A 1d Orange-Vermilion pelure paper stamp was the lead lot of an Auckland City Stamps sale in New Zealand.
It made $9,147 on August 22.
 The New Zealand penny orange is printed on flimsy pelure paper |
The lot is described as displaying strong colour and even margins, and dates to the early 1860s.
It was around this time that the number of post offices in New Zealand exploded. The colony became more or less self-sufficient in 1858, with the introduction of the Local Posts Office Act of 1856.
It's rare for stamps printed on pelure paper to survive for long, as it's a particularly brittle medium, further increasing the value of the piece.
An 1848 soldier's concession rate cover sent by corporal James Irving to Kirriemuir, Scotland made $3,672.
It displays a strong example of the rare "Paid at Auckland" crown circle handstamp and a SOLDIER & SEAMAN'S LETTER/4 handstamp.
As an added feature of interest, it bears the signature of Colonel Wynyard, who was appointed New Zealand's commander in chief in 1851.
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