Canadian Stamp Auctions

24 September, 2011 - Matthew Bennett International

This extraordinary auction of Canada’s early stamps took place on September 24 and October 1, 2011 at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York City. Matthew Bennett described it as an award winning collection which contained some of the finest and rarest gems of the Canada pence and early cents era, 1851-1868.

We counted no less than 26 new record prices, some beating the old records by a considerable margin. Each stamp shown below sold for a record price. According to a report in the Canadian Stamp News, the collection contained a complete set of the “stitch watermarks”. This is, for us, an amazing feat as these are so rare.

The prices realized, shown in Canadian dollars below, were converted at the rate of $1 US = $1.028 Canadian.

Lot 1 Scott 1 Catalogue $1,000 Realized $13,878

Lot 12 Scott 2 Catalogue $1,750 Realized $3,341

Lot 22 Scott 2 Catalogue $1,750 Realized $3,341

“Major re-entry” (psn. 34)”	“Major re-entry” (psn. 47)”
Lot 55 Unitrade 4a,vi Catalogue $1,200 Realized $1,748	Lot 58 Unitrade 4a,vii Catalogue $1,300 Realized $2,776

"Experimental perfs. on cover"

Lot 74 Unitrade 4xxx Estimate $7,500–10,000 Realized $10,280

“Deep Red ”	“Stitch watermark”
Lot 87 Unitrade 4i Catalogue $350 Realized $2,262	Lot 131 Unitrade 5i Catalogue $5,000 Realized $4,369

“Strong re-entry" (psn. 90)	“Stitch watermark ”
Lot 145 Unitrade 7v Catalogue $2,750 Realized $3,855	Lot 148 Unitrade 7vi Catalogue $3,000 Realized $3,855

“Partial sheet margin”	“Deep lilac rose”
Lot 149 Scott 8 Catalogue $700 Realized $6,939	Lot 150 Unitrade 8i Catalogue $1,100 Realized $2,673

“Vertical stitch watermark”

Lot 163 Unitrade 8iii Catalogue $1,750 Realized $4,369

“Horizontal stitch watermark”

Lot 178 Unitrade 9iii Estimate $6,000 Realized $19,532

Lot 179 Scott 10 Catalogue $6,000 Realized $18,504

Lot 184 Scott 11 Catalogue $1,800 Realized $4,369

Early Cents Issues
1859 – 1868

“Stitch watermark”	“Log on waterfall”
Lot 196 Unitrade 14ix Catalogue $1,000 Realized $1,131	Lot 202 Unitrade 15vi Catalogue $1,250 Realized $1,182

“Black Brown Shade”

Lot 210 Scott 16 Catalogue $5,500 Realized $11,822

“Dark chocolate brown shade”	“Olive green" Horizontal stitch mark
Lot 212 Scott 17b Catalogue $140 Realized $1,491	Lot 220 Unitrade 18i,vi Catalogue $2,000 Realized $1,645

“Blue shade ”	“Burr over shoulder”
Lot 224 Scott 19 Catalogue $190 Realized $514	Lot 227 Unitrade 19iii Catalogue $1,500 Realized $2,364

Early Covers

Lot 287 Scott 10a Catalogue $22,500 Realized $28,784

Lot 314 Scott 17d Catalogue $3,750 Realized $4,883

Lot 352 Scott 3 Estimate $200,000-250,000 Realized $257,000

Concluding Comments

This was a memorable sale of Canadian stamps by any measure. Clearly the provenance and quality show that the individual who put it together insisted on acquiring only the best of each variety. Offering such rare material and making sure serious collectors knew about it is a credit to the reputation of Matthew Bennett and we congratulate them. This is an accomplishment for which they can be justly proud. Their auction catalogue will definitely be a keeper!!

This sale had 26 new record prices: