As many collectors of holy land stamps know - this area can be quite expensive especially when it comes to postal history such as covers, post cards, letter cards, and parcel forms. I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some recent prices realized at auction to get an impression of the marketplace.
I think these results are particularly interesting in the shadow of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis enveloping the world. As global markets have crashed there is also much discussion going on about the state of collectible markets including art, antiques, and of course rare stamps. Major stamp auctions such as David Feldman's British Empire Auctions have been delayed until mid summer in order to wait out the crisis.
The following are just a few auction results from the past few months that caught my eye. As you can see there are still people spending a lot of money on stamps even during a global financial crisis.
Auction: Thomas Juranek 40th Auction
Date: April 3, 2020
Hammer Price: €6,000 EUR
These type of early letters with the 1864 Austria Levant issues are rarely offered but I do see them come on the market a few times a year. The price here is very respectable showing that there is strong demand for exceptional items. The Haifa postmark is more scarce on cover than those of Jaffa or Jerusalem. The strike is also very clear and readable.
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| CAIFA (Haifa), gray blue single circle postmark with ornament with 5 & 10 Soldi coat of arms to Vienna, approximate 1866, on reverse a transit postmark from Trieste as well arrival postmark from Vienna. |
Auction: A. Karamitsos International Philatelic Auctions
Date: February 8, 2020
Hammer Price: €8,800 EUR
This is a very nice auction result for an Austrian Levant cover franked with the 5 sld value from the 1867 (coarse beard) series. A Greek Hermes Head stamp was applied to complete the rate to the final destination. This is known as a mixed franking (where stamps from multiple postal authorities are used) to get the letter to the recipient. The price looked very strong to me. I found a similar item from Haifa (but with a more common franking of 10 sld - and only one Austrian stamp) that sold for $5,040 USD in 2017.
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| Jerusalem (GERUSALEMME) 12.2.1875 paid with 15Sld, via Lloyd Agenzie Smirne to Athens. |
Auction: Cherrystone Auctions
Date: March 3, 2020
Hammer Price: $3,500 USD
Zeppelin mail originating from Mandate Palestine is exceedingly rare and does not come across the auction block on a regular basis. In March 2020 Cherrystone Auctions offered a large holding of Zeppelin flight covers and air mail. The prices realized were very strong reflecting the ongoing popularity of airmail and Zeppelin postal history.
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| 1933 Chicago flight cover (9th SAF to Chicago and South America, 50th Crossing of the Atlantic), registered from Jerusalem to Valparaiso, Palestine dispatch via London to Berlin, with connecting cachet applied on back, used in combination with British franking applied in London, Valparaiso, Chile 22 October arrival postmark on back, faint toning, fine and rare cover, one of only 10 flown |
Auction: Cherrystone Auctions
Date: March 4, 2020
Hammer Price: $2,300 USD
This is just about the nicest set of the much sought after Doar Ivri high values as one can find. The price of this set says a lot about the state of the market for Israeli stamps. Just five years ago a nearly identical set sold for $4,200 USD. The prices for this set have been declining in recent years I believe due to issues of supply and demand. A nice used set can now go for as low as $800 USD - a price once thought of unheard of just a few years ago.
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| 1948 Doar Ivri, 250m-1000m with tabs, set of sheet margin singles, never hinged and post office fresh, faint fingerprint impressions on gum as often, still v.f. |
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