Stamp collectors and postal history enthusiasts are invited to a free valuation event later this month at The Auction Café by Richard Winterton Auctioneers in Lichfield.
The event will take place on Thursday, October 23, from 9.30am to 3pm, at the café in Market Street, where philately expert Phil Ives will be offering drop-in appraisals of stamps, postcards, and letters.
Stamps have been collected for almost as long as they have been in existence, nearly 200 years, Not only do stamps prove highly prized at auction, but the letters and postcards they are attached to can also be of great value. – Phil Ives
Richard Winterton Auctioneers has seen notable success with recent stamp sales. A collection of rare Commonwealth stamps dating back to the 1920s, consigned by a Burntwood client, exceeded £5,000 at auction. Highlights included four King Edward VII Straits Settlements specimen stamps of $500, $100 and two $25 denominations, which sold for £1,700, and a 1922 Kedah 25 cent inverted overprinted Malaya-Borneo Exhibition stamp, which achieved £220.
We regularly sell popular stamps such as the famous Penny Black and Twopenny Blue, along with more specialist material. Worldwide and Commonwealth collections always attract strong interest, as do individual items such as the PUC £1. Whether it is a single stamp or a collection, do bring your philatelic treasures and curiosities to our special free valuation event to discover more.
Mr Ives explained that the Kedah stamp was particularly sought after because the overprint had been applied upside down. The Malaya-Borneo Exhibition was held in 1922 to promote trade and economic opportunities, coinciding with the visit of the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII, to Singapore.
Other countries featured in the collection included Gibraltar, Australia, Kenya, Uganda, Morocco Agencies, Malta, and Sarawak.
The same auction also included an extensive Queen Elizabeth II stamp collection from 1952 to 2023, which sold for £2,300, and a German occupation postal history archive featuring a Zeppelin airmail sent on The Hindenburg’s maiden flight to New York in 1936, sold for £1,700.
The Auction Café is open seven days a week, offering coffee, tea, cakes, pastries, and light bites. Visitors can also attend free valuations of jewellery, watches, gold, and silver every Tuesday from 9.30am to 3pm, with different specialist appraisers available most Wednesdays between 9.30am and 12.30pm.
More information about upcoming events can be found at www.richardwinterton.co.uk/about/the-auction-cafe/. For valuations of antiques and collectables or to arrange a home visit, contact The Lichfield Auction Centre on 01543 251081 or email office@richardwinterton.co.uk
