Auctions

Specialized single country Latin American auctions are occasional events: even more so as far as Haiti is concerned.

However, next week sees an expansive, dedicated auction to just one stamp: the 1881-1887 Liberty Head.

Soler y Llach in Barcelona is offering the ‘Hispaniola’ collection of Liberty Heads on the 31st January 2019. There is a wonderful selection of items on offer for the specialist including proofs, multiples, rare frankings, plate reconstructions, colour trials, sheets…it’s all there. A large proportion come accompanied with Moorhouse certificates.

There are 144 Liberty Head lots in total, followed by a further 13 lots dedicated to the later Salomon issue of 1887.

Bids are accepted online through Soler y Llach directly or via Stamp Auction Network. For those that want to keep a record of the auction, a downloadable catalogue is available below.

Haiti Hispaniola Auction Catalogue

If you are bidding in this auction, the odds are you are already a member of the Haiti Philatelic Society (and if not, you should be). The Society also holds a small number of auctions for members throughout the year.

 

Watching the postman struggle to our door the other morning could only mean one thing: it was time for another Gartner auction.

Of all the international auction houses, Gartner probably produces the most substantial catalogues. They are usually multi-part affairs which even need their own separate booklet to enable the hapless bidder to navigate the listings.

Their auction later this month (15th-19th October) is no exception with a mind-boggling 27,000 lots (if you include the bank notes and coins).

Buried in amongst these listings however, are some rather fabulous Latin America collections looking for a wealthy benefactor to find them a new home.

First up is a marvelous, highly specialized collection of Brazil, focusing on the years between 1881 and 1889, encompassing the ‘Casa da Moeda’ small heads, larger heads and numeral issues printed by the Brazilian mint. A plethora of rarities included in this lot, backed up by a suitably ambitious start price of €70,000.

Next we have two superior Bolivian collections. The first is an in-depth study of the famous 1867 Condor issue (start price €17,000). The second (and for my money the most interesting of the Gartner offerings) is an accomplished study of the airmail service in Bolivia, with a great selection of proofs and varieties. The 1924 Aviation School issue is one of my personal favourites. This collection kicks off at €22,000.

My final selection from Latin America is a collection of the Colon Heads from Chile. Perhaps more of an accumulation than a collection per se but a great start if you wanted to get properly stuck into these. Starting at €17,000.

Plenty more information on the Gartner website for those of more modest means. Or give your own postman a workout and order a catalogue.

 

Conveniently following on from my plug for SOFICH a few weeks ago, comes the news that Joseph Hackmey is to part with his Chile collection. This is set to be a landmark auction with rare and exceptional items from one of the most important classic Chile collections ever formed.

You’ll need deep pockets for this one.

The auction will focus on the 1853-67 Colons including die and plate proofs, large multiples and unique frankings.

Corinphila will host the auction at the end of the year. They seem to be leading the way in securing major Latin American collections at the moment. Their May/June auction contained a wealth of quality material with particular strength in Brazil and Peru.

A teaser pdf illustrating the highlights of the collection can be downloaded at www.corinphila.ch

One of the most iconic and distinctive series of stamps in Latin American philately are the nine colourful labels used by CCNA (Compania Colombiana de Navegacion Aerea) in 1920.

These beautiful designs have an almost cartoon like appearance and were originally designed as promotional labels for the Curtiss Aeroplane Company. Used to supplement the regular domestic postage for the Cartagena to Barranquilla flight, the labels were used in very limited numbers and have always been actively sought by collectors.

Together with a comprehensive collection of early Colombian air post issues, Siegel auctioned the Barry P. Fletcher collection in a dedicated sale last week. A mere 136 lots garnered a sales value of $280,000 plus premium.

The star lot was the unique unsurcharged SCADTA ‘Condor on Cliff’ on cover which was hammered down for $55,000.

Readers wishing to take a deeper dive into these fascinating issues should take a look at Barry Fletcher’s dedicated website www.barry-fletcher.com which provides a comprehensive background.

Brian Moorhouse’s auctions tend to be somewhat infrequent affairs, the last being held in February last year. Peterborough is a rather incongruous location but for a single day it becomes the epicenter of Latin American philately.

Brian had curated over 750 lots and attendance was good with a number of international collectors who had made the pilgrimage. And bidding was strong with less than 4% of items unsold.

A wonderful selection of over 100 die proofs of the El Salvador 1895 ‘Coat of Arms’ issue sold for £2500 and a run of 14 exhibition pages of the 1932 Nicaragua ‘Earthquake’ issue achieved £2000.

A pair of the 1858 Uruguay 180c Block Letters reached £1100. Interesting to note the premium paid for the pair as the preceding lot was for a single of the same issue in equivalent condition that was snapped up for a mere £70. Shows how even small multiples can have a significant knock-on effect on price.

Colombia was strong (as ever) and Haitian collectors were well served with a good selection of lots, including an 1846 pre-stamp cover bid up to £1100.

A surprise result was for the 1894 Mosquito Coast Provisional with seven copies on piece. This achieved nearly 14 times the start price, closing at £550. The preceding lot was also a Mosquito Coast Provisional, this time a pair on cover and went for £280. Although not listed in Gibbons or Scott, it appears in Michel and is an issue apparently sort after by ASFE (A Stamp From Everywhere) collectors, a branch of philately particularly popular in Eastern Europe, with the objective of collecting at least one item from every stamp issuing ‘authority’.

I placed a few select bids on some of the bulkier lots and came away with some useful selections for future sorting.