One of only two known mint never-hinged “12-penny Black” stamps became a star on Canadian national television this week.
The story was originally broadcast on CTV News Ottawa, which is home to Sparks Auctions. The story was picked up the next morning and broadcast across Canada on Your Morning.
The 1851 imperforate 12-pence black, which carries a catalogue value of $320,000, will cross the Sparks auction block on Saturday, Jan. 21, as Lot 16. The stamp’s impressive history and valuation were the focus of a story originally broadcast Wednesday on CTV News Ottawa. The story was picked up the next morning on CTV’s Your Morning program. The two-hour program, which features news, features and live interviews, is broadcast across Canada on all CTV affiliates.
Here is a link to the original broadcast on CTV News Ottawa
Here is the link to another interview on CTV National News.
The story features an interview with Peter MacDonald, general manager of Sparks Auctions. The story not only provides interesting facts on the ’12-penny Black,’ but also shines a spotlight on the thriving hobby of stamp collecting in Canada and abroad.
An 1851 imperforate 12-penny Black stamp carries a catalogue value of $320,00 as part of the Athena Collection, the first part of which crosses the auction block on Jan. 21.
Sparks Auctions General Manager Peter MacDonald in a live interview with CTV National News.
In a story originally published in Canadian Stamp News (Vol. 47 #20, Jan. 17, 2023), auction manager Stephane Cloutier called the stamp the “star attraction of the (Athena) collection.” Cloutier called it a “first-class rarity” and one of Canada’s rarest mint NH (never hinged) stamps. The other known example was sold in 2011 for $425,000 US, including the buyer’s premium.
For more details on Lot 16 and other fascinating Athena Collection lots, click here.