Formerly part of the Faberge collection, this strip of five blue and brown 1857 Russian stamps has been described as “the most important piece of Russian philately.” One of 53 lots in the Alexander Collection of Imperial Russia, it goes on sale September 16th at Cherrystone Auctioneers in New York, carrying a pre-sale estimate of $250,000.
Why so valuable? It’s the largest known multiple of this particular offering, has impeccable pedigree, and is considered in very good condition, although each stamp has been cancelled by hand with an inked X,; one has a minute tear.
In the two days preceding this sale, Cherrystone will auction a vast selection of stamps and postal artifacts from around the world, most notably a 1851 unused 12p Canadian stamp, which has a pre-sale estimate of $150,000.
Read more at Cherrystone Auctioneers.
http://www.cherrystoneauctions.com/blog/
