Falkland Islands ‘HMS Glasgow’ error in May 14-15 Siegel auction of part 1 of Evergreen collection of mint worldwide stamps

By Charles Snee

On May 14-15, Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries in New York City will offer the first part of the Evergreen collection of extraordinary mint postage stamps of the world.

Siegel’s auction of the collection, methodically assembled over many years, is being conducted in association with Charles F. Shreve, director of Siegel International in Dallas.

Part 1 of the Evergreen sale will focus on stamps from Great Britain and the British Commonwealth.

In his introduction to the catalog for the auction, Shreve sets the stage for what likely will be an impressive series of sales.

“The moment my colleague Chris Anderson and I walked through the door of the ‘Evergreen’ collector’s home, I knew I found my kindred spirit,” Shreve said. “I could not believe my eyes — more than 250 Scott Specialty albums all neatly lined up ready for our review.”

“Each volume was brimming with an incredible array of brilliantly fresh mint, original gum stamps from around the world, each meticulously placed in its own hand-cut hingeless mount,” Shreve continued. “And, just as impressive were the numerous binders of certificates from recognized experts, attesting to the authenticity and quality of more than 1,600 important stamps in the collection.”

According to Shreve, part 2 of the Evergreen collection, which concentrates on other countries from around the world, will be offered by Siegel in a three-day sale to be held June 18-20.

Approximately 98 percent of the stamps in the Evergreen collection are in mint, never-hinged condition, Shreve said.

An exceptional error in the collection comes from the Falkland Islands: the 1964 6-penny stamp honoring the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Falkland Islands that incorrectly shows HMS Glasgow in the vignette (Scott 151a) instead of HMS Kent (151).

“It is believed this error occurred when a sheet of 60 with the center showing the ‘Glasgow’, which was used for the 2½p value, was accidentally included among the supply of the 6p value, where it received the wrong frame,” Siegel said.

Approximately 25 examples of the HMS Glasgow vignette error are recorded, Siegel said, citing Stanley Gibbons and Falkland Islands specialist Stefan Heijtz.

“The reason the majority have not been found is that most were included in new issue shipments, and the error was not discovered until the vast majority were dispersed,” Siegel said. “Collectors and dealers received them without knowing their special significance. Many collectors hinged them in their albums, making for an unusually large percentage of hinged examples in the marketplace.”

Siegel calls the error one of the “key error rarities of the Queen Elizabeth II era.”

The error is valued at $30,000 in mint condition in the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue. The value is in italics to indicate an item that is difficult to value accurately because of limited market data.

Siegel is offering this rare Falkland Islands error with an estimate of $20,000 to $30,000.

Among the India offerings in the sale is a mint, never-hinged example of the rare 1948 12-anna dark gray green Mahatma Gandhi Official stamp overprinted “SERVICE” (Scott O112C). The overprint was applied to the 1948 12a postage stamp (205).

Siegel describes the stamp as being “extraordinarily bright and fresh.” As shown here, the stamp is also exceptionally well centered.

“The official issue was not available to the public and only a tiny fraction of the 300 issued are unused,” according to Siegel.

“Many of the known examples have interleaving stuck to the gum, unlike the example offered here which has full original gum and is never hinged,” Siegel said.

Siegel notes that the stamp has been signed by Alberto Diena and Raffaele Diena and is accompanied by expertizing certificates issued by Alberto and Raffaele in 1973 and 2018, respectively.

Against a Scott catalog value of $8,000, Siegel lists this 1948 12a Mahatma Gandhi Official stamp with an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000.

Full details of the auction of part 1 of the Evergreen collection, including a downloadable version of the 149-page catalog and online bidding options, are available on the Siegel website.

For additional information, contact Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries, 21 W. 38th St., Seventh Floor, New York, NY 10018.

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