Buy this major African rarity before inflation bites
In stamp collecting, a country which no longer exists is referred to as a “dead country”.
Dead countries have always been a major draw for collectors.
One of the main reasons for this, I think, is because these countries no longer produce postage stamps.
That means collectors can aspire to build a complete collection of every stamp and every variety of those stamps.
The major British Commonwealth rarity I have for you today is not only from a dead country…
It is also the sole surviving example of its kind.
It is unique.
When you own this stamp, no one else can.
And, if someone else wants it to complete their collection, you can effectively name your price.
With inflation beginning to find its way into the stamp market - as it always does - the value of this major rarity could soar in the coming months.
It also helps that it is a particularly handsome stamp…
Nyasaland 1913-19 £10 purple and dull ultramarine on chalk-surfaced paper, printing variety, SG99c
Price: £10,000 ($11,000)
This is a top-tier rarity for investment purposes, ticking all the relevant boxes…
Unique
This famous British Commonwealth rarity comes from the African nation of Nyasaland (now Malawi) in southern Africa by Lake Nyasa.
The £10 face value was the highest value in the 1913 issue of stamps. To put into context, this is the equivalent in value to around £300 today.
For many years, British and Colonial authorities considered postage as just another tax.
The high values of many of these stamp series were used for revenue purposes rather than postage.
As a result, they were often printed in very small quantities, making them incredibly rare today and difficult spaces to fill in the stamp album.
This particular example is beyond rare, it is unique.
You see, there is a printing variety showing a nick in the top right scroll.
It is the only known surviving example of the variety in mint condition.
Premium-grade quality
The high value King George V stamps from 1913-19 used a striking royal image.
It is the rarest and most stunning stamp I have ever handled from Nyasaland.
Being the only one in existence, there is no way to be choosy about quality.
However, in this case, it just so happens the only surviving example is in wonderfully fresh mint condition with original gum and fine colour.
Authenticity assured
For such a unique printing variety, authenticity is critical to its value.
This is assured as the stamp is accompanied with an independent certificate of authenticity issued in 2009 by the British Philatelic Association (BPA).
The BPA Expert Committee was formed nearly ninety years ago. The Committee is formed exclusively of professional philatelists who made a living dealing in stamps.
Their time is given free of charge, making them entirely independent as they have no vested interest in the professional opinions they provide.
Such collective expertise from specialists who have handled many thousands of stamps in their career ensures they can consistently provide a superior service.
Because of this, their certificates are trusted, without reservation, across the whole world.
Strong Liquidity
The British Protectorate of Nyasaland has an interesting postal history.
It was made famous to the British public through the exploits and explorations of David Livingstone in the 1850s.
Livingstone was a strong willed Christian opposed to the horrors of the slave trade. His pioneering efforts proved the catalyst for British missionaries to follow in his footsteps.
The Nyasaland Protectorate was formed on July 6, 1907 and its first stamps were issued on July 22, 1908. It ceased to issue stamps after becoming independent, and renamed as the nation of Malawi in 1964.
There are a large number of collectors in “dead countries” such as Nyasaland. The African stamp market is one of the hottest areas of the market, with auction realisations and prices rising more than any other area of the world in the past few years.
Undervalued
Over the past few years I have watched many African rarities pass me by at auction.
They often go for more than double the auctioneer’s estimate.
Fortunately, I secured this major rarity off-market and did not need to chase the price up to secure it.
That means, for just £10,000, you can own a unique treasure of philately.
Twenty years ago it would have cost you £2,750, an increase in price of 264% (13.2% pa simple growth).
The price of £10,000 is also the current Stanley Gibbons listed catalogue value.
But, this has been the listed value for a number of years.
That is because, being a unique stamp, Stanley Gibbons have no trading data from which to assess any increase in value.
Its current open market value, if tested, could be much more.
Also, the current worldwide inflationary pressures are finding their way into the stamp market.
Overall, this provides a strong expectation to see the value of this major rarity rise considerably in the future.
Weak pound presents market timing opportunity
If you are buying in dollars, the current weakness in the value of the British Pound lands an easy win for you.
If an American client had bought this stamp from us earlier this year, it would have cost $14,000. Today, you can snatch it up for $11,000, a saving of $3,000.
I remember fifteen years ago, buying every premium quality rare stamp I could from US auctions and dealers.
Back then, I was getting $2 to the pound. I don’t regret that move one bit!
This is the reverse in action. It is now time for our US friends to benefit from these extreme moments in time when a currency hits a record low against another.
One stamp, one owner
As this stamp is unique, there can only ever be one owner.
That owner could be you.
But, you will need to contact me before anyone else does if you want to secure it.
Email me today at mike@paulfrasercollectibles.com.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks for reading.
Kind regards
Mike Hall, CEO
PS. The calm before the storm… What I am seeing today, I last saw in 2008 after the banks went bust. At the time, I wrote an e-mail to my clients titled “Where to put your cash when the banks go bust”. It was met with silence and even disdain.
Frankly, at that time, people were like rabbits caught in the headlights, too scared to do anything.
But, after a while, people got tired just waiting and realised they were quickly seeing their wealth going down.
So, a few months later, I experienced the highest levels of demand I had ever seen for our rare stamps. Naturally, prices rocketed in a very short space of time.
Interesting times to come for the stamp market…
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