Our finest philatelic item offered for the first time
If you are a lover of fine wine, you’ll know Grand Cru is the top dog. It is known for being the best quality and is the highest and most well-respected wine classification.
The major rarity I share with you for the first time today is, unquestionably, a “Grand Cru” from the top echelon of philately.
This is probably the one and only time I will savour the privilege of handling this exquisite item.
That’s because it is unique so I won’t ever be able to sell another like it.
There can only ever be one owner.
That owner could be you…
Technical Description
Great Britain 1887 2½d Purple/Blue "Jubilee", SG201c.
Very fine mint, with original gum, imperforate top left-hand corner marginal horizontal pair from setting 1. The left-hand stamp shows some light gum creasing, which does not detract from what is a unique great rarity.
GB Specialised Catalogue Number: K31(1)aa.
Provenance: Ex Latto, Shaida & Aureum.
The special Jubilee stamp issue
The Jubilee stamps issued in 1887 are very important philatelically because:
- They were the first British stamps printed in two colours
- They were the first Victorian stamps to drop the corner letters used for distinguishing stamps on the sheet
- They are considered the first commemorative stamps issued in Great Britain
The previous issue of Victorian stamps in 1883-4 were the lilac and green series. They were not popular with the public because the colours were considered dull.
Postal clerks also didn’t like them because postmarks often covered the denomination. There were lots of denominations in the same colour meaning it was often difficult to know that the correct denomination had been used on the envelope.
As a result, the Post Office decided to replace them with issues in two colours for the first time. This was a major break from tradition.
The new set of stamps were actually planned for issue in 1884. Due to delays, they did not appear until 1887. This proved fortuitous indeed…
1887 just so happened to be the year of Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.
The Golden Jubilee celebrated Queen Victoria of Great Britain, Empress of India and ruler of the British Empire. With Britain’s Empire at its height, the occasion was a focus of national and international celebration.
Although the stamps were not deliberately issued to celebrate the event, they quickly became known as the Jubilee stamps.
The public flocked to buy these new modern colourful stamps and they became the unofficial commemorative symbol of the Jubilee.
The Jubilee stamps represent some of the most colourful and appealing stamp designs ever committed to paper.
They were so popular, they lasted into the reign of King Edward VII.
Now over 130 years later, they remain as ever-popular with collectors.
The unique Jubilee imperforate pair
The 2½d purple/blue pair of Jubilee stamps I present to you today is the key rarity of the Jubilee stamp issues.
It is the only known imperforate pair of this denomination in existence.
The Stanley Gibbons Queen Victoria Specialised catalogue lists it as follows:
“The only known imperforate pair exists from the top left-hand corner of a lower pane and has the selvedge containing the marginal rules intact. The listed pair is thought to have potentially come from a different registration sheet to the known single examples”.
Provenance of the highest order
Not only is the unique imperforate pair detailed in the Stanley Gibbons catalogue, it has also been authenticated and sold by them in the past.
This provides you with a watertight assurance of authenticity.
More importantly though, its value is augmented substantially virtue of its evident desirability and fame throughout philatelic history.
It has proudly sat within collections belonging to some of the greatest and most reputed collectors ever to grace our hobby…
It was previously in the collection of the famous and charismatic Scottish collector, Dr Douglas Latto.
It was also illustrated in his highly regarded book on the subject “Imperforate surface printed stamps of Great Britain”.
It then featured in the Grand Prix winning collection of the noted philatelist, Hassan Shaida.
Most recently, it resided within the Aureum Collection of “Great Britain Queen Victoria Jubilee Issue stamps”.
Such an illustrious history of ownership serves to give this major rarity a thoroughbred pedigree.
Price
It is listed in the Stanley Gibbons Queen Victoria Specialised catalogue, which used to be published every three or four years. There has been a big hiatus, however, with no new edition being published since 2011.
The next edition is eagerly anticipated for publication next year.
Its price history in the SG catalogues is provided below, for your information:
The growth in value of 340% in the ten-year period from 2001 to 2011 is impressive.
It’s no surprise though when you think about it…
It is unique and evidently so desired by major collectors, so you would expect to see prices going up like this with competition to own something which only one person can ever own.
The big question is what growth will we see in the ten-year period since the last catalogue was published in 2011?
Now, I’m sure by this point your thinking “come on get to the point, what price are you asking for it?”
You would be right to assume I would normally factor in a similar growth rate to historic growth to account for the ten-year gap in listed price information.
Based on historic growth, that price would be £112,000.
But, the truth is, I have no way of knowing its current market value unless I sell it through an auction.
Not only that…
The previous owner was not a distressed seller but, let’s just say, the owner had an incentive to raise some funds.
As a result, I secured this at a very attractive price meaning I can pass this benefit on to you.
The price I am asking is, wait for it, …
Yours for just £17,500.
That price represents a 20% discount to the price in the last listed catalogue from 10 years ago.
Need I say more?
A Final Word
In summary:
- Your one chance to own this unique major philatelic rarity
- In splendid mint quality and with full margins from the top left-hand corner of the sheet
- The key rarity from one of the most important stamp issues ever, considered Britain’s first commemorative stamps
- With the most distinguished of provenance
- At an exceptionally low price
You can also claim this major rarity if you contact me at mike@justcollecting.com.
Alternatively, you can reach me by phone on +44(0)1534 639998.
First come, first served, so let me know as soon as you can if this one’s for you.
Thanks for your attention.
Kind regards
Mike Hall
PS. The Jubilee stamps not only remember a key period in the British Empire, they also represent a major milestone in British Postal History.
