10 Amazing Rarities You Can Own For Under A Grand
Hi fellow collector
I’ve been busy…
Finding amazing philatelic rarities for you to add to your collection.
Every one of the rarities I have found for you, surprisingly, can still be secured for under a grand.
That means they remain affordable despite their rarity and quality.
There’s plenty room for future growth in value.
The collection spans the far reaches of the British Empire from Africa, Asia, Europe and the remotest of islands.
The collection has a total catalogue value of £13,680.
The price to you is £9,115, representing a 33% discount.
Take a look at the table below for the entire collection at a glance…
Now the exciting part. The stamps…
1 TWO PRINTING VARIETIES FOR THE PRICE OF ONE
Description: South Africa 1930-47 2s6d blue and brown 'Ox-wagon Inspanned' Official, rotogravure 'SUIDAFRIKA' one word, overprint type O2, horizontal pair, right (Afrikaans) stamp showing variety 'Diaeresis over second 'E' of 'OFFISIEEL' (R6/2), SGO19b.
Most interestingly, the left (English) stamp (R6/1) also shows short 'OFFICIAL' as listed in the South Africa Union Handbook, No V1.
Condition: A brilliant quality mint pair with original gum.
Rarity: A rare printing variety and of particular interest with the additional variety on the left English stamp. Only 199 maximum possible examples of the basic variety, from the 1947 printing.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £1,500+.
PRICE: £995
2 THE DEFINITIVE WORLD WAR I STAMP
Description: Bechuanaland 1913-24 2s6d deep sepia-brown, "Seahorses", Waterlow printing, showing the prominent re-entry (R2/1), SG83a.
Condition: A fine mint example with large part original gum. Slight gum creasing and yellowing, but still of fine appearance.
Rarity: This overprint of the famous Seahorses stamp issue of Great Britain is rarely seen in fine mint condition.
Provenance: Accompanied with a clear Brandon certificate of authenticity (1989).
Such was the success and popularity of the famous Seahorses stamp issue in Great Britain that it was overprinted and used in other countries in the British Empire including Morocco, Offices in the Turkish Empire, Bechuanaland and Ireland.
The stamp is considered a miniature piece of propaganda in response to the German threat posed to Britain at sea on the eve of World War I. The Seahorses boldly claimed Britain’s naval domination and reputation of being "ruler of the seas".
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £1,400
PRICE: £850
3 HANDSOME KING GEORGE VI SCARCE PRINTING VARIETY
Description: Nyasaland 1938-44 £1 purple and black on red, showing printing variety 'Serif on G' (R4/5), SG143c.
Condition: A fine and fresh mint example with large part original gum. A most handsome stamp.
Rarity: A very scarce King George VI variety.
Great Britain declared ‘British Central Africa’ a protectorate in 1891 and started to issue postage stamps. In 1908, the Protectorate was renamed ‘Nyasaland’, and in 1953 it joined the postal territory of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
Stamps were issued from Nyasaland again in 1963 when it became an autonomous area, followed by Independence (as ‘Malaŵi’) on 6 July 1964.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £1,100.
PRICE: £850
4 COMPLETE SHEET OF THE CONTROVERSIAL FIRST STAMP ISSUE OF BRUNEI
Description: Brunei 1895 $1 yellow-olive, complete sheet of 50 (10x5), SG10.
Condition: A remarkable unmounted mint complete sheet with full original gum. A few trivial marginal tone specks (just affecting position 1), otherwise very fine with perfect gum (showing no evidence of the backing disturbance that often spoils this issue).
Rarity: A rarity in this form and in such fine condition.
A very important philatelic rarity, being a complete sheet of the highest value denomination of the first stamp issue from Brunei, which was the subject of much philatelic debate. When these "Star and Crescent" design stamps were first issued in 1895, they were considered as bogus or, at the very least, an issue made for philatelic purposes only.
Consequently, this led to a lot of research on the subject and in 1933 the original agreement between Sultan Hashim and J.C. Robertson, dated 20 August 1894, was published. The agreement made clear that the stamps fulfilled a genuine postal purpose.
Although it is clear that Robertson and his partners had intended to exploit the philatelic sales for their own financial benefit, the agreement does testify, along with collaboratory evidence, that the stamps were used by the Sultan for his postal service.
However, because Brunei did not belong to any local or international postal union, the stamps were only valid for use within the state or on mail to Labuan or Sarawak. Although most of the covers which have survived are addressed to Robertson's associates, there are enough commercially used covers and cards which still exist to prove that there was, indeed, a postal service.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £1,400+.
PRICE: £995
5 MAJOR OVERPRINT ERROR
Description: North Borneo 1901-02 3c green and dull mauve Postage Due, type D1 local overprint with stop after "DUE", perforations 14½-15, ERROR OVERPRINT DOUBLE, block of 4, SGD27a.
Condition: A fine and fresh mint block with large part original gum, (reinforcement at centre right).
Rarity: A fine and rare block with the double overprint error and a most attractive pictorial stamp.
Provenance: Ex Charles Taylor collection.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £1,100+.
