Happy New Year and Good News for All Philatelists

Court engraver Martinus William Ferslew (1801–1852) made printing blocks for a couple of the Danish National Bank’s banknotes in 1835-51, and, based on his own drawings, he engraved Denmark’s first two stamps, showing a denomination of four and two rigsbankskilling (National Bank shillings) respectively, for the General Post Directorate, which were issued in 1851. The only known specimen in private ownership, this first proposal for a Danish stamp, engraved in copper plate by court engraver Ferslew and printed in a clear, dark brown-red colour, achieved a hammer price of DKK 130,000. The stamp was part of Lasse Nielsen’s fantastic Danish Proofs and Essays collection.

From the collection of another profiled collector, Klaus Bonde Larsen, came an unusual exhibition object of the highest quality, the only known pair of the green overprint from 1902. The pair fetched a hammer price of DKK 55,000. Bonde Larsen’s exquisite collection also produced the surprise of the year: a splendid address card franked with several fine stamps and stamped in St. Thomas Harbour in 1905, which went for an amazing DKK 75,000.