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.
| Images | Description | Current Bid |
 | Lot #166 United States 1908 Coil Stamps 1908 1c blue green, vertical coil, unused with original gum, h.r., centered to bottom, top stamp nicely centered, bottom stamp with a tiny corner crease at bottom left, otherwise a fine and rare Coil Pair, with 1957 (clear) and 2019 Philatelic Foundation Certificates. It is unknown how many of these stamps were issued. According to the Siegel Census, there are nine pairs (this being 316-OG-PR06), three line pairs and a single. A major 20th Century Philatelic Rarity. This particular pair has not been seen in over 50 years, ex-Caroline Prentiss Cromwell (1957 sale) * Catalog #316 Catalog Value $335,000 | Price Realized $90,000.00 |
