In association with Robert A Siegel Auction Galleries, Charles and Tracy Shreve have announced that they will auction Bill Gross' US 1847 and 1851-1856 issue stamps on April 9 in New York.
 The 10c cover from Canada to New York |
This is the first time Gross, a legendary investor and stamp collector, has ever auctioned items from his United States collection. Buyers will undoubtedly clamour for the stunning selection presented over 375 lots, which is expected to realise in the region of $1.5m to $2m.
The auction catalogue alone is enough to excite collectors, printed in a lavish hardcover format. All proceeds from the sale will be donated by Mr and Mrs Gross to Doctors Without Borders and the Millennium Villages Project at the Earth Institute.
Read our interview with Charles Shreve, in which he discusses Gross' legendary collection and the famous Inverted Jenny/Z-Grill swap.
The stamps on offer are limited to 1847 proofs, stamps and covers, as well as 1851-1856 issue covers. Most of these originate from the collections of John R Boker Jr, Wade Saadi and Joseph Hackmey, all of which Gross has acquired in his years of dedicated collecting.
The sale will showcase some of the greatest covers from both these issues, including a superb 10c 1847 used from Canada and tied by the New York "Paid" cancel, and the 10c 1847 and 1857 issue combination cover to California.
Despite the sale, Gross has no plans to stop collecting or to sell any more of his vast collection. The reason given for the auction is that he feels he may be preventing other collectors from building their own collections to a similar level as his own.
All items will be offered without reserve.
Gross' collection proves the power of postage stamps as an investment, with the financial manager strongly supporting the returns offered by this fascinating asset class. Find more information on how we can help you build a solid investment portfolio here.
We also hold some of the finest stamps for sale on the current market, with superlative examples from Great Britain and the Commonwealth. Unique offerings include the Hong Kong 96c Olive-Bistre block of four, The Black Empress and the largest known mint multiple from plate three of the Penny Black issue.
