Kelleher Flagship auction offers 13¢ Hawaiian Missionary

By Michael Baadke

One of the iconic classic stamps from Hawaii’s famous 1851-52 Missionaries set will be auctioned by Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions.

The 13¢ stamp is part of the March 21-24 Flagship series sale taking place at the Kelleher offices in Danbury, Conn.

The public auction is presented in four sessions that feature Great Britain and British Empire, United States postal history and postal stationery, and two full days of stamps of the United States and possessions.

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A highlight of these offerings is an unused example of Western Australia’s prized 1879 2-penny mauve Swan error of color stamp (Scott 31a) with large part original gum, according to the auction catalog description. It carries an estimate of $15,000 to $20,000.

The Hawaiian Missionary stamp is the 13¢ blue with “H.I. & U.S.” inscription (Scott 4), Crocker type II, tied to a small piece with partial red San Francisco accounting mark 8 in a circle, and the seven-bar Jupiter cancel.

The stamp is described by Kelleher as having “incredibly sharp and bright color and impression within nice margins around except at bottom left corner where it was irregularly cut from its adjoining stamps (small corner notch) before being affixed to this piece.” An added note explains that this example has been “off the marketplace for decades.”

The stamp is offered with an estimate of $30,000 to $40,000. It is accompanied by a 2016 Professional Stamp Experts certificate, a 1987 Peter Holcombe Certificate, and a 1987 Enzo Diena certificate, “each stating without defects,” according to the auction description.

For additional information about this sale, contact Daniel F. Kelleher Auctions, 4 Finance Drive, Suite 100, Danbury, CT 06810.