Every now and then a mouthwatering item jumps off the pages of glossy auction catalogues, making me wish I'd played the lottery more often! There's another one like that just now and the 'great' thing is that nobody bought it at the time of the auction so it can still be had at the reserve price. Less great is that that reserve price is €4500 (which is appr GBP4000 or USD5000) !
Sigh.
Maybe I should start a crowdfunding action, see if you all have pity on me and will donate loads of money so I can buy it before it disappears off the website.
:-)
More realistically, I've just downloaded the picture of it so at least I can feature it here and enjoy it for what it is. And what is it, you will by now be dying to know?!
Well, a good few years ago, a certain Richard Downey appeared on the Stamp Magazine website forum, with images of a booklet made by his grandfather, the stamp engraver Alfred J Downey. The booklet was like a little catalogue of stamps engraved by him. It included the 5dr value from the 1930 'Centenary of Independence' set issued in Greece.
That same value, together with other values, featured in a recent auction held by Karamitsos in Greece and, as you may have guessed by now, it is wonderful. The single lot included fifteen (!) progressive die proofs of this stamp, from the first outlines of the frame to the completed picture.
Isn't it just marvellous?
I suppose that when you collect stamp engravers' work, this would be the ultimate way to celebrate their work. Such a pity that for the vast majority of stamps, this sort of material is not available. But then, at prices such as these, it is probably just as well!
:-)
Adrian
Sigh.
Maybe I should start a crowdfunding action, see if you all have pity on me and will donate loads of money so I can buy it before it disappears off the website.
:-)
More realistically, I've just downloaded the picture of it so at least I can feature it here and enjoy it for what it is. And what is it, you will by now be dying to know?!
Well, a good few years ago, a certain Richard Downey appeared on the Stamp Magazine website forum, with images of a booklet made by his grandfather, the stamp engraver Alfred J Downey. The booklet was like a little catalogue of stamps engraved by him. It included the 5dr value from the 1930 'Centenary of Independence' set issued in Greece.
That same value, together with other values, featured in a recent auction held by Karamitsos in Greece and, as you may have guessed by now, it is wonderful. The single lot included fifteen (!) progressive die proofs of this stamp, from the first outlines of the frame to the completed picture.
Isn't it just marvellous?
I suppose that when you collect stamp engravers' work, this would be the ultimate way to celebrate their work. Such a pity that for the vast majority of stamps, this sort of material is not available. But then, at prices such as these, it is probably just as well!
:-)
Adrian