Spink Shreves is limbering up to offer another fine collection of rare stamps, and in this case you can sense a little more excitement than usual.
The Rolfe E Wyer Collection is, according to the auctioneer "without a doubt, the finest assemblage of French Colonies offered at public auction in recent memory".
Over fifty years in the making, this incredibly comprehensive collection includes stamps and some covers from all of the French Colonies, as well as French Offices abroad. Additionally, French Colonies that once were occupied by the British or Germans (ie Cameroun and Togo) are also well represented.
One of the many highlights is a 1914 "TOGO/Anglo-French/Occupation" overprint on 2M Blue with the overprint inverted.
 Togo stamp overprint invert |
It is a wonderfully fresh and choice mint example of this error rarity, with deep luxuriant colour on fresh white paper, original gum only lightly hinged and generally very fine.
Only one sheet of twenty stamps was printed with the inverted overprint, all are mint; signed Holcombe and accompanied by his 1991 certificate. This makes it a strong investment.
Scott does not list a catalogue price, but Stanley Gibbons gives £12,000 (just under $20,000).
The sale takes place in New York on May 25-26. Watch this space for more news on the sale, or click here to see an invert error available away from the auction.
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