White Glove Result for The Former Singapore Museum Philatelic Collection Part 1

Following intense bidding from global participants and surpassing its high estimate, The Former Singapore Philatelic Museum Collection, Part 1: Queen Victoria has achieved a white glove, with all lots sold. This pivotal collection curated by the team at Stanley Gibbons took place on the 28th of March, and is the first sale of two planned auctions to be hosted by Baldwin’s Auctions.

The stand-out item and anticipated centerpiece of the auction was Lot 9, the Malaya Straits cover. Dated 2 December 1855, during Singapore's tenure as part of the Straits Settlements, this unique cover last appeared at auction in 2000. At auction it commanded a price of £93,600, inclusive of fees, at 399 Strand on Thursday 28th March.

Robert Smith, Commonwealth specialist at Stanley Gibbons was responsible for describing the auction items, remarked on the cover's significance, “This cover features each of India’s first four stamps on the front, making this the complete set on cover. It is very rare to get all four values on one cover as the opportunity to use one of each stamp was limited. This certainly adds to its value. It is of great interest to collectors, and especially desirable to collectors of early Indian stamps”. Dr. Philip Kinns, Emeritus Director of Philately and holder of the Royal Warrant, hailed it as " a truly wonderful exhibition item of unparalleled importance."

Lot 9

Curated by experts at Stanley Gibbons, this auction marked the first of two dedicated sales from the collection, the first focusing primarily on Queen Victoria material.Iain Murphy, Managing Director of Baldwin’s Auctions, expressed satisfaction with the auction's outcome, highlighting the achievement of the auction and interest of bidders.

 “The intense bidding from global participants propelled the total hammer to beyond the high estimate. With each lot in the auction finding a buyer, this exceptionally rare white glove event underscored the significance and scarcity of the items on offer from the former Singapore Philatelic Museum – demonstrating Baldwin’s ability to connect with collectors worldwide. 

(Above)Lot 49, Straits Settlements SG 3, 8, 15 1868 cover from Singapore to Philadeliphia 42c rate

Additional notable lots from the sale include:

Lot 24: A block of four of the Straits Settlements 6c. on 2a. yellow (SG 5), one of four recorded blocks of this value, realizing £15,600 including fees.

Lot 52: A cover to Mauritius, originating from Saigon, Indo-China,  the cover was handed to a forwarding agent who arranged for the cover to be posted in Singapore instead of Saigon.  To the best of our knowledge, this is the only cover from Saigon which has been posted in Singapore. Estimated at £8,000 – 10,000, the item sold for £16,800 including fees.

Lot 49: An exceptional cover from Singapore to Pennsylvania, fetching £18,000 including fees.

Lot 62: A unique Greetings telegram sent to an address in Singapore, sold for £360 including fees.

Lot 11: An 1857 cover from Singapore to London, realizing £5,760 including fees.

Lot 21: An 1867 upper marginal block of 4 with Arabesques, achieving £4,560 including fees.

Lot 64: The remaining collection comprising unused QV stamps and postal history, selling for £9,600 including fees.

Part 2 of the collection will be offered later in 2024 – Sign up to register your interest and receive early updates on the auction.