Prague, November 6, 2023 – In a captivating event that unfolded in Prague, a highly anticipated philatelic rarity from a recent auction achieved a remarkable sale price of nearly 1.8 million Koruna, including fees. The auction, marking the conclusion of the exhibition ‘Treasures of World Philately II,’ witnessed an intense bidding war between two enthusiastic collectors for a sheetlet dating back to 1932, showcasing the iconic Křivoklát Castle. Patrik Kozlík, speaking on behalf of the organizers, confirmed that the sheetlet was successfully auctioned for one million Koruna.

The star of the auction was a rare purple stamp, originally valued at 3.50 Koruna, set on a sheetlet featuring two symbols. According to organizers, only six or seven such pieces have survived in this particular form, and the one auctioned on Sunday possesses the additional distinction of a white margin on the left side. While the individual Křivoklát stamp is valued at 50 Koruna, combining it with two symbols and a coupon transforms it into an exhibit with a remarkable value of one million Koruna.

The auction significantly surpassed expectations, attracting both in-person and online participation. Most items presented during the auction witnessed substantial increases in their final sale prices. Collectors from within the country displayed a consistent interest in expanding their collections, while investors sought to diversify their portfolios, according to Petr Flaška, the owner of the auction portal Filatelie Flaška.

Another notable item that garnered attention was an inverted overprint stamp featuring the postmark ‘Počta československá’ from 1919. Initially listed with a starting price of 500,000 Koruna, it stands as one of the rarest inverted overprints, with only three to five known copies in existence. However, an Italian stamp from 1860, of which only about five unused copies are known worldwide, did not find a buyer at its initial starting price of 950,000 Koruna.

The auction was the grand finale of an exhibition that commenced on October 28 at the Municipal House. The total value of the items on display exceeded an impressive half a billion Koruna. Visitors to the exhibition had a unique opportunity to delve into the rich history of stamps, some of which were exceptionally well-preserved. The exhibition was jointly organized by the Czech philatelic club Prestige Philately Club Prague (PPCP) in collaboration with guest clubs Vindobona and the renowned philatelic organization Club de Monte-Carlo.

Article by Prague Forum