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Baldwin’s are proud to present the captivating second instalment of The Former Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection. Part II presents a stunning selection of rare proofs, intriguing essays, fascinating covers, and exceptional plate blocks, with a focus on Straits Settlements and the Three Kings. An exceptional opportunity for seasoned philatelists and curious enthusiasts alike to acquire important, often unique, pieces which are integral to the philatelic history of Straits Settlements and Singapore, most of which haven’t been available for at least 30 years.
This instalment follows the extraordinary first auction in the series, ‘The Former Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection Part I: Queen Victoria’ which achieved a White Glove, justifying the fierce competition between international auction houses to consign this unique offering. The star lot on that occasion, as anticipated, was the Malaya Straits cover (Lot 9), a unique cover sent from Singapore to Ireland on 2 December 1855, when Singapore was part of the Straits Settlements, along with Malacca and Penang. This remarkable cover sold for £93,600 including fees.
Unlike the first auction, which covered Victorian stamps and their usage in Singapore, this second sale, the Three Kings, has a far stronger focus on the production methods of the stamps used in Singapore between 1902 and 1952 with a range of essays, die proofs and colour trials, all of which provide an insight into the processes employed by the printer, De La Rue & Co of London, to bring the stamps of the Straits Settlements into being. Of particular interest, in my opinion, are the British Colonial die proofs. Although not specifically attributable, these die proofs are an important part of the collection in that they were eventually used, either as shown or in a slightly modified form, for the stamps of the Straits Settlements. The large ‘Nyasaland’ head plate proofs for Kings Edward VII and George V are particularly noteworthy.
“The opportunity to bring an institutional collection to market occurs so infrequently that most describers and auctioneers will never be able to say that they have had the pleasure of doing so. To be the first to handle philatelic treasures which, until now, have only been known to a generation of collectors as brief descriptions and black and white illustrations in 30-, 40- or even 50-year old auction catalogues is about as exciting as it gets from a professional point of view. Which is a fairly long-winded way of saying that it has been an honour and privilege for me to describe this collection for auction. And if the results of the first auction are any sort of guide, the opportunity to purchase items that haven’t been available for 30 years or more is one that collectors have fully embraced, too.” - Robert Smith, Senior Philatelist
The Former Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection: Part II kicks off a tremendously exciting series of philatelic auctions at Baldwin’s with a series of exceptional signature collections offered to market including;
- THE FORMER SINGAPORE PHILATELIC MUSEUM | PART II - THE THREE KINGS
- GEORGE RAB COLLECTION OF BAHAWALPUR
- THE ACADEMIC COLLECTION OF GEORGE IV | PART III
- THE HAY MORGAN COLLECTION OF KING GEORGE V | PART I
- THE DR ARNOLD BRICKMAN COLLECTION OF DOUBLE RHODESIAN HEADS
- THE EAGLE COLLECTION OF BRITISH SOUTH ATLANTIC
