One of the rarest stamps in British philately, the 1910 2d Tyrian Plum, has sold for £32,000 ($51,340) at an auction in London.
Just 12 examples exist today from an original printing of 24m.
 Signs of hinging and a loss of gum limited the stamp's value |
It follows the decision to pulp the majority of the stamps prior to release, following the death in May 1910 of the king whose head they depict, Edward VII.
The result fell a long way short of the £110,000 ($178,800) catalogue price, a reflection of a number of small detractions.
These included the loss of a small amount of its original gum and traces of a hinge. Two surface rubs further counted against the stamp.
The result follows the £48,300 ($77,826) sale of another of the 12 at an auction on October 3.
We are pleased to be able to offer you our superb quality 1910 2d Tyrian Plum today. It comes complete with a 1961 British Philatelic Association Certificate of Authenticity stating that the stamp is genuine.
Values for the very best examples of the stamp have grown markedly during the past 10 years.
In 2002 an unused example was valued at £20,000 ($32,325), according to the GB Concise 250 Index. Today's £110,000 ($178,800) valuation corresponds to a 10% pa rise in 10 years. In 2011 a leading unused specimen sold for £102,000 ($164,850) at auction in London.
Yesterday's sale also featured a Great Britain George V Issues 1935 Silver Jubilee 2½d, which sold for £6,000 ($9,625).
View our complete selection of stamps you can buy today here.
