Gaertner specialized sale May 26 during Ibra exhibition in Essen, Germany

By Charles Snee

The Christoph Gaertner auction firm of Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany, will hold a specialized sale of Germany, Europe and overseas stamps and postal history May 26 at Ibra 2023, the world stamp exhibition that will take place May 25-28 in Essen, Germany.

“Be prepared for selected small and large rarities as well as unique items,” Gaertner said in a May 8 press release announcing the sale.

According to Gaertner, “proceeds of the first three lots, a complete counter sheet Bavaria Mi[chel] 16 from 1867, a complete mint sheet set of the postage stamps Berlin Bear and Oak from 1945 with rare, zigzag-shaped perforation as well as a sheet of the Soviet Occupation Zone with the newly discovered watermark variant ‘steeply falling striping,’ will be donated to the organization ‘Aktion Lebensrecht fur Alle e. V.’ ”

The organization’s name translates as “Right to Life for All.” For more information, visit the website.

One of the more unusual postal history items in the sale is an 1896 Nanking local post cover mailed to Baroness von Tettenborn in Regnitzlosau, Bavaria, Germany.

Franking the cover is a Germany 1889 20-pfennig ultramarine stamp (Scott 49). A Shanghai circular datestamp neatly ties the stamp to the envelope.

The back of the cover bears faint strikes of “SHANGHAI LOCAL POST” transit and Bavaria arrival circular datestamps.

Struck in purple on the front of the cover at lower left is an oval bilingual “NANKING LOCAL POST FEB 12 1896” handstamp. The sender endorsed the cover “Local-Post” at top right.

According to Gaertner, the Nanking local post handstamp and the Germany stamp represent a “subscription combination” because the Nanking local post office did not issue stamps before Sept. 9, 1896.

Gaertner is offering this attractive Nanking local post cover with a starting bid of €5,000, approximately $5,500 in early May.

Also up for bids is a used Nevis 1861 1-shilling Medicinal Spring stamp on laid paper (Scott 13). The stamp bears a barred oval “A09” cancel of Charlestown, Nevis. Accompanying the stamp are 1971 Royal Philatelic Society London and 2018 British Philatelic Association expertizing certificates.

In used condition, Nevis Scott 13 is valued at $6,750 in the Scott Classic Specialized Catalogue of Stamps and Covers 1840-1940.

Gaertner lists this 1sh Medicinal Spring stamp with an opening bid of €2,000 ($2,200).

For more information about the auction, visit the Gaertner website or contact Auktionshaus Christoph Gaertner, Steinbeisstrasse 6 + 8, 74321 Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany.

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