Our latest news items:
Zurich Asia, an Arthur Maury Company, sets New Hong Kong
First half of 2008 auction highlights
Two of the Oldest Auction Houses Join Forces
ZURICH ASIA
Zurich Asia, an Arthur Maury Company, sets
New Hong Kong Philatelic Auction Records
We are pleased to report that our first Hong Kong sale as an Arthur Maury company was extremely successful. Total sales reached almost HK $18.7 million (approximately U.S. $2.4 million), 25% higher than the pre-auction estimate. While bidding was quite strong across the board, the competition was especially intense for several prized rarities.
The lot garnering perhaps the most attention was the 1897 Red Revenue surcharged with small figures, 4c on 3c red, unique block of six (ex Paul Hock collection). The block is the largest recorded multiple of this rare stamp and is considered one of the most important items in all of Chinese philately. When the hammer finally fell, the block had sold for a stunning HK$ 4,400,000, well above its HK$ 3,000,000-3,500,000 estimate and possibly the highest price ever realized for a Chinese philatelic item at auction.
Some other striking auction highlights included an 1883 Customs Large Dragon, thick paper, clean perforation, 3Cds brown and red (ex Warren G. Kauder, James B. Whang and M.F. Huang collections). There are only three recorded examples of this stamp with a complete imperforate sheet margin. The lot hammered at an amazing HK$ 480,000, roughly twice the pre-sale HK$ 200,000-250,000 estimate. This price is an all-time record for the stamp, which last sold for HK$ 100,000 in 2003.
Another impressive realization was the 1894 Empress Dowager 1st printing, 24Cds. carmine, vertical pair, imperforate between (ex Quintin Tan Kok Tin collection). It hammered for HK$ 260,000, double the HK$ 120,000-140,000 estimate and also establishing a new record price.
Lastly, a 1951 Northeast China Parcel Post Locomotive issue with $100,000 purple, imperforate $300,000 brown, $500,000 greenish blue and $1,000,000 vermillion, all in blocks of six plus one $100,000 single drew considerable interest, due in large part to its scarcity in such multiples. The lot was finally knocked down at HK$ 170,000, several times the HK$ 20,000–30,000 estimate and more than twice the Scott catalogue value.
We would like to thank collectors, consignors, and agents alike who made these fantastic results possible. Building on this auction’s great success, we are already accepting consignments for our next Zurich Asia sale which will be held within the next few months. Please contact Louis Mangin or Winnie Poon for further details.
First half of 2008 auction highlights
Sale #326: U.S., Confederacy and U.S. Possessions April 16-17, 2008
Our inaugural April sale in New York featured one of only two possible complete sets of the 1901 Pan-American issue inverted centers in mint blocks of four. One area showing particularly strong interest was the Civil War Postal History collection of Dr. Bernard F. Losekamp, with hammer prices on some C.S.A. covers reaching as much as four to five times pre-sale estimates.
Lot 290
1c, 2c & 4c Pan Americans, complete set in blocks of four with centers
inverted. One of only two possible sets. Realized $575,000.
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Lot 381 |
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Lot 835 |
Sale #327: The George A. Schwenk Collection May 24, 2008
In May, MBI was the featured auction house at the NOJEX Stamp Exhibition where we sold the George A. Schwenk collection of 19th Century U.S. stamps, highlighted by nearly complete 1875 and 1880 Bank Note Special Printings. This sale realized approximately $1.1 million. Some of the more prominent sale items included an 1869 24-cent with center inverted, which sold for $32,200 and an 1867 5-cent A. grill essay with points down which realized $27,600 (more than three times the estimate). An Extremely Fine mint example of the 1851 one-cent type III hammered at $46,000 -- $21,000 over estimate, and the 1882 5c gray brown special printing brought an astonishing $138,000.
