The nearest thing to the 1c magenta you could own for a fraction of the price
Two major market catalysts could see prices soar to new levels
British Guiana is one of the most prestigious collecting territories in philately.
Their early stamp issues possess an indelible and unique primitive charm.
The wealthiest collectors have been drawn to collect the stamps of this famed British colony throughout history.
Take a look at this…
Sold for $8.3M Available for: £19,500
The one on the left is the most valuable stamp in the world, the British Guiana 1c magenta issued in 1856.
It last sold in June this year for $8.3m at Sotheby’s, New York.
The buyer was the oldest stamp dealer in the world, Stanley Gibbons.
Now, the comparable stamp I have for you is not as famous…
But, in some ways, it is much better.
It is also extremely rare.
And, you could own it for a fraction of the price.
There are also two major events happening right now which could cause its value to soar.
The price of £19,500 looks good value today.
It may look an absolute bargain tomorrow.
The 4c magenta
The British Guiana stamp I have for you is the 1856 4c magenta (SG24).
The 4c magenta was issued at the same time as the most famous stamp in the world, the 1c magenta.
The 1c magenta was for use solely by local newspapers.
The 4c stamps were for use on letters.
It is often wondered why the 1c and 4c stamps were printed on the same colour paper. The 4c was consistently printed on blue for all other issues from 1852 to 1860.
It is believed the existence of the 4c magenta is down to a lack of supplies available to the printers of blue ink, which was their preference.
The 4c magenta is considered a great rarity of the world in its own right.
They hardly ever appear for sale and we are very privileged indeed to have secured this exquisite example.
The finest example I have ever seen
This is the finest example I have ever seen and is quite spectacular because:
- It is cut square with good even margins (the 1c magenta is cut octagonal)
- It has excellent colour and impression (the 1c magenta looks like a red-wine stain which has been through the wash a few times)
- It has a light cancellation with the DEMERARA circular date stamp, dated “AU 1 1856” (the back of the 1c magenta is covered in marks made by previous owners of the stamp; the previous owner even added a drawing of a shoe!)
- It is signed by the postmaster himself, E.T.E. Dalton, which is particularly desirable as these initials have only ever been recorded on stamps used between the 1st and 5th of July and the 1st of August
- It benefits from clear provenance as it was last sold at a Spink auction on 12 April 2007, lot 530
- It comes with independent authenticity in the form of a British Philatelic Association (BPA) certificate of authenticity dated 2008
Excellent value
The Stanley Gibbons catalogue value for the 1856 4c magenta is £25,000.
However, a premium is considered appropriate for very fine examples such as this one.
Despite this, my price to you today is £19,500.
That’s a discount of 22% on the catalogue value.
Comparing historic growth to its more famous cousin shows equally impressive results…
The Stanley Gibbons catalogue value 15 years ago was listed at £6,000.
At its catalogue value of £25,000 today, that represents growth in value over the past 15 years of 317% (21% pa).
The market catalysts
To be frank, I really don’t mind holding on to this great rarity a bit longer.
There are two very compelling reasons why I expect to see its value soar in the near future…
1.Fractional ownership of the 1c magenta
Stanley Gibbons are currently in the process of setting up a facility for people to participate in fractional ownership of the 1c magenta.
They have announced the offering will occur in stages with the first stage for early adopters at a price of under £100 per share.
They have reported receiving over 5,000 expressions of interest in the scheme already.
Their partner in this venture, Showpiece have stated their plan to launch a marketplace within 6 months.
This will allow owners to buy and sell pieces like shares.
Such high-profile visibility of trading prices for the 1c magenta could have a correlating effect on the perceived value of the 4c magenta.
2. A major auction taking place right now
Meanwhile, as I write, a major auction is taking place of British Guiana stamps.
The sale includes part of the Grand Prix winning collection of British Guiana formed by the infamous John du Pont.
Looking at current bids, I can see some of the rarities on offer have bids well above their estimates.
Strong realisations in high profile auctions such as this flow through to upward valuations in SG catalogues.
But… there is no example of the 1856 4c magenta available to purchase in the sale.
Which shows you just how rare it is.
Probably your last chance to own this major rarity at this price
To summarise:
- An opportunity to purchase a major rarity comparable to the most famous and valuable stamp in the world
- Which is in much better condition and one of the finest examples you could possibly acquire
- At a fraction of the price and 22% discount to current SG catalogue value
- With two major catalysts in play which could potentially see its value soar in the near future
Examples of the 4c magenta very rarely appear for sale. It could be another generation before you see another.
Alternatively, you can secure it today if you email me quickly at mike@justcollecting.com.
Or, you can call us on +44(0)1534 639998.
This is your opportunity to seize a major rarity of such a high degree that it is scarcely known even among the most elite of collections.
Thanks for reading and have a good weekend.
Kind regards
Mike Hall
PS. Please be warned… I will need to review the offer price on the 4c magenta in light of the impact of the current market catalysts in play, so this is your chance to purchase it before I put the price up to reflect its market value.