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Auction: 25012 - British Guiana Part II - The Simon Greenwood Collection
Lot: 2039

British Guiana
1850-51 "Cottonreels"
The Caspary and Cartier Cover - One of the Three Most Important Gems of British Guiana
4c. black on orange, Townsend Type C (Robson Lowe Type A) and 8c. black on green, Townsend Type B (Robson Lowe Type C) each initialled "E.D.W." and both cut square, tied to entire letter from Berbice (3.11.51) addressed to Demerara, where the stamps were cancelled on arrival (4.11), with despatch and arrival c.d.s. on reverse. Both examples displaying a bright shade, the 8c. with slight gum perspiration; entire with a couple of archival folds and minor central imperfections, while the stamps remain very fine for this issue. An exhibition piece of remarkable visual impact, described in the Caspary auction as "one of the most outstanding British Guiana covers known". Indeed, this is probably one of the three most important items of British Guiana, and the only known example, either on piece or cover, exhibiting the use of two different coloured "Cotton Reels". Furthermore, only six covers are known bearing the 4c. black on orange and four covers with the 8c. black on blue-green, with the examples on this cover further enhanced by their cut-square format. The unique feature of a bi-colour "Cotton Reel" franking, combined with the great significance of the "Cotton Reels" in philately, elevates this gem to the status of a major worldwide rarity. S.G. 2I, 4I, £170,000 (off cover for cut square). Photo

provenance:
Caspary, May 1957
Cartier, April 1977

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Estimate
£100,000 to £150,000