As we've reported, Spink has been having more success with the Chartwell collection, in this case the surface printed issues. One of their greatest hits was an 1883 Ten Pence stamp with a watermark error, but a certain block of £5 Orange stamps also excited bidders.

The £5 Orange, dating from 1882 but in this case issued in March 1889, is considered by many to be one of Britain's most attractive looking stamps, and certainly the largest. It was originally used for heavy items that were destined for the furthest reaches of the British Empire.

The classic warm orange £5 is in clear evidence here with a good fresh bright colour. The block is an upper right corner block of four (positions CH-DI) with just a trace of mounting in the impressive margins.

£5 Orange stamp block of four from the Chartwell collection

It has been folded vertically down the perforations, and a mild crease is apparent down the left-hand pair, but nevertheless is a highly impressive example of a multiple of this famous stamp.

Spink had listed it at £12,000-15,000, but such is the desire for many collectors to have an attractive example of this stamp near the centre of their collections that the price was pushed up to over double this with a final sale price of £35,190 ($55,200).

Collectors irritated to have missed out on the opportunity to own a beautiful example of the issue will want to take a look at the £5 Orange stamp we have for sale right now.