Auction Series 257-264 in Zurich Day 4

High-class philatelic material at Corinphila Auctions in Zurich

Rarities from all areas of philately are on offer, including the ‘Greifensee cover’, probably the most important cover of classic Swiss philately.

From 25 to 30 January 2021 Corinphila Auctions will offer for sale a very unusual range of material. The high-quality material being offered will be presented in no less than eight luxury auction catalogues.

The auction begins with high-quality offers from South American countries. The Brian Moorhouse Estate (Part 3) is notable for its wide variety of South American collecting areas from A (as in Argentina) to V (as in Venezuela). Especially impressive are the many proofs of various issues from classic to middle-period. Particularly well represented are Argentina, Brazil (including Lot 3137, the famous pair of the 600 Reis “Goat’s Eye” issue of 1844, in an unused pair from the Maurice Burrus collection, starting price CHF 5,000), Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala classics with the rarest covers and proofs, Honduras, Mexico and Uruguay.

The first part of the most important specialised collection of the first issue of Ecuador of 1865 in existence will be offered for sale under the name ‘Guayaquil’. Almost all the important items of this collecting area are in the collection. Particularly outstanding is the more attractive of only two known registered covers with the first issue (Lot 4071; starting price CHF 20,000).

A fine range of the classic issues of Peru will come up for sale in the main catalogue of the Corinphila auction series. Among these are also many stamps from the issues produced in continuous rolls on the ‘Lecoq’ printing press. Particularly appealing is an unused strip of five of the 5 centavos of 1870 showing the ‘new’ railway from Lima to Callao. The ‘Trencito’ , ‘the little train, as collectors later called the stamp, was intended for letters carried on this new railway line. To make endless rolls of the stamp, the ends of the lengths of paper were simply glued together! This is clearly visible here on the fourth stamp in the strip (Lot 156, starting price CHF 750). 

Europe is represented with a wide range of material from the Pietro Provera collection. The emphasis is on Italy and France. The outstandingly good quality of the classic stamps and covers, for which this collector was well-known, is particularly impressive. For many years, "Provera quality" was a term used for top-quality philatelic material in many countries. For example, there is a cover with France’s first issue of 1849, a very rare tête-bêche pair of the 20 centimes on cover (Lot 5141, starting price CHF 5,000). Or a four-colour franking of Sicily with the extremely rare top value of 50 grana on cover (Lot 5675, starting price CHF 20,000). 

Another very unusual specialised collection comes up for auction with the Gregory Frantz "Stamp Issuing Steamship Companies" collection. It includes all the private steamship lines that issued privately produced stamps for mail carried on their ships. The many small shipping lines on the thousands of lakes and the coast of Finland offer great variety, often in combination with state stamps. An example is the ‘Skärgards Trafik Aktiebolag’ (STAB) cover with the private bicoloured 25 penni ship’s stamp for delivery within Finland by the private shipping line, in combination with the Finnish state-issue 5 penni and 20 penni for onward transmission to Frankfurt (Lot 6069, starting price CHF 1,000).

Switzerland is also represented again with an outstanding range of material. This includes a postal history collection "Franco-Prussian War - Impact on Swiss Postal History 1866-1871". The presentation in the auction catalogue combined with historical background information is unique and is likely to set new standards for philatelic auctions. One could almost speak of a milestone of philately, on its way to being recognised as an additional historical science. A ‘must’ for every philatelist interested in history!

However, the second part of the ERIVAN collection is undoubtedly outstanding in its Swiss material. The collection of the former Tengelmann entrepreneur Erivan Haub contains the greatest rarities of Swiss philately. Now the famous registered cover from the "Notariat Greifensee" comes up for sale. Franked with Switzerland’s first two stamps, the Zurich 4 and Zurich 6, it is for many the "non plus ultra" of Swiss rarities in private hands. The provenance of the item goes back to 1900 when, in the collection of the then President of the Banque de France, Paul Mirabaud, the cover caused a sensation at the Paris Exposition. It later found its way into the collections of Diem-Saxer of St. Gallen (1934), the Swiss shoe magnate Iwan Bally (1964), and then the ‘HELVETICUS’ collection (1991) before finding a new home in the collection of Erivan Haub for almost 30 years. The starting price of the Greifensee cover being offered as Lot 7003 is CHF 300,000.

All the material being offered can be viewed at www.corinphila.ch.

Further information and catalogue orders at: Corinphila Auktionen AG, Wiesenstrasse 8, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Telephone + 41 (0)44 389 9191, Fax + 41 (0)44 389 9195, Email: [email protected]

Illustrations

Brazil 1844, “Goat’s Eye” 600 reis in an unused pair with the best provenance: Maurice Burrus collection (1964)

Ecuador 1865, a pair of the 1 real green on a registered cover. Only two registered covers of the first issue are known. Top cover from the Ackermann (1937), Homan (c. 1960) and E.M. de Bustamante (1996) collections.

Peru 1870, 5 centavos ‘Trencito’ in a strip of five with the fourth stamp showing the paper join.

France 1849, 20 centimes, a rare tête-bêche pair on cover.

Sicily 1859, four-colour franking with 50 grana top value to Genoa.

Finland 1880, private ship’s stamp in combination with stamps of the state Post Office on cover to Frankfurt.

Zurich 1843, registered cover from the Greifensee notary’s office with the first two stamps of Switzerland.