PRICE: £975
6 HANDLE WITH CARE – DELICATELY PRESERVED
Description: Ceylon 1857-64 ½d reddish lilac on blue glazed paper, imperforate horizontal pair, SG16.
Condition: Fine used pair with large margins, neatly cancelled by barred ovals which leave profile virtually clear on right stamp. Left stamp with minor marks on reverse and right stamp with slight crease.
Rarity: A very scarce and attractive multiple in far above average condition for this delicate stamp.
Provenance: Ex Sir Ernest de Silva (Harmer Jan 1959).
Accompanied with a clear Royal Philatelic Society (RPS) certificate of authenticity (1971) as former SG3.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £1,400+.
PRICE: £950
7 SHOW STOPPING BEAUTY
Description: Virgin Islands 1887-89 1s brown, watermark CA, complete sheet of 24 (8x3), SG41.
Condition: A fine mint complete sheet with original gum. The sheet was severed and rejoined between the fourth and fifth columns and shows very minor marginal blemishes and trivial gum tones. Regardless, the sheet is overall in fine condition with lovely fresh appearance.
Rarity: A rare and attractive philatelic showpiece.
The "Virgin" stamp issues have long been adored by collectors. The stamp features a depiction of Saint Ursula who, according to legend, had 11,000 virginal handmaidens, after whom the islands had been named.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £1,080+.
PRICE: £850
8 UNUSUAL, RARE AND BEAUTIFUL POSTAL HISTORY
Description: Great Britain 1850 Overseas mail, Belfast to Mexico, SG55.
Condition: Very fine entire envelope sent from Belfast to Mexico bearing a horizontal pair of 1s green's (SG 55, Die W.W.2). The left hand example is touched at top and the right hand stamp touched at foot, both tied by crisply struck black Belfast "62" Irish numerals.
Endorsed at top left "P West Indies Mail", sent per steamer "RMS Trent" from Southampton to St Thomas and "RMS Clyde" from St Thomas to Vera Cruz. Back stamped by a blue Belfast circular date stamp for JY.31.1850. and a part red arrival circular date stamp for SP.2.1850.
Rarity: Scarce and attractive overseas destination entire envelope, unusually underpaid at 2 shillings and not the correct rate of 2s3d that was in use from 1840 to 1863.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £2,000++
PRICE: £950
9 WHAT YEAR IS IT?
Description: Malta 1965-70 3s 'Independence', error gold ('1964') omitted, SG345b.
Condition: A Post Office fresh left marginal block of 4, unmounted mint with full original gum.
Rarity: A very rare and startling error resulting in the year “1964” being omitted. Quite remarkable to find a block of four considering there was only ever one sheet of 60 reported.
Exceptional value major stamp error at this price.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £900++.
PRICE: £750
10 PRIMITIVE PHILATELIC CHARM
Description: Fiji 1870-71 'FIJI TIME EXPRESS' 3d black/rose, thin vertically ribbed paper (with additional thickened lines), R4/1 on the sheet, roulettes on two sides, SG6.
Condition: A fine quality mint example with part original gum. Small thin spot, and minor marks and wrinkles, but in much above average condition.
Rarity: A rare stamp notoriously challenging to find in fine condition as most surviving examples are severely damaged or soiled.
Provenance: Accompanied with a British Philatelic Association (BPA) certificate of authenticity (1995).
Christian missionaries first reached Fiji in 1835. In 1852, Cakobau, the chief of the island of Bau, declared himself King of Fiji and converted to Christianity two years later.
Internal problems and difficulties with the American government led the King to offer to cede Fiji to Great Britain. The offer was refused but resulted in the appointment of a British Consul in 1858.
The destruction of plantations in the Confederacy during the American Civil War led to an increased demand for Fijan cotton and this upsurge in commercial activity encouraged the Fiji Times newspaper on Levuka to establish a postal service on 1 November 1870.
These, the first stamps from Fiji, present a primitive charm to philatelists and were printed at the office of the Fiji Times, Levuka, Ovalau.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £1,800.
PRICE: £950
Buy these major rarities for under a grand whilst you still can
I think this selection of rarities each priced under £1,000 represents an excellent collection in its entirety.
I doubt they will stay at a three-figure valuation for much longer.
If you are interested in the complete collection, you will need to contact me quickly so I can reserve them all for you.
The collection is available for the price of £9,115, a discount of 33%.
How to purchase individual items from the collection:
- Click on the link against each stamp and purchase securely through our online store using your credit/debit card or PayPal
- Email me with your order today at mike@justcollecting.com
- Call us on +44(0)1534 639998
Many clients I speak to today are looking at rare stamps as somewhere to park their money where nothing bad can happen to it.
Buying key rarities such as these, which have not yet reached giddy five-figure valuations, sounds as sensible a strategy in this regard as any.
Take care.
Kind regards
Mike Hall
PS. Is there a particularly difficult stamp you need help finding for your collection? Be sure to drop me a line and let me know what you are searching for. Our network spreads across the globe. We just might be able to find that most elusive of stamps you yearn for.
