Palmer Falkland Islands and dependencies, Gillis Fiji and British Pacific in June 18-19 Siegel auctions

By Charles Snee

Two exceptional name collections will be up for bids during Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries’ June 18-19 sales in New York City.

On June 18 Siegel will offer the Geoffrey Palmer collection of Falkland Islands and dependencies. The next day, June 19, the David Emerson Gillis collection of important Fiji and the British Pacific will cross the Siegel auction block.

Both sales are being conducted in association with Charles F. Shreve, director of Siegel International in Dallas, Texas.

In the introduction to the Palmer sale catalog, Andrew Titley, vice president of Siegel International, provides a useful overview of the Palmer collection.

“Over the years, Sir Geoffrey’s name has become synonymous with Falkland Islands philately,” Titley said. “He has corresponded with serious collectors and experts of the past and present, and studied the nuances of this fascinating area. Over his long collecting career, Sir Geoffrey patiently acquired material from acquaintances, dealers and auctions, including the sales of collections formed by the most widely recognized collectors. The result is the impressive collection offered in this sale catalogue.”

The sale of the Palmer Falkland Islands collection opens in spectacular fashion with a stampless letter mailed May 15, 1877, from the Falkland Islands to Norristown, Pa., that bears the rare “Falkland Paid Islands” red frank handstamp (Stanley Gibbons FR2, Heijtz IIIc).

According to Siegel, just 23 covers bearing this marking are recorded, and the one offered in the sale is the only recorded example to a destination other than Great Britain.

Siegel describes the cover, which is being offering publicly for the first time in 35 years, as “one of the most iconic early postal history artifacts of the Falkland Islands.”

“Prior to the issuance of stamps, Falkland Islands issued this ‘Falkland Paid Islands’ frank in both black and red as a means to represent prepayment of postage,” Siegel said. “Between 1876 and 1878, this red frank was in use which replaced the black frank. The change from black to red was due to the black frank sometimes mistakenly treated as unpaid.”

The cover once graced the collections of Stewart-Douglas, Neild and Laycock and is accompanied by a 2011 certificate of authenticity from Stefan Heijtz in Sweden.

Siegel estimates this 1877 letter bearing a “Falkland Paid Islands” red frank handstamp at $15,000 to $20,000.

Shreve provides helpful insights in his introduction to the catalog for the June 19 sale of the Gillis collection.

“Mr. Gillis’s name is synonymous with Fijian philately,” Shreve said. “He was a prolific researcher and writer in all aspects of the field, whether proofs, essays, issued stamps, the numerous varieties, or town cancellations. His groundbreaking work on the famous Fiji Times Express stamps advanced our knowledge of these fascinating stamps. Philatelists continue to use the Gillis classification system of various paper types and settings.”

“The auction sale of the Gillis collection is a watershed moment in Fijian philately,” Shreve said. “Seasoned collectors will relish the opportunity to acquire items that have been locked away for years, and collectors seeking to tackle a new collecting area will find a beachhead from which to launch a collecting campaign.”

Among the Fiji highlights are a number of 1875 issues surcharged “Twelve Cents” with an additional “V.R.” overprint and “2d.” surcharge. “V.R.” is the abbreviation for the Latin “Victoria Regina,” which translates to Queen Victoria.

One of the scarcer examples is an unused 1875 6-penny rose surcharged “Twelve Cents” and bearing a Roman “V.R.” overprint and “2d.” surcharge (Scott 31).

Siegel notes that the stamp has original gum with a hinge remnant and a natural straight edge at top.

According to Siegel, “Only nineteen of the 50 positions in a setting had the Roman ‘V.R.’ overprint. That is compared to the Gothic ‘V.R.’ which was on the remaining 31 positions.”

The stamp comes with a 2012 expertizing certificate from Bernard and Pascal Behr in Paris, France.

Siegel estimates this example of the “2d.” on “Twelve Cents” on 6d rose with a Roman “V.R.” overprint at $2,000 to $3,000.

In unused condition, Fiji Scott 31 is valued at $3,250 in the Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940.

Full details of the auctions of the Palmer collection of Falkland Islands and dependencies and the Gillis collection of Fiji and the British Pacific, including downloadable versions of the two catalogs and online bidding options, are available on the Siegel website.

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