Auction News Network

Ancient Chinese Paper Money For Sale

January 3, 2012

Around the time Chaucer was spinning his tales but before the Guttenberg Press, China was turning out paper bank notes and one of them from the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) will be sold by Spinks at its currency auction in Hong Kong, Jan.14. It’s a 2 kuan cash note printed on grey mulberry bark paper with black Mongol text and a red seal. Last year a similar note sold for $154,000.

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Custer’s Last Stamp

August 3, 2011

The letter was addressed to John S. Hiley, a member of Custer’s massacred 7^th Cavalry Regiment in the Great Sioux War. There weren’t too many niceties in those days. Somebody wrote, “Dead,” on the envelope and returned it to the sender. Spink Shreve is selling the cover at its August Collectors auction. It’s expected to fetch between $15,00 and $20,000.

Update: the cover sold above estimates for $28,000.

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“Post Office Mauritius” Goes For $1.6m

June 29, 2011

Billed as the world’s most famous stamp, the blue “Post Office Mauritius,” sold yesterday at Spink’s auction in London for $1.6m after spirited bidding in the room was trumped by an unidentified buyer on the phone. The stamp comes from the world renowned Chartwell Collection.  Also sold was an 1840 Penny Black, the first adhesive stamp. Prior to that in the UK  you paid postage when it was delivered.

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