Press release
David Feldman December Auctions – Extraordinary Results
Geneva – December 15, 2012
David Feldman S.A. held its Specialised Auction on December 12-15, presenting two important collections: Part II of the Dr. Raymond Casey Collection of Russian Post Offices in Chinese Empire and the Part III of the Anatoly Karpov Collection of Belgium.
The collection of the Russian Post Offices in the Chinese Empire, built over a duration of 60 years by Dr. Raymond Casey, produced incredibly spectacular results, including world record prices for Mongolian and Sinkiang postal history.
This collection is the most comprehensive and extensive ever formed for this collecting area. After the fabulous results of our April 2012 sale which realised over EUR 1.4 million, the December auction surpassed our expectations with 94% of the lots sold for a total of EUR 2.6 million. David Feldman commented after the sale “Without doubt this is another one of the most successful sales we have had in our 45 year auction history! ”.
Notable highlights:
Lot 10155 – 1920 Cover from Ulyasutai, Mongolia realised EUR 408,000
Lot 10157 – 1917 Cover from Kobdo, Mongolia realised EUR 384,000
Lot 10159 – 1879 Cover from Kuldja, Sinkiang realised EUR 600,000
The sale featured highly competitive bidding from collectors in David Feldman’s auction rooms in Geneva and Hong Kong as well as around the world via the Internet. Results were 500% greater than pre-sale estimates, and produced numerous world record prices, including one lot fetching as much as 175 times the catalogue estimate!
After two outstanding Karpov Collection sales, the results of the third auction confirmed the robust demand for all areas from classic to modern as well as collections.
The continued success of our Belgium auctions is perhaps due in part to our commitment of organising physical viewing of the collection in Brussels and abroad, which attracted large attendance.
Finally, our collector-oriented sale of Switzerland attracted keen interest, justifying our annual tradition to bring fresh properties to the local Swiss market.
Russian Post Office in the Chinese Empire: Dr. Raymond Casey Collection – Part II
China Proper
Lot 10021
PEKING: 1877 (Oct 24) Cover sent registered by notification to St. Petersburg with 1866 1k and three 1875 10k, paying double the 8k rate, 10k registration fee and 5k for certificate of posting, cancelled by boxed Peking hs, reverse with ms despatch and Kyakhta arrival and St. Petersburg receipt, cover slight trimmed at base. This being the earliest known cover from the official Russian Post in Peking
Estimated at EUR 70’000 and sold for EUR 204’000
Lot 10022
PEKING: 1880 (May 4) 8k Postal stationery cover to Austria, cancelled by “PEKIN’ / 4 MAY 1880” hs, with Kyakhta, Moscow and Vienna bs, taking 16 days to cross Mongolia and another 34 days to reach Moscow, one of only three known covers bearing this cancel
Estimated at EUR 30’000 and sold for EUR 96’000
Mongolia
Lot 10155
ULYASUTAI: 1920 10k Postal stationery envelope surcharged in ms “rub” (roubles) to pay the correct registered rate in depreciated currency, sent to Petrograd, cancelled by pen with Ulyasutai 27.5.20 type 2A cds (Hellrigl rated RRR, believed to be unique) adjacent, plus registration hs (rated RRR, also believed to be unique), Pertrograd bs, very fine and unique, also believed to be the latest date recorded of the entire Russian period, cert. British Society of Russian Philately.
Estimated at EUR 40’000 and sold for EUR 408’000
Lot 10157
KOBDO: 1917 Native cover sent registered to Peking, franked with Arms 3k, 5k and 7k plus two 1916 10k on 7k, paying the 15k single letter rate plus registration, tied by Kobdo 2.9.17 type 1A cds, with reg’n label adjacent, Irkutsk censor hs, fine and very rare. One of only four covers recorded from Kobdo and one of the great rarities of Mongolian postal history.
Estimated at EUR 70’000 and sold for EUR 384’000
Sinkiang
Lot 10159
KULDJA: 1879 Envelope sent registered from Kuldja to Taganrog (Russia), with 1879 7k pair tied by “KULDJIAN POSTAL BRANCH / PROVINCE OF THE SEVEN RIVERS” 24.05.79 cds with further strike above, Taganrog bs & manuscript annotation in Russian “Taken out of a (mail) box 24 May”, slightly reduced at top and some light soiling.
Estimated at EUR 8’000 and sold for EUR 600’000
Lot 10166
CHUGUCHAK: 1913 Chinese Imperial Post 1c postal stationery postcard uprated with 3c, sent from “Gorodok Dzhinysar” (Jinsar) via Chuguchak to Kazan, with Chuguchak 11.7.13 type 2A transit cds showing corrected spelling error “OBL.” (for Oblast), fine and possibly unique cancel. –
Estimated at EUR 400 and sold for EUR 84’000
Lot 20055
Splendide Bloc de Quatre
10c Brun foncé en bloc de quatre, grandes marges régulières, nuance brun foncé particulièrement prononcée et d’une fraîcheur exceptionnelle, neuf sans gomme, en parfait état, certificat Kaiser mentionnant “Un des plus beaux blocs de quatre connus”
Estimated at EUR 30’000 and sold for EUR 45’600
Lot 20065
20c Bleu, margé, oblitération de la perception 92 de Peer sur lettre du 23 juillet 1849 pour Tirlemont, càd d’arrivée au verso, seule lettre connue à ce jour de la perception la plus rare sur cette émission et 1er mois de l’Épaulette
Estimated at EUR 8’000 and sold for EUR 31’200
Lot 20080
10c brun (V26 frappe parasitaire Pos. 193), très bien margé, obl.EIII sur lettre datée de Liège pour Verviers avec càd vert “Allemagne Chemin de Fer 18 sept” 1849 et ovale vert “LIEGE BOITE DE LA STATION”, quatre pièces connues, la seule superbe
Estimated at EUR 40’000 and sold for EUR 48’000 <
Lot 20125
Splendide Bloc de Quatre
LE PLUS SPECTACULAIRE DES BLOCS DE QUATRE
40c Carmin en bloc de quatre, coin de feuille supérieur gauche intégral du panneau avec lettres marginales “TIMB”, gomme d’origine absolument intacte (qqs légères traces mais hors timbres), belle nuance, le plus spectaculaire des blocs de quatre de cette émission, qualité exceptionnelle, véritable pièce de musée
Estimated at EUR 24’000 and sold for EUR 48’000
The lists of prices realised from the auction can be viewed on www.davidfeldman.com