Investors in stamps usually find what I reveal from these reports of interest.
It stands to reason that…
- The countries showing the highest demand
- where supply of fine quality rarities is very low
- should be the most likely stamps to rise in value in the future
Also, to help you secure stamps from the areas of hottest demand right now, I have selected my top personal recommendation from each country for you to add to your collection today.
I also managed to purchase these rarities at prices below our professional internal valuations, which make them even more appealing.
I hope you have the time today to take a look at my recommendations.
Please note, these are the top 10 countries in terms of our own personal sales experience in 2023.
Let the countdown begin…
10. North Borneo
North Borneo entered the top 10 last year for the first time at number 8. Despite falling two places to number 10 this year, most countries in Asia are showing higher levels of demand than ever before.
Borneo is the largest island in Asia.
Its main value to the British Empire was timber exports. Half of the world’s timber still, to this day, comes from Borneo.
Part of the attraction is the fact Borneo is famous for producing stunning engraved pictorial stamps.
You can also still pick them up for very affordable prices.
I find their low price levels anomalous.
Finding fine quality examples is extremely difficult due to common condition issues caused by climate related damage. In my opinion, they should be worth so much more.
In particular, stamps issued during the Japanese Occupation proved very popular last year.
This find is in a remarkable state of perfect preservation…
A brilliant quality matching set, unmounted mint with full original gum. Being in the highest condition grade makes this set especially scarce.
Japanese forces first landed in North Borneo on 15 December 1941. By 19 January 1942, the whole of North Borneo had been occupied.
Brunei, North Borneo, Sarawak and, after a short period, Labuan, were administered as a single territory by the Japanese.
These stamps exemplify the attractive and very fine pictorial stamps issued from Borneo.
The 4c depicts Mount Kinabalu and the 8c a typical Borneo scene.
The Stanley Gibbons catalogue value is £260+.
Price: £225 (13% discount)
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9. Barbados
Barbados is a surprise new entry into the top 10 for the first time.
Some collectors are drawn to Barbados due to a simple love of the island.
Barbados is the most easterly of the Western Indian islands in the Caribbean Sea. Its name was given by the Portuguese who christened the island “Los Barbados” (the bearded ones) after the aerial roots of the fig trees growing there, which looked like beards.
Barbados differed from other British colonies in that they did not use British stamps as their first stamps.
Barbados, unlike many of the most popularly collected countries in the world, has always maintained a sensible policy of producing no more than four issues a year.
There is sufficient complexity in their stamp issues, which are also full of wonderful classic designs, to attract a wide base of collectors.
The smaller number of stamp issues means collectors can build a collection without such a massive budget.
This set is one of the most attractive commemorative issues from Barbados. It is particularly rare with the inclusion of the rare 2½d black and indigo colour shade…
Barbados 1907 Nelson Centenary set of 4, watermark MCA, including scarce 2½d in black and indigo (SG162a), SG158/162a.
A fine mint set with large part original gum. Some minor toning as often seen, which does not detract from overall fine quality, with the rare printing shade catalogued at £700 being very fine quality.
An attractive commemorative stamp issue on the 100th anniversary of the death of Admiral Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar.
Accompanied with an independent Behr certificate of authenticity (1973).
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £756.
Price: £495 (35% discount)
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8. USA
USA finds its way back into the top 10 this year.
The high level of competition from US buyers is a challenge for us in this area limiting the amount of US rarities we can secure at the right price. Otherwise, the USA would likely be one of our top three selling stamp countries.
The USA is the largest economy in the world with a population renowned for being passionate collectors.
Linn’s Stamp News estimates around 5 million stamp collectors in the US.
The highest profile stamp collector in recent history is the US billionaire investor, Bill Gross.
He built the most comprehensive collection of US stamps ever assembled worth an estimated $42 million.
In recent years he has been selling his collection with the proceeds from the sale being donated to charity and the Smithsonian National Postal Museum.
Arguably, philatelic treasures from the Bill Gross collection represent the highest provenance in philately.
The lovely 4d scarlet-vermilion Newfoundland cover to Baltimore from the Bill Gross collection I have for you is of the utmost rarity.
Covers like this appear on the market so infrequently, I believe the value at auction could be considerably more in the future…
Newfoundland 1859 4d scarlet-vermilion cover sent from St John's to Baltimore, SG4.
1859 (AP 1) outer wrapper from St John’s to Baltimore, 'Tucker' correspondence, endorsed 'pr Mail via Halifax', franked by 1857-64 4d scarlet-vermilion.
A fine quality cover with good to very large margins, except a little close at foot.
The cover is tied by light barred oval, with red despatch circular date stamp (overstruck by '5/BOSTON/BR.PKT.' Entry circular date stamp is dated 'AP 10') alongside.
Vertical filing folds (clear of stamp and postmarks), but very fine for this usage, the stamp being a particularly attractive example with lovely colour.
