IT IS TRUE, THE WORLD'S SMALLEST, LIGHTEST AND SLIMMEST ITEM LOADED WITH THE HIGHEST VALUE CONTINUES TO BE A STAMP.
The world's most expensive Chinese stamp at RM 1.2 million. Can you see why?
UNFORTUNATELY, IT MAY BE SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT AS A STAMP CAN BE KEPT INBETWEEN YOUR RINNGIT NOTES AND NO ONE WILL BE THE WISER BUT IT IS ALSO THE MOST FRAGILE AND MUST BE TREATED WITH KID GLOVE.
Sold! For RM 1.2 million this super rare inverted Sun Yat Sen stamp!
Tear or scratch or discolour a valuable stamp and its value plummets. The second most compact object worth its weight in gold is the diamond. A diamond is a better bet. Drop it on the floor and spray perfume on it and wear it recklessly and it maintains its shape and condition. Even if you manage to break your 30-carat diamond, pick up the pieces and have them re-faceted and polished and you still get some money back.
But not a stamp. Once it is stained by coffee, tea or saliva or torn and defiled, it can lose 50% to 90% of its value. While fleeing your country now overtaken by evil communists, you can always smuggle your 50-carat diamond worth RM 100 million safely inside your asshole. Just insert it inside your asshole and you will always know it is there, safe and sound as you can feel it poking against the sensitive wall of your ass. Imagine doing this to your Sun Yat Sen stamp! Well I suppose you can place the stamp inside a SD photocard little container and then shove it inside your asshole so the stamp won't stink to high heaven and make the stamp dealer faint when you try sell it.
The collector who paid RM 1.2 million must be super loaded to pay so much for what is no more than a tiny half-inch square of old paper. Last year another upside down Chinese stamp fetched a mere RM 500,000 while the entire sheet of Red Monkey stamps sold for RM 750,000 but at least you got 80 stamps since this was a sheet and the stamps were not unique or that rare as they were issued in recently in 1980 to celebrate the Year of Monkey!
But then, this inverted stamp features Dr Sun Yat Sen, modern China's greatest hero so the premium is much higher compared to a portrait of a smirking monkey or grinning peasant dam worker.
18 March 2012
ZURICH ASIA’S RARE STAMPS AUCTION IN HONG KONG
ESTABLISHES WORLD AUCTION RECORD
An exceedingly rare 1941 Dr. Sun Yat Sen
inverted center $2 black & blue New York print stamp
Fetches Over HK$2.4 Million Setting A New World Auction Record For Any Republic of China Stamp
This rare stamp in perfect mint condition featuring Dr Sun Yat Sen's inverted portrait sold for a record RM 1.2 million, making this stamp the most valuable mainland China stamp ever
This rarity stamp of a quartet of surcharge stamps went for half a million ringgit or RM 125,000 each, so to speak!
Zurich Asia’s Stamps & Postal History of China, Hong Kong and Other Countries auction was held at The Excelsior in Hong Kong. There was spirited bidding and great enthusiasm both in the packed saleroom and over the phone. The top lot, an exceedingly rare 1941 Dr. Sun Yat Sen inverted center $2 black & blue New York print stamp, sold for HK$2,415,000 after fierce competition and set a new world auction record for any Republic of China stamp. From the private collection of esteemed collector Mr. Huang Ming Fang, it is one of the rarest Republic of China stamps. With the distinctively inverted central portrait of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, this precious offering boasts a mint condition, full original gum and comes with a 2007 Experts and Consultants certificate.
The sale also offered an exquisite selection of surcharge stamp from Imperial China. Important highlights included a superb mint block of four $1 on 3 cents Red Revenue stamp in full original gum and fresh surface (price: HK$1,035,000).
AN EXTREMELY RARE 1941 DR SUN YAT SEN ERROR STAMP ESTIMATED AT HK$2 MILLION OR RM 1 MILLION BUT SOLD FINALLY FOR RM 1.2 MILLION
Zurich Asia, the leading stamp auction house in Asia, held the upcoming sale of Stamps & Postal History of China, Hong Kong and Other Countries at The Excelsior in Hong Kong from 17 to 19 March 2012, presenting over 2,470 lots of rare philatelic treasures that realised in excess of HK$30 million.
