Stamps and postcards fetch thousands at Lichfield auction

Richard Winterton Auctioneers’ Stamps and Postal History Sale on May 13 included fine and rare Great Britain stamps and a collection of postcards relating to Cumbria and the Lake District which realised in excess of £5,500.

The sale, held online from The Lichfield Auction Centre at Wood End Lane, Fradley Park, featured more than 20 examples of the 1840 Penny Black, the world’s first adhesive postage stamp.

Lot 11, an example of a Penny Black printed on the 11th and final plate, sold for £780.

Other philatelic treasures included an 1867 £1 brown lilac, which made £750, and a Penny Red with four good margins, selling for £680.

The Lichfield auction also featured numerous Mulready stationary – the world’s first pre-paid postal stationary, named after the artist William Mulready who was commissioned to illustrate it – and collections of GB stamps totalling thousands of pounds.

“Printed for less than a year, the Penny Black came in imperforate sheets which had to be hand-cut with big scissors,” said auctioneer Richard Winterton.

“As a consequence, examples of hand-cut stamps with four clear margins are rare.

“Add to that the fact that, of the 68 million Penny Blacks printed, just 168,000 were produced from the 11th and final plate.

“This was a great opportunity for collectors to acquire a wonderful example of a real philatelic treasure and it was hotly contested by bidders.”

An archive of 4,500 postcards relating to Cumbria and the Lake District was another highlight, with three particular albums covering transport, Cumbria At Work and Cumbria At Play totalling £4,250 hammer price.

“From day-to-day working practices from bygone Cumbria, trams, buses and now defunct stations to evocative images of the Lake District, this collection was a breathtaking archive of the area’s rich heritage from the Edwardian era to the mid-20th century,” said ephemera specialist Robert French.

“As well as Lakeland pleasure boats and ferries, water speed record attempts also featured with Sir Malcolm Campbell in the Blue Bird K4 on Coniston Water, August 19 1939 and the ill-fated Miss England II disaster on Lake Windermere, on Friday June 13 1939, in which pilot Sir Henry Seagrave was killed.

“Ambleside, Windemere, Grasmere, Scafell, Coniston, Derwentwater, Skiddaw, Ullswater, Helvellyn, Penrith, Keswick, Derwentwater and many more were all present, making the collection as comprehensive as it was desirable.”

Richard Winterton Auctioneers has introduced new fortnightly Two Day Antiques & Home Sales every other Monday and Tuesday, starting at 9.30am each day.

Viewing by appointment only takes place the preceding Friday – call 01543 251081 to book.

In-person valuations for jewellery, watches, silver antiques and collectables at The Lichfield Auction Centre on Thursdays can also be booked on 01543 251081 or by emailing office@richardwinterton.co.uk.

Visit richardwinterton.co.uk