An 1861 Perot provisional is to star in a sale of British Empire stamps at David Feldman in Geneva on December 10.
The lot is expected to make £50,000-80,000 ($76,045-121,672).
 Perot's honesty box system was not a success |
The stamp was the first ever issued in Bermuda by the island's first postmaster, William Perot. It was introduced after Perot's honesty box system, in which postage was left along with a letter, was abused by customers.
In 1848, fed up with finding more letters than money in the box, Perot came up with a simple stamp that he sold as pre-payment.
Only 11 are known to survive, making it Bermuda's rarest stamp.
Another 1861 Perot provisional (mounted on a cover) is valued at $100,000-200,000 ahead of a sale at Spink.
Another lot at David Feldman is a rare mixed franking cover with a Cape of Good Hope date stamp, valued at £30,000-40,000 ($45,607-60,809).
It displays a Mauritius Britannia 4d blue and a Cape 4d blue. It was sent from Sydney to Mauritius, although the "Undeliverable" stamp indicates it never made its destination.
Feldman describes it as "a unique, colourful and most exotic classic combination franking for two journeys across the Indian Ocean".
Click here to take a look at our amazing selection of British Empire stamps.
Please sign up to our free newsletter to receive exciting news about postage stamp auctions.
