The New Amsterdam Collection of United States Rarities
July 10, 2019

The New Amsterdam Collection of United States Stamps sold for close to $7 Million on 10th July 2019. Hundreds of floor and internet bidders competed for just 220 lots at auction which took almost four hours to complete. With the final hammer, the New Amsterdam Collection took its rightful place among the most valuable stamp collections in philatelic history.

The New Amsterdam Collection was formed over fifty years ago, its mission to complete spaces in a newly acquired Scott National Postage Album. Most of the material was acquired through Dumont Stamp Company, an old established and respected dealership which was in midtown Manhattan in the 1970s.

Competition was intense, especially for the top items. The absolute highlights of the auction were the two 1867 "Z" Grills, each with a pre-sale estimate of $750,000. The 10c green (Washington) fetched $1,150,000 and 15c gray black (Lincoln) $1,610,000, the latter setting a record for a single United States stamp sold at auction.

Additional rare Grills realized $661,250 for a 3c "B" Grill and $172,500 for a 30c "A" Grill. Other noteworthy results include $287,500 for 1869 30c Pictorial with Inverted flags and $402,500 for 24c Inverted Jenny. A rare 2c coil pair estimated at $300,000 was hammered down at $805,000. All results include Cherrystone's 15% buyer's premium.

ImagesDescriptionCurrent Bid
Lot #153
United States 1893 Columbian Exposition
1893 4c blue, error of color, h.r., centered to left, nice blue color, tiny natural inclusion, fine example of this rarity, with 1953 and 2019 Philatelic Foundation Certificates (the 4c Columbian color error was caused by the use of a wrong batch of ink, and spectrographic analysis has shown that the blue inks of the 4c error and 1c Columbian have the same components. Stamps from at least two panes reached collectors, and it is likely that many of the stamps have been lost to philately)
*
Catalog #233a
Catalog Value $17,500
Price Realized
$4,750.00

Lot #154
United States 1893 Columbian Exposition
1893 $1 salmon, l.h. (if at all), tiny gum disturbance, fresh and v.f., with 2019 PFC,
*
Catalog #241
Catalog Value $1,000
Price Realized
$675.00

Lot #155
United States 1893 Columbian Exposition
1893 $2 brown red, l.h., well centered, fresh and fine, with 2019 PFC,
*
Catalog #242
Catalog Value $1,050
Price Realized
$900.00

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