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Lot 14 |
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Lot 42 |
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Lot 81 |
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Lot 120 |
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Lot 204 |
Sale #13: Harmers of Switzerland Public Auction June 6-7, 2008
On the international front, HA Harmers Auctions SA of Switzerland (“Harmers”), our European subsidiary, held a rarities and specialized collections sale in early June. Highlights included a mint and very fine Great Britain 5-pound orange on blue paper; a fantastic specialized collection of the 1930 Parliament Iceland issue of Iceland sold in one lot; a specialized collection of Madagascar British Consular Mail; a Gold Medal collection of the Spanish and German Mariana Islands; many Swiss rarities including a Zumstein no. 16 on cover; and a specialized Grand Prix / Gold Medal collection of Uganda. The strongest realizations came from the Tahiti and Uganda collections, with many lots achieving realizations several times the estimates. Indeed, some buyers commented that they had not seen such a quality Tahiti collection come to market in nearly 20 years.
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Lot 33 Belgium, 1861, 1c green. Estimate $8,000. Realized $28,400. |
Lot 310
Tahiti, 1855 cover with original enclosure to Cognac, France via Honolulu, San Francisco and New York by American Packet. Estimate $3,900. Realized
$24,600.
Lot 466
1900, 3pf – 80pf Tientsin Provisional overprints complete, plus unissued 25pf
and 40pf values.
Estimate $116,900. Realized $172,600.
Lot 648
Spanish Marianas, 1897 registered parcel wrapper front to Herr
Zolliker in Rheineck via Brindisi. Estimate
$5,500. Realized $14,000.
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Lot 795 Great Britain, 1882, £5 orange on bluish with large part original gum. Estimate $47,000. Realized $55,000. |
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Lot 841 Kuwait,
1923 Unissued George V definitives overprinted “Koweit”. |
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Lot 906 Madagascar, 1886, 1d rose, complete sheet of four. Estimate $1,030. Realized $3,400. |
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Lot 987 Estimate $74,750. Realized $102,795.
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Lot 988 Estimate $4,700. Realized $10,600. |
Sale #328: Harbour Auction June 27-28, 2008
Our recently completed Harbour sale capped off a successful first half of the year with total sales of over $1.6 million. Bidding was very competitive on the large U.S. and Foreign collection lots, while there were also many pockets of strength in higher-graded U.S. and Foreign stamps.
Lot 269
1851 folded letter to Paris, France, bearing 1847 5¢ red brown. Realized $3,700.
Lot 747
1893, 5¢ Columbian (234), top
margin plate block of 8.
Scott $4,700. Realized $12,650.
Lot 1511
Guam, 1899, $1 black, type I (12).
Realized $14,375.
Two of the Oldest Auction Houses Join Forces
Baltimore, MD - December 11, 2007 - Matthew Bennett International and Arthur Maury Corporation, two of the world's oldest stamp companies, have joined forces to create one of the largest worldwide philatelic auction houses.
Matthew Bennett International, under the leadership of Harvey Bennett since 1988, has become known and trusted for offering the finest in stamps, postal history and historical documents to the worldwide philatelic community. As one of the leading experts in United States philately, Harvey Bennett, who also provides his expertise to the Philatelic Foundation and the National Postal Museum, will serve as Chairman of the new company and will continue his oversight on the acquiring, production, and sale of all collections.
The Arthur Maury Corp. is an extension of the house first built by Arthur Maury, legendary philatelist and renowned author of several works of reference. Jean Vavrovsky, CEO of the Arthur Maury Corp., acquired this renowned house in 1974. By applying his 30 years of experience, he will help to launch the Matthew Bennett/Arthur Maury joint venture in the United States. This global presence will provide consignors the most extensive audience to bid on their material, while providing collectors the widest range of stamps, postal history and historical documents. Vavrovsky states, "Together, I see our two great philatelic names creating a new auction powerhouse for collectors and consignors alike, whether they are based in the United States or in Europe."
Bennett notes the benefit of merging our efforts with Arthur Maury Corp., a corporation based on old-fashioned traditions yet is innovative in terms of its use of marketing and technology. He also sees this as an opportunity to further expand his contacts on the European continent while maintaining his United States-based auctions in New York City. "This is a unique opportunity for me to acquire new friends, both here and abroad, with whom to share my passion," states Bennett.
Vavrovsky adds that the auctions we are planning for 2008 include some of the rarest stamps in the world.