blue with Nelson arrival c.d.s. (30.1) alongside, the reverse with Melbourne transit c.d.s. (18.1) in blue; a couple of small imperfections though an attractive and very rare early franked cover, being one of only three items bearing Indian stamps used in Labuan.
Check out the auction catalogue here.
