Spink's Summer Series boasts a 'gem and great rarity' from Austrian philately

Well, we're still trying to digest all the results from the section of the Chartwell collection of British Empire sold so far at Spink, and they followed that up with another sale immediately representing the philately of Islamic countries.

It's impossible to summarise the former, which produced at least two substantial world records, but if you missed the latter, that was also whether promising in its own area with some interesting results for Turkish and Iranian rarities.

But Spink never rests for long, and sure enough they have another impressive sale coming up next week, titled simply The Summer Series sale.

The important Bolivian cover (£40,000)

Two of the highlights have little in common bar the fact that they are both relatively early covers:

Firstly there is an 1850 hand-made paper cover from Austria with a 15 cent red, type III stamp with a complete St. Andrew's Cross attached at the left, tied by a "Lecco/7 Nov." cancellation to entire letter which is addressed to Ardezio.

The adhesive is close but clear at the upper-right and with large margins on the other sides. Of fresh colour and very fine, it is described by Spink as "a gem and a great rarity". Once part of the Emil Capellaro collection, it is listed at £20,000-30,000 ($48,200).

Secondly, there is a British Post Offices Abroad cover from Bolivia, dated 1868 (January).

A yellow printed envelope from Cobija to California, bearing 1867-68 Condor 5c. yellow-green pair in combination with GB 1865 wing-margin 1/- green each of which is cancelled by superb "C39" obliterators.

The cover shows faint Cobija and Panama circular date stamps alongside '10' rate hand stamp and clear arrival circular date stamps.

This is one of just two such recorded combination covers and one of the most important British Post Office in South America covers. It is listed at £30,000-40,000 ($64,300) in Spink's auction which takes place in the afternoon on July 12.

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