The third auction of the Brigham Estate of Province of Canada witnessed the sale of the famous mint sheet margin pair of the twelve penny black. Several different bidders participated in what was a suspenseful and steady progression, pushing the price to a healthy $625,000 hammer (or $740,625 with buyer’s premium), shattering the previous record for any philatelic item ever sold at auction in Canada (The second and third place records are also held by our firm).
Once again, the mood was set early that afternoon, with many impressive realizations resulting from continued spirited bidding. A brief perusal of the enclosed prices realized reveals that rare proofs and multiples were hotly contested. Postal history, especially from the Decimal era, also fared remarkably well. The fourth and final portion of this estate will be sold later this year.
The March auction also featured the last installment of the legendary Admiral collection formed by Glen Lundeen. We can summarize total results for these three sales in three words… “through the roof!” From proofs to plate multiples to rare lathework, we are astounded by the results. A total of 410 lots were sold for a grand total of $2,496,560 hammer, nearly topping three million inclusive of buyer’s premium, for an average lot value of over $7,200. This is, by far, the highest realization for any Admiral collection ever sold. Many of these rarities now reside in other great collections, waiting for another generation of specialists. We thank everyone who participated in the Lundeen sales.
The dates for our next public auction are now set: May 22-25, 2024. Hundreds of hours of preparation, lotting and research were required for this large, specialized sale of nearly 1,500 lots. We are very pleased with the great properties that have been entrusted to us. Among the many areas of interest are Cyprus, Antigua, British North America, early mails of Canada, Decimals, Large & Small Queens, modern errors, and outstanding Canadian Federal & Provincial revenues. A special Auction Preview will soon be available, exclusively on our website.
We look forward to another great sale!
The Eastern Auctions Team