Eye of the beholder, my favourite stamp
“What is the most expensive stamp in your collection?,” is the oft asked first question by friends somewhat inquisitive about the hobby.
An easy question to answer, knowing what was paid for some items of note, or their current “catalogue value.” For me, the choice of a “favourite” is a bit more nuanced.
As a beginner collector, I was struck at once by the engraved issues of Monaco and some of the French Colonies such as Cameroon. The amazing detail, colours and striking images were an immediate invitation to the hobby.
Cheap and cheerful perhaps best describes them. Produced just by scratches on a metal plate — well, I fell in love, Dare I say, some 50 years on, I still find the engraved issues the most beguiling. Even certain engravers such as the Pole Czeslaw Slania remain huge figures in the stamp world in their own right.
Well, of course being British, it would have to be a British stamp as my favourite. Not for me the “Penny Black” (see my previous article), nor the L5 orange Queen Victoria with its higher cost. No, for me it would have to be the “Seahorse” issue.
These stamps were produced during the titanic face-off between England and Germany before the First World War. This was the age of the Dreadnought battle ships. The new King George V (an avid stamp collector) and the country needed an image to reflect the age. Powerful, regal and historic, a collaboration lead to an image of “Britannia” riding astride the oceans’ waves in her chariot, holding Triton’s spear and emblazoned with the Union Flag (often mistakenly called the “Union Jack” — which it is only when on the stern of a ship.)
The main engraver JAC Harrison brought the image to life (not without drawing his own country’s flag incorrectly at first! whoops.) These stamps were released in 1912 into a very different era than today.
As such, they were very well receivedeven today holding the record for the longest running high value British stamp series. One hundred million were produced.
They were issued in values of 2s6d, 5s, 10s, and L1, the colours being sepia, red, blue and green. A host of colour variations, plate repairs and varying printers make the whole issue very interesting, apart from their eye-catching artwork.
Conspiracy theories abounded then as now and investigations found lead (chromate) in the green ink. The imported American replacement however contained arsenic- whoops.
In fact, the strange blue-green colour of the latter is my favourite of the series. Of course, nobody foresaw the supply chain issues of obtaining ink pigments from the mortal enemy Germany — whoops again!
Interestingly the Canadian stamps from the same era, with the same George V, hold themselves high in the collecting world. The “Admirals” (so called for the naval uniform worn by the King) were a long-standing run of stamps first issued in 1911.
There is a huge variety of colours and shades, multiple printing methods and perforations. The edge banding (or selvage) was also engraved leading to even more variations and subsequent collector interest. This popularity (and again nutty collectors) saw a 50c “Admiral” (#12i) cross the auction block recently for $12,440.
One cannot close without mentioning the “Bluenose” 50c of 1928 that is perhaps the quintessential Canadian single issue.
The blue-green “Seahorse” is my favourite, but Stuart Weitzman (of shoe company fame) paid $9.48 million for a British Guiana 1c Magenta. It went on sale again June 8th, expected selling price $15 million.
I passed, as I like my choice better!
I am sure you agree.