Submitted by aarAdmin on Wed, 06/30/2021 - 00:00
A £2 black and rose kangaroo first watermark stamp (lot 134) has sold for more than twice its catalogue estimate at $26,887.50 (including buyer’s premium) as part of Leski Auctions Melbourne Stamps, Coins & Postal History sale on Sunday June 27.
Accompanied by a 1983 BPA certificate, it is the finer of the two known examples still in existence with the other sold in 2007 as part of the Arthur Gray Collection in New York.
Four hundred and fifty five of the 751 lots sold at the auction with a Queensland Postal Stationery postal card (lot 399) filling second spot in the results column at $8962.50.
The card, along with two other postal cards (lots 401 and 400 – which sold respectively for $6572.50 and $5497) were part of the magnificent Bernie Beston collection of Queensland Postal Stationery.
Well-known to philatelists the world over, Beston provided informative write ups for his extensive collection which covered lots 323-469 in the auction.
Other auction highlights included an exceptionally rare flight cover (lot 267) addressed to J.M. Bennett, Darwin, 12.12.1919 which was picked up in Baghdad and carried by Australian pioneer aviator Ross Smith that sold for $5975.
Only 31 items originated in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) of which few were postcards and even fewer signed by Bennett.
Another worthwhile result was a one penny black KGV (King George V) Perkins Bacon die proof stamp (lot 165) which changed hands for $6572.50.
An 1855 Tasmanian one penny black Chalon head die proof (lot 478) brought $5975 and a 1929-30 Papua three penny overprinted ‘air mail’ stamp (lot 709) $4780.
A 1930 Sturt one and a half penny die proof (lot 202) reached a credible $4541 and three stamps featuring Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika 50R rose red, 100R purple and 500R green and red King George V heads (lot 640) brought $4302 – more than twice the catalogue estimate.
