Stamps, coins and postal history auction a farewell to 2021

Stamps, coins and postal history are the subject of Melbourne-based Leski Auctions last sale for 2021.

To be held from 10am Thursday December 9 at 727-729 High Street, Armadale, the auction has a larger than usual range of coins, banknotes and medals including an interesting collection of Australian half sovereigns (lots 26-51), featuring Queen Victoria young heads from 1871, and sovereigns (lots 52-89).

The sovereigns include a complete collection (lot 52) of those struck at the Perth Mint from 1899 to 1931 and comprise 33 22-carat gold coins and one 1899-1999 $100 centenary sovereign proof, all in a luxurious jarrah timber presentation case.

They also feature a King George V (modified head) (lot 89), of which only 58,000 were minted.

Among the Australian Commonwealth stamps and postal history section is lot 241 showing a small multi £2 stamp used on one piece.

Lots 283 and 285 are part of a Stamp Design Competition essay and lot 292 the incredible 2/- Jubilee franking cover.

The spectacular missing gold variety on the humble 1966 4c Hartog (after the Dutch explorer Dirk Hartog who landed on Australia’s west coast in the early 1600s) is shown in lot 337, while the pioneer Australian aviation section features three examples of the 1919 Ross Smith vignette used on covers (lots 365-367) from England to Australia, Syria to Australia and picked up in Mesopotamia on a refuelling stop.

Another Australian pioneer icon aviator, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, is represented in lots 371, 392 and 395-398.

The Australian Colonial section (lots 448-496) precedes World Thematics (lots 497-503), followed by World Collections & Accumulations before various countries are listed.

Of particular note is the last lot – 758 – a signed and endorsed flown cover carried by Amelia Earhart on January 1935 from Hawaii to California.