The cover bears one of the first stamp issues of Newfoundland, after becoming self-governing in 1855, which are considered classics of the British Empire with the Royal Crown and Heraldic flowers of Great Britain paying homage to the British Crown.
Provenance: Ex Bill Gross, Hubbard, Carey Fox and Stanley Gibbons.
Accompanied with Royal Philatelic Society (1968) and V.G. Greene (2001) Certificates of Authenticity.
Price: £6,250 (17% discount)
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7. Ceylon
Ceylon remains in the same position as last year at number 7.
Ceylon, modern-day Sri Lanka, known as the island of beauty, has always been a popular area of stamp collecting.
In the past, a number of exceptional collections have been built and ultimately sold at auction. The most notable are those of Baron Anthony de Worms, Sir Ernest de Silva and Joseph Hackmey.
The early issues of Ceylon have always proven a big draw for collectors with their classic portrait of Queen Victoria.
They are notoriously difficult to find in “fine” condition.
My recommendation is a spectacular rarity from the Joseph Hackmey collection, featuring a multiple of a rare colour shade, from an early Ceylon stamp issue…
Ceylon 1867-70 10d red-orange, watermark CC type 6, horizontal strip of 4 from left of sheet, SG70b.
Brilliant quality mint strip of four with large part original gum. Light gum creasing mentioned for accuracy, although immaterial to what is an exceptionally fine quality multiple.
Accompanied with a clear 2007 Royal Philatelic Society (RPS) certificate of authenticity. The certificate does not mention the light gum creasing.
Very scarce, particularly because it is of such desirable quality.
It also has top grade provenance emanating from the Joseph Hackmey collection, an Israeli businessman and one of the top stamp collectors in the world.
The Joseph Hackmey collection is the most revered collection of Ceylon ever assembled.
Price: £550
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6. India
India also remains unchanged in sixth place. Based on demand, India would be higher ranked, but scarcity of supply holds back our ability to satisfy the constant high levels of demand from our clients.
The Indian stamp market last year continued to be very competitive. In particular, higher value rarities saw new price levels being reached at auction.
India’s millionaires and billionaires are expected to grow by 80% over the next 10 years, according to a 2022 Henley Global Citizens Report.
This huge increase in wealthy individuals will likely cross over into the rare Indian stamp market as they seek to repatriate their country’s postal heritage.
The Indian Convention and Feudatory States present very interesting and absorbing areas of philatelic study and continue to grow in popularity leading to rising prices.
The inherent quality issues with Indian stamps mean we rarely find any which pass our stringent quality control standards.
Because of the level of competition in the Indian stamp market, we secure precious few of the high quality rarities we do find.
This complete sheet of stamps from the world’s first planned city, Jaipur is a true delight and I secured it at a great price for you…
Indian Feudatory States Jaipur ½a blue, Perkins Bacon printing, complete sheet of eighty (10x8), SG6,6b. The top 6 rows are perforations 12, with bottom rows compound perforations 12-12½.
A fine mint entire sheet with original gum. Some minor separation to be expected for a sheet of this size, and overall an impressive display piece.
Very rare as hardly ever seen as a complete sheet.
The stamp issue features the Chariot of the Sun God, Lord Surya. In Hindu mythology, Surya travels through the sky on a seven-horse, twelve-spoked chariot, driven by Arun (the brother of Garud), with its arrival heralded by Usha, the goddess of Dawn. Sun begins its journey in the Northern Hemisphere (Uttarayan).
Jaipur is famous for being the world’s first planned city, built in 1726-30.
Stanley Gibbons catalogue value: £1,180+.
Price: £795 (33% discount)
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The countdown continues…
Watch out for my e-mail next week when I will reveal to you our top 5 selling stamp countries of 2023.
To purchase today’s top recommendations, either:
- Place your order directly through our online store by clicking on the “CLICK HERE TO BUY NOW” icons
- Email me at mike@paulfrasercollectibles.com
- Call on +44(0)1534 639998
- Message me on +44(0)7700702962
Kind regards
Mike Hall
PS. In case you’re wondering…
The Falkland Islands finished in 11th place and just missed out on the top 10.
The Falkland Islands, an archipelago of some 778 islands in the South Atlantic, issued their first postage stamp in 1878.
From that very first issue right through to the present day, the Falkland Islands have continued to issue beautiful stamps.
Their stamps are internationally recognised for their exceptional design and production qualities.
This beautiful set of miniature works of art is a prime example of the design quality of Falkland Islands stamps capturing life in one of the remotest of the British Colonies…
Falkland Islands 1938 (3 Jan) set of 18 to £1 black and violet, SG146/63.
A fine quality mounted mint complete set of this stunning King George VI pictorial stamp issue.
The Stanley Gibbons catalogue value is £475.
Price: £400 (16% discount)
