Baron collections of Canada among Eastern’s latest offerings

By Michael Baadke

The Oct. 28-29 public auctions from Eastern Auctions in Canada will begin Friday with the Baron collections of Canadian imperforate issues, errors and other varieties, and a strong selection of first-day covers.

Eastern will continue with its general sale Friday evening, which includes worldwide and British North America material, concluding on Saturday with more than 530 additional lots of Canada, including revenues, large lots and collections.

The diverse varieties presented in the Baron collections include a well-centered mint example of Canada’s most famous stamp error, the 1959 5¢ St. Lawrence Seaway with inverted center (Scott 387a). Boasting full original gum, intact perforations and “brilliant fresh colors,” the stamp is accompanied by a 2016 Greene Foundation certificate.

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It is listed by Eastern with its 2016 Unitrade catalog value in Canadian dollars at $12,500, roughly equivalent to US$9,500 in early October.

The Baron collections sale includes examples of errors from Canada’s 1962-63 Queen Elizabeth Cameo issue. These horizontal definitives with a left-facing profile of the queen were issued in multiple formats, including panes, booklets, and coils.

Only two examples are known of genuine imperforate-between pairs of the 4¢ coil, which is normally perforated 9½ horizontally (Scott 408a). The example in the Eastern sale is a coil strip of four, imperforate between the center pair, with full original gum, never hinged.

It is described by Eastern as the finer of the two known examples, and is also authenticated with a 2016 Greene Foundation certificate. It is listed with Eastern’s estimate of $7,500 Canadian (US$5,700).

The worldwide offerings in the general sale include material from Great Britain, the United States, Germany and more, while the British North America lots cover British Columbia, New Brunswick (including stampless covers), Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, and more.

The Newfoundland selection is the largest and includes a handsome mint example of the imperforate 1857 6½-penny scarlet vermilion on thick white wove paper with mesh (Scott 7).

“A remarkable mint example with large margins, gorgeous fresh colour and bright impression, showing part white dull original gum associated with the first issue,” Eastern says in the auction lot description.

The catalog value is given at $12,000 Canadian (US$9,130), which includes the 100 percent premium Unitrade adds for original gum on this issue.

Another sound example of the same stamp, cut closer to the margins, is offered in the same sale.

A key item among the Canadian lots is a single of the imperforate 1851 6-penny slate-violet Queen’s Consort on handmade laid paper (Scott 2), described by Eastern as “clear to large margins all around and more importantly still retaining a large portion of its characteristic thin semi-transparent original gum, characteristic of the 1851 issue.”

With a 2016 Greene Foundation certificate, the 6d stamp is listed in this auction at $90,000 Canadian (US$68,460).

The public auction is taking place in the Victoria Suite at the Lord Nelson Hotel in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is listed online here, with links to images of the offered lots.

For more information, contact Eastern Auctions, Box 250, Bathurst, New Brunswick, Canada, E2A 3Z2.