Chinese stamps star in superb London Spring Auction

A major auction saw Chinese stamps stand out from a crowd of over 1,300 lots in London

A major London stamp sale, which took place on March 22, 2012, contained a varied range of lots from across the world, but it was Chinese stamps that proved to be the most popular. The Whole Country is Red, a very rare stamp which was withdrawn from sale after the realisation that Taiwan had been coloured in white, sold for £57,000.

The Whole Country is Red Stamp

The consigner offered a superb used example of the stamp which he purchased after travelling extensively throughout China. The Whole Country is Red was just one of over 20 lots from China, proving the popularity and buoyancy of the Chinese stamp market, despite current financial issues. 

The China 100 Stamp Index shows that the value of the 100 most collectible Chinese postage stamps has risen by 46% pa since March 2009, making this a very exciting time for collectors to capitalise on this growing market. Paul Fraser Collectibles is currently offering a Hong Kong 96c Olive-Bistre Unique Block of Four Postage Stamps, the only unused multiple of the stamp in existence.

The Spring Auction proved to be very popular with collectors, bringing in excess of £840,000. "This result is very pleasing for a sale of a general nature. Demand for good material remains strong. It bodes well for our next auction, a specialised sale of British Africa on 17th May," commented auctioneer Ryan Epps.

Closely following the Chinese section was an impressive Danish collection that was considered to be one of the best intact examples in the world. The collection achieved £34,500, despite an estimate of just £10,000. Collections of Great Britain continued selling well, with an outstanding collection of First Day Covers making a 50% increase on its initial estimate.

Recent and related articles

· 1883 Large Dragon cover sells for five times listing at Hong Kong stamp auction | 16 January 2012

· Large Dragon stamp blocks set to swoop into Spink's Hong Kong auction | 7 January 2012

· Rare stamps of China and the US sold at Cherrystone Auctions | 11 December 2011

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Images: Stanley Gibbons