Taking center-stage was an exceedingly rare 1941 Dr. Sun Yat Sen inverted center $2 black and blue New York print stamp (estimate: HK$1,800,000-2,000,000, lot 817) from the private collection of esteemed collector Mr. Huang Ming Fang. This error stamp is one of the rarest and most valuable Republic of China stamps and is expected to set a new world auction record for any Republic of China stamps.
With the distinctively inverted central portrait of Dr. Sun Yat Sen, this precious offering boasts a mint condition, full original gum and comes with a 2007 Experts and Consultants certificate. Its appearance in this auction is drawing tremendous interest from collectors and connoisseurs worldwide.
Zurich Asia set the auction record for a similarly inverted stamp in April 2010 when an extremely fine and unique $2 error stamp showing an upside-down image of the Peking Hall of Classics, issued between 1914 and 1919, fetched HK$1,035,000.
In August 2011, Zurich Asia sold a complete sheet of 8 fen “Red Monkey” stamps celebrating the 1980 Year of the Monkey for HK$1,437,500, establishing the world auction record for a complete sheet of Red Monkey stamps. In this sale, Zurich Asia is delighted to present three other pristine examples of this widely coveted sheet exemplified by lot 1348 in excellent condition, full original gum and unmounted mint (estimate: HK$1,000,000-1,100,000).
Another prized offering was an unused 1956 “Views of Peking” 8 fen orange-red stamp illustrating Tiananmen Square and rays of sunlight in the background (Estimate: HK$800,000-900,000, lot 1136).
This unissued stamp is one of the most outstanding and rarest examples of its kind with an exceptionally fresh surface that will marvel discerning collectors. In February 2011, Zurich Asia sold a used copy for a world auction record of HK$713,000.
The sale will feature an exquisite selection of surcharge stamp from Imperial China. Important highlights include a superb mint block of four $1 on 3 cents Red Revenue stamp in full original gum and fresh surface (estimate: HK$600,000-700,000, lot 525c).
A fabulous $5 on 3 cents Red Revenue stamp in mint condition with no gum is estimated at HK$600,000-700,000 (lot 525b).
Amongst the Imperial China gems on offer, collectors were
delighted to find one of the rarest imperforate-between pairs in the
market: a vertical pair of imperforate-between 1897 Dowager large
figures 2nd print 2 candarins dull yellow stamps tied by 'SHANGHAI'
chop in brown with overall fine condition (estimate: HK$180,000-
200,000, lot 419).
From Mr. Huang Ming Fang’s Collection, it was
the only known-variety and once the cherished property of important
collectors including Major James Starr, and Anna-Lisa & Sven-
Eric Beckeman.
Further highlights included an imperforatebetween
horizontal pair of 1894 Dowager
Empress First Printing 9 candarins dull green
variety (estimate: HK$500,000-550,000, lot
665), with two pairs in a block of four including
an additionally tête-bêche stamp, tied on Maus
cover by Kiaochow 1902 (6 Aug.) bilingual
circular date stamps and with German
Kiaochow 10pf. and 50pf. tied by Tsingtau circular date stamps, registered to
Lichtenthal with arrival backstamp.
A very rare combination or errors, it is the only
known copy of this variety on cover. Only four such similar blocks in total have been
recorded by Zurich Asia - one is unused and two are cancelled by favour with Shanghai
seals. It was once the property of distinguished collector and connoissuer Meiso
Mizuhara.
About Zurich Asia
Zurich Asia is an independent, Hong Kong-based public auction company which has been in operation for over 10 years. The company specializes in Chinese and Asian stamps and postal history and its staff are amongst the most renowned experts in Asia. Zurich Asia organizes two auctions per year. Its auctions aim to satisfy the constantly evolving interests of Asian collectors and have achieved strong results.
In September 2009, an extremely rare 1897 small one dollar surcharge on a 3 cents Red Revenue stamp realized HK$2,587,500 at Zurich Asia, setting a new world auction record for a single Chinese stamp. In another Hong Kong sale of Zurich Asia held in August 2011, a complete sheet of 8 fen “Red Monkey” stamps celebrating the 1980 Year of the Monkey sold for HK$1,437,500, establishing a new world auction record for a complete sheet of Red Monkey stamps.
Enquiries: (852) 2563-8280 / 2521-2883 / 6149-4022 info@zurichasia.com www.zurichasia.com
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