At time of writing, Cherrystone's exciting US and World rare stamp auction is still running. But many of the key results have been determined.
The sale, which offered 1,344 lots representing an impressive gathering of rare stamps and covers of United States, Asia, Europe, British Commonwealth and South America, included two very exciting Chinese stamps which we mentioned before.
 The Peking $2 black blue stamp with centre inverted |
These were: firstly, a 1914-19 First Peking printing $2 black and blue with the centre inverted. It is a magnificent example from the lower right corner of the sheet with complete selvedge on two sides.
Boasting deep bright colours, it is also uncharacteristically well centred, nearly perfect within large margins, fresh and lightly hinged in lower selvage only.
A magnificent and beautiful gem, ready to star in the finest collection; it is undoubtedly the best possible quality known of this error, of which only around 30 examples are known today. Listed at $250,000, it sold for exactly that.
Then there was a 1925 4c slate gray stamp surcharged 3 Cts in red on second Peking printing. The surcharge is inverted and the piece as a whole is quite striking with vibrant coloursand strong impression of both basic stamp and surcharge contrasted by its bright white paper.
 Peking 4c slate gray stamp with red surcharge |
The rarest of the 'Four Treasures of the Republic', only ten examples of this error were originally discovered. This too was expected to sell for $250,000 and remarkably it also hit the target exactly. We'll be bringing you more results from Cherrystone shortly.
Chinese stamps, both Imperial and PRC, are going from strength to strength. Collectors interested in collecting pieces of the nation's philatelic history and furious with themselves for missing this sale should take a look at this strip of four clean-cut olive-yellow stamps.
Dating to 1885-88, these are imperforate in between the stamps. There are only four strips with this error recorded.
