New York’s Cherrystone Auctions is hosting its first sale of 2018, and there are a number of Canadian highlights worthy of mention.
Among the top highlights is Lot 671, a horizontal pair of 1930 “Miss Columbia” 50-cent-on-36-cent Newfoundland Air Post overprints (Scott #C5).
This stamp derives its name from the monoplane “Miss Columbia,” which was piloted by Captain Errol Boyd and Lieutenant Harry Connor, who made the trip from Harbour Grace to Croydon Airport, London. Only 300 copies of the 35-cent Caribou stamp were overprinted, and at least half were used.
Single examples of the 1930 ‘Miss Columbia’ overprint is being offered as Lot 669 (shown above) as well as Lot 670.
According to auctioneers, sales were restricted to a single stamp to each buyer, hence few pairs are known (with only 143 unused stamps known to exist).
Described as Fine-Very Fine, never hinged and “post office fresh,” this lot is well-centred and has a catalogue value of $28,000. The starting bid is $14,000.
Lots 669 and 670 offer single examples of the 1930 “Miss Columbia” 50-cent-on-36-cent Newfoundland Air Post overprint (SC #C5), both with a catalogue value of $9,500 and a starting bid of $4,500.
1932 DO-X SURCHARGE
Lot 675 offers another “major rarity” from Newfoundland Air Post—the 1932 DO-X surcharge, $1.50 on $1 blue, with the surcharge inverted (SC #C12a). Described as lightly hinged, well-centred, fresh and Very Fine, this lot is accompanied by 2002 Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation and 2004 BPA Expertizing certificates.
Lot 675 is a 1932 DO-X surcharge, $1.50 on $1 blue, with the surcharge inverted (SC #C12a). This lot has a catalogue value of $20,000.
These stamps were printed in sheets of four for use on the return flight of the Dornier DO-X from New York to Germany. While it has been estimated as many as 13 blocks of four may have had the inverted surcharge applied in error, only 20-40 stamps still exist today. This lot has a catalogue value of $20,000 and a starting bid of $12,500.
Lot 659 is a 1991-98 $2 Truro Provincial Normal School stamp with the inscriptions inverted. This lot has a catalogue value of $8,750.
MODERN ERRORS
Rounding out the highlights are two fairly modern errors, the first of which is Lot 659, a 1991-98 $2 Truro Provincial Normal School stamp with the inscriptions inverted (SC #1376b). Described as never hinged and Very Fine, this lot is accompanied by a 2015 Greene Foundation certificate. A rare stamp with only about 70 known to exist, this lot has a catalogue value of $8,750 and a starting bid of $4,500.
Lastly, Lot 660 is a 1992 42-cent Canada in Space left sheet margin block of five se-tenant pairs with the 42-cent hologram and silver omitted from the satellite (SC #1441a). Containing two plate blocks of four, this never hinged, Very Fine example is described by auctioneers as “a spectacular modern error.” There is a catalogue value of $13,750 and a starting bid of $4,500.
Rounding out the highlights is Lot 660, a 1992 42-cent Canada in Space left sheet margin block of five se-tenant pairs with a catalogue value of $13,750.
Comprised of 1,689 lots, the Feb. 6-7 sale also includes stamps and postal history of other British Commonwealth countries as well as the U.S., Europe, Asia and South America. There are “numerous rarities” from the U.S., China, Costa Rica, Colombia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italian States, Italy and Italian Colonies, Russia and the Soviet Union, Switzerland, large lots,` collections, booklets and Zeppelin covers.