Page 53 - Best Bid 7 | 2017

1855/1950 - INsIEmE DI FRANCOBOLLI
DI TuTTO IL mONDO CON ALCuNI
PEZZI PROVENIENTI DALLA
COLLEZIONE BuRRus
1855/1950 - sET OF WORLDWIDE
sTAmPs WITh sOmE PIECEs
FROm ThE BuRRus COLLECTION.

VENDuTo a
SolD aT
€ 11.000

1867 - EgITTO - LETTERA PER IL CAIRO AFFRANCATA CON uN BLOCCO
DI QuATTRO E DuE COPPIE ORIZZONTALI DEL 5 PA. OCRA
1867 - EgYPT - COVER TO CAIRO FRANKED WITh A BLOCK OF FOuR
AND TWO hORIZONTAL PAIRs OF 5 PA. OCRE

VENDuTo a
SolD aT
€ 518

Burrus collection,

quite rightly included

which had formerly belonged to Japanese in what we might bidding closed at 11,000 euros from a

collector hiroyuki Kanai in the 1980s and call the philately ‘elite’ starting price of 3,500 euros.
1990s and sold for 5,490 euros. Another

precious item was a cover sent to sydney These sales confirm the principal, valid

in January 1850, franked with a 2 pence not only for philately but all antiques,

plate I corner stamp from the first edition for New south Wales, that provenance from important past collections (documented

not a rare stamp in itself but of exceptional beauty. It sold for by historical catalogues) is increasingly as important as the

6,710 euros from a starting price of 750. intrinsic quality of an item. This is even more so the case now

when the market is flooded with pieces from all over the world.

The most impressive document however, was a cover sent from hence the Burrus collection, quite rightly included in what we

mersin to Beirut with two vertical pairs of the pink and blue 10p might call the philately ‘elite’, continues to exercise an irresistible

stamp from the third release for the Russian Levant, which sold appeal over stamp collectors.

for 9,150 euros.

giulio Bolaffi’s signature and the ‘1960’ date indicate the very Probably lesser known, but nevertheless of great importance, is

best guarantee of the item’s quality, as well as the year it was Burrus’s collection of ancient books and manuscripts, sold by

acquired by the dealer. his heirs at two recent Christie’s auctions (the printed works in

Finally, a small lot of loose new stamps from various countries, Paris and illuminated manuscripts in London) in autumn 2015 and

many of which were ex-Burrus, received a good response and spring 2016. The two sales raised a total of 4,700,000 euros.

51b 7.2017 highlights