Autumn Auction

ONE OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE COLLECTIONS OF THE CUBAN REPUBLIC EVER FORMED
Extensive Collection of the Stamps & Postal History of the Republic of Cuba from 1896-1993
This remarkable assembly is the result of 30 years of collecting by a passionate and avid philatelist. It is is housed in over 40 albums, and includes the entire famous Ignacio Prats collection (Lot 4 in the Greg Manning sale of June 2006, sold for $299'000), with strength & particular emphasis on essays, proofs & specimen material, but also covers valuable groups of airmails with Zeppelin flights & Rocket mail, booklets, inverted centers, plus much more including modern errors. A more detailed description follows:
1899-1930: Outstanding and an utterly amazing specialised assembly with all the issues present, with die proofs, proofs, essays, photographic proofs, specimens, imperfs, varieties, cross gutter blocks of four & a wealth of covers, postal stationery etc. Some of the highlights & more detail follows: 1899 Issues of the Republic under US Military Rule: 1c to 10, a wonderful specialised assembly of die proofs, specimens, issued stamps in unused imprint marginal blocks, plus the rare booklet panes (Sc.228b, $3'750, SG 302a, £3'250) & a wealth of over 80 commercial covers including the 2c bisect usage, cert. Baschwit; 1910 Portraits: An extensive study of this attractive issue showing hand-painted mock-up proofs, photographic proofs, die proofs for all values, all eight values in mint multiples & many with sheet margin control punches & SPECIMEN overprints, plus a very vaulable array of the scarce inverted centers with a massive combined catalogue value of $64'890 or £52'300, individually described by value: Maso 1c unused in seven blocks of four, ten singles two being used, plus one on cover (Sc. 239a, $10'140+, SG 312a, SG £7'800+), Gomez 2c unused in two blocks of four, eleven singles three being used, plus one on cover (Sc. 240a, $12'075+, SG 313a, £9'975+), Mayla 10c unused in two blocks of four & thirteen singles (Sc. 244a, $17'850+, SG 317a, £14'700+); Zayas 10c special delivery in one block of four & seventeen singles (Sc. E4a, $27'500+, SG £22'000)
1930-65: Specialised array of single die proofs, colour trials, Waterlow & Sons Specimen proofs, imperforates )many in corner marginal blocks of four), progressive proofs & other divers printing varieties plus extensive array of commercial mail (1'000s)
1966-93: Large accumulation of sets in imperforate pairs & blocks of four, many corner marginal & other showing divers printing varieties incl. imperf between, shifted or double perforations, missing colours, shifted colours, pre-printing paper flaws, double impression, etc. (1'000s)
Airmails, Zeppelin Flights & Rocket Mail: A very valuable assembly of over 70 Zeppelin Flights to or from Cuba, plus array of other airmail usages, plus a specialised collection of the 1939 Postal Rocket Experiment
Booklets & Booklet Panes: 1899-1918, An outstanding array of booklet panes & complete booklets, incl. 1902 2c Specimen booklet of 60, plus part sheets of booklet panes with control punches and Specimen ovpts, plus three mint booklet panes (SG £3'250 each) & three complete Specimen booklets, 1905 Lighthouse booklet cover Specimens (five different), 1911 2c three part sheets of booklet panes, plus four other single panes all with control punches and Specimen ovpts and three complete Specimen booklets, 1914 Map 1c & 2c booklet panes, 1917-18 1c, 2c & 3c Portraits in a variety of complete booklets, booklet panes on covers etc. (more than 50 complete booklets)
Fiscals: 1903 Alcaolo & Tobacco Tax stamps with SPECIMEN ovpts (70+); 1909-11 Telegraphos: Extensive specialised assembly of these attractive issues including hand-painted mock-up proofs, die proofs, plus an large array of parts sheets for 19 different values, all showing control punches & SPECIMEN overprints (1'100+)
Without doubt one of the most comprehensive collections of the Cuban Republic ever offered, and an excellent opportunity to build a number of exhibit collections (10'000s of stamps & 100s of covers)
Estimate: € 300'000 - € 400'000