Here's a quiz question I think you'll appreciate.
What links the world's smallest republic and Britain's most beautiful stamp?
The answer? Today's featured item.
It's a superb Commonwealth piece of exceptional rarity.
It's presented in brilliant unmounted mint condition.
It's previously unrecorded, and worthy of display at the highest level.
And it comes with a fascinating history involving WWI, the British Empire, and some delicate international diplomacy.
(Not to mention a very attractive price.)
So to begin, we need to travel 8,829 miles around the world, and 100 years into the past.
Welcome to Nauru.
The world's smallest republic.
A tiny island situated in the Central Pacific, with a population of just 10,800.
It's a microstate in Micronesia. Nations don't come any smaller.
You could walk across it in a morning, and still have time for a long lunch.
But that doesn't make it insignificant. It's anything but.
And it has a fascinating and complex postal history.
In 1888 Nauru was annexed by Germany as part of the Marshall Islands, and in 1908 the first postal service was established, using German stamps.
But just six years later in 1914, following the outbreak of WWI, Australian armed forces on their first mission captured the islands and took control.
They initially used existing German stamps featuring the now highly collectible 'GRI' overprint.
But when those limited stocks ran out, they were replaced by overprinted Australian stamps instead.
It took a further five years of negotiations before Nauru was placed under the mandate of Britain and George V.
But during that time it was decided that, once the Australian overprints were exhausted, British stamps would be used until the matter was decided.
And that's where today's incredibly rare item comes in.
Britannia rule the waves.
It's a stamp I'm sure you know well.(Although perhaps not in this form...)
The stunning George V Seahorse.
One of the most iconic British stamps ever issued.
And an integral part of every GB collection.
The beautiful dramatic design by Bertram Mackennal, and the high quality of the engraving, made it incredibly popular upon its release in 1913.
And in 1916 these stamps, designed to portray British naval superiority, set sail across the ocean to Nauru.
The first batch, printed by Waterlow Bros & Layton and featuring the red 'Nauru' overprint, arrived in May.
The first recorded usage was five months later, on October 7, and they remained in use until the official Nauru definitives were issued in 1924.
Although no records exist of the exact quantities of Seahorse overprints issued, it can be assumed that they were extremely low.
(Because as we've already established, Nauru really is very small indeed.)
Rarer were the 'Specimen' stamps printed and issued to all members of the UPU (Universal Postal Union), as a reference for authentication.
Records show that 360 UPU 'specimen' overprints were produced, with no blocks possible.
But the item I'm offering you today isn't one of those.
It's something even rarer still.
A magnificent showpiece.
This is a Nauru 1916-23 10s indigo-blue 'Seahorses' block of four.Presented in brilliant unmounted mint condition with full original gum.
And featuring an abnormal 'SPECIMEN' overprint (type GB26).
It's the only known block of its kind in existence.
This is a right marginal block of 4 from R7-8/3-4 on the sheet.
As you can see, it's perfectly centred.
The colours are vivid and wonderfully fresh.
And the quality of the Waterlow printing process really shines through.
It's a truly magnificent showpiece.
And almost certainly unique.
A ratio of 10 million to 1.
More than 100 million Seahorse stamps were issued from 1913 - 1936.But there are just 10 known examples with this unusual Nauru 'Specimen' overprint.
Six of those were released by the National Postal Museum in 1984.
Their existence was only revealed in 2005 by Nauru stamp expert Keith Buckingham, in his definitive book on the subject.
Buckingham's personal collection of Nauru issues was later sold in 2006, and as the auction house noted at the time:
"[His book] helped to draw many new collectors to this interesting territory. This was reflected in a large numbers of outstanding results which caused some astonishment among those present."
Buckingham notes that those six stamps were individual examples.
But this is a previously unrecorded block of four.
The only block of its kind known to exist.
It was authenticated by Stanley Gibbons expert Dr. Philip Kinns, and acquired directly from the company by the current owner.
And for Commonwealth collectors and those interested in Pacific Island stamps, it represents a spectacular opportunity.
A remarkable offer.
Just 10 examples of this incredibly rare Nauru Seahorse 'specimen' overprint are known to exist.And this unique block gives you four of them.
- In brilliant unmounted mint condition
- Perfectly centred and wonderfully fresh
- With a fascinating philatelic history
It's highly collectible. A visually stunning showpiece for your collection.
And remember I mentioned earlier that the price was attractive?
I wasn't kidding.
Given its history, condition and rarity I'd actually call it remarkable.
Because the consignor has owned it happily for many years. They originally acquired it for a very good price, and they're now content to sell.
Which means you can benefit from their wise original purchase.
But only if you act now.
The SG catalogue value for a single example is £11,000.
But today you can buy this entire block of four for only £6,500.
If you'd like to take advantage of this offer, you need to contact us now.
- Email info@paulfrasercollectibles.com
- Or call us on +44 (0) 1534 639 998
Simply click the link below to buy from our secure online store.
Click here to purchase now
Our guarantee to you.
This item comes with our Lifetime Guarantee of Authenticity, so you can add it to your collection with complete peace of mind for the future.
Delivery is completely free and fully insured.
And it's also covered with our 28-day money back guarantee if you change your mind for any reason.
If you have any further questions on this stamp, get in touch today and we'll be happy to help.
Thanks for reading,
Owen.
Paul Fraser Collectibles.
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