Philatelic Collection of Sir Gwaine Baillie ALL 11 Vol. Sothebys Gawaine Baillie Stamp Auction FREE SHIPPING Start Price USD 250.00 Current Price USD 250.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Saturday, November 15, 2008 End Time Monday, December 15, 2008 Location Nevada City, California See more about 'Philatelic Collection of Sir Gwaine Baillie ALL 11 Vol.' Description Sotheby’s: The Philatelic Collection formed by Sir Gwaine Baillie, BT Volumes I thru XI Sale date, subject, location & number of lots. I. Great Britain Part One 29th,30th Sept.,1st Oct. 2004 1157 lots. London II. British West Indies & South Atlantic 16th,17th,18th Feb. 2005 1507 lots. London III. Australian States & Australian Commonwealth 16th July 2005 1259 lots. Melbourne IV. Great Britain Part Two 29th,30th Sept. 2005 1460 lots. London V. British Africa 24th,25th Nov. 2005 1172 lots. London VI. New Zealand 15th,16th,17th Feb. 2006 1171 lots. London VII. British North America 10th,11th,12th May 2006 1676 lots. New York VIII. Rhodesia 27th,28th,29th Sept. 2006 1068 lots. London IX. Great Britain & British Empire Part One 16th,17th,18th Nov. 2006 985 lots. London X. British Empire Part Two / Sperati Forgeries 17th,18th,19th Jan. 2007 1716 lots. London XI. Missed Opportunities / Prices Realized Volumes I-X 2nd,3rd May 2007 London Size: 8.25” X 10.25” The following was taken from Forbes Magazine Sept.2004: “"It was like walking into Aladdin's cave," recalls Sotheby's stamp specialist Richard Ashton, of the first time he saw the collection of rare stamps owned by the late Sir Gawaine Baillie. For forty years, Baillie, who led a colorful and privileged life before dying in 2003 at the age of 69, amassed what many experts believe is one of the greatest collections of stamps of the former British Empire, all unused and in perfect condition. Now those highly collectible stamps, some 100,000 of them, are coming up for auction at Sotheby's in London. So extensive is the collection that Sotheby's is breaking it up into ten sales. The entire collection is estimated to bring in a total of $20 million. Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Baillie collection is the fact that he collected almost entirely in secret. While many of the estimated 30 million stamp collectors world-wide enter contests staged by local philatelic clubs and societies that dole out rewards for the most impressive specimens, Baillie was in a more rarified group that keeps their hobby private. Only five or six other collectors knew of Sir Gawaine's trove, says Ashton. Baillie used a stable of a half dozen specialist dealers who knew exactly what he wanted, but none of the dealers knew about one another. Hence, rare lots like the sheet of twenty "two shilling browns," estimated to sell for between $371,000 and $464,000. This stamp dates from 1880, when, for a period of only six months, the stamp for letters sent within Britain was changed from blue to brown. It's rare to find this stamp at all, says Ashton, and virtually unheard of to come across multiples of more than two. Another highlight is a stamp issued in 1961 to celebrate the British post office savings bank. A few of these stamps had a color mistake. The stamps were supposed to be printed in red and black. But in a handful the black was absent, which meant that the queen's head was missing. Only seven stamps of this sort are known to exist, according to Ashton. Sir Gawaine owned four of these, in a strip no less. The estimate on this exceedingly rare lot is $14,900 to $16,700. Then there is a stamp known as the "King Edward VII two-pence Tyrian plum," which carries an estimate of $37,200 to $46,400, and an unusual story. In 1910, the decision was made that the two-pence stamp would no longer be printed in two colors. Instead there would be a mono-colored stamp, in a hue known as Tyrian plum, depicting the head of King Edward. One hundred thousand sheets were printed. But while the stamp was being produced, King Edward died. All of the stamps were destroyed, save a few sheets. "In 40 years, this is only the second or third of these I've handled," notes Ashton. Sir Gawaine was raised at Leeds castle, the ancient fortress in Kent that his mother Lady Olive Baillie had bought with her sister Dorothy Paget in 1928. At age five, after World War II broke out, Baillie went to live with his American cousins, the Whitney family. Soon after returning to England, his father died, and he succeeded to the family title, becoming 7th Baronet of Polkemmet, Linlithgowshire. Following Eton and Cambridge, he started a successful engineering business while also pursuing a hobby as a serious amateur race car driver. He competed in events such as the 1962 Tour de France. Upon retiring from racing in 1967, he began to shift his attention to collecting stamps. Here is a very rare opportunity to own the entire set of the Sir Gawaine Baillie sale. Eleven volumes containing over thirteen thousand lots. There is probably no better reference or guide for valuing collectables and works of art than the sale catalogue of a major auction house. Here you find professional descriptions, accurate evaluations in the form of pre-sale estimates, excellent illustrations, and, in this case, prices realized. The subscription price for the set was just under $800. CONDITION: Excellent/New as received from Sotheby’s SHIPPING AND INSURANCE IS FREE! (40 lbs!) PAYMENT: I accept Pay Pal. Cashier’s Check, or Money Order only please. Payment is expected within seven days of sale, your catalogue(s) will be carefully packed and shipped within three days of payment. Please e-mail with any questions. Thanks for looking and good luck Place a Bid!