An Abnormal Way To Beat The Financial Panic
Here we go again… what to do when there is a run on the banks?
I take no pleasure in saying this…?
We all remember the banking government bailouts of 2008.
Two things were obvious to me back then:
So, here we are again.
I won’t bore you with my amateur economics. I’m the stamp man, after all. So, I will stick to what I know best.
One thing is for sure…
Normal investments don’t work the same in times of extreme financial uncertainty.
That’s why the totally abnormal stamp I want to share with you could be the perfectly normal investment to make at a time like this.
The proverbial needle in the haystack
A collection of the surface printed stamps from Queen Victoria’s reign is one of the most difficult to complete.
This is because, in some instances, stamps registered for use were never issued for postage.
These became great British rarities and the hardest spaces to fill in any Queen Victoria stamp album.
They are known as “abnormals”.
Being abnormal, and incredibly rare, they hardly ever appear for sale.
And when they do, even poor quality examples are snapped up by desperate collectors taking what could be the one and only chance to fill that elusive gap in their collection.
So, when one of the finest examples you could ever hope to own comes up, it is not an opportunity to pass over.
Despite being prepared for use in July 1876, a change in the postal rates meant this stamp was never issued…
Technical description:?
Great Britain 1876 8d purple-brown Plate 1, SG156a.
A very fine unused original gum example lettered 'CC'.
A lovely fresh example of this rare stamp that was prepared for use but not issued due to changes in postal rates.
Accompanied with a 2007 British Philatelic Association Certificate of Authenticity.
Price: ￡7,500
The abnormals?
The term “the abnormals” was coined many years ago and is used to denote stamps not issued in the normal course of events.
It is, perhaps, not an ideal term but it has stuck.
The abnormals only occur in the stamps printed by De La Rue & Co. during the second part of the 19th?century.
These stamps were rare from the outset because they were printed from certain plates which were never released to the public.
The abnormals shouldn’t really exist.
They only exist because of the practice at the time when a printing plate was finished and ready for press…
They would print a sheet for approval to be marked as “imprimatur”, literally meaning “let it be printed”.
These sheets were not perforated and the first one was the imprimatur sheet. This was kept in the archives, at that time at Somerset House.
On some occasions, no general issue was made after the imprimatur sheet from the plate had been registered.
This could happen because of a decision to change the colour or a change in the postal rate.
All the abnormals of the Queen Victorian era are considered great rarities.
The abnormal 8d purple-brown of 1876
The 1876 8d purple-brown from plate 1 is special because it was never issued due to a change in the postal rates.
Only one sheet of 240 was printed.
All of the surviving examples are from the top left quarter of the sheet of 240 stamps (ie. letterings from AA-AF down to JA-JF).
That means a maximum of?just 60 examples?of this abnormality exist.
Fewer examples survive today and they hardly ever appear for sale.
Two printing plates were produced for the 8d stamps of 1876. Plate 2 was never put to press.
The original colour was to be our purple-brown, but later changed to orange and was issued from plate 1 only.
At the time, 8d was the standard rate of postage to India (via Marseilles and Australia (via Brindisi).
Due to changes in postal rates our stamp was never issued for postage purposes.
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The 8d value was withdrawn and was not re-introduced until 1913.
Defining “Fine”
Not only is this stamp exceedingly rare, it is also difficult to find one in good condition.
My example is in very fine mint condition with its original gum.
What is most striking, which you can only appreciate from holding the stamp in your hand, is the vibrancy and freshness of the purple-brown colour.
The fact is, the opportunity to buy this key Queen Victorian rarity comes up so infrequently, most collectors have to settle for one with serious condition flaws when the chance arises.
Today, you have found the needle in the haystack – an exceptionally rare stamp in very fine condition.
Authenticity guaranteed
Naturally, this stamp comes with our certificate providing you with a lifetime moneyback guarantee of authenticity. But you don’t really need that…
It also comes with an independent British Philatelic Association (BPA) certificate of authenticity dated 15th?September 2007.
Further provenance is provided in that it was previously handled by the world’s oldest stamp dealer, Stanley Gibbons. This means we also know it was judged by their experts as genuine in all respects and passed all their quality control requirements.
The price is the biggest abnormality of all
The history of pricing in the SG catalogue of the 1876 8d purple-brown makes for interesting reading…
This is the worst long term rate of growth I have ever witnessed for such a key Queen Victorian rarity.
67% growth in 20 years equates to just 3.3% on average per annum. It also dropped in value in the past 10 years by 23%.?
It looks seriously undervalued and presents as a classic Warren Buffett “value investment”.
Its erroneous current valuation can be highlighted even further when comparing it to one of its peers over the same period.
Take the 1873 6d pale bluff, plate 13, SG145 as an example…
This stamp shows growth of 456% in the past 20 years, equating to an average annual increase of 23%.
This is the kind of growth I would expect to see because such Queen Victorian abnormal stamps are exceptionally rare.
More importantly, there is a significant base of specialist collectors desperately looking to purchase them.
There are 49 known surviving examples of the 1873 6d pale bluff stamp and it has a current value of ￡25,000.
There is known to be a maximum of 60 possible examples of our 1876 8d purple-brown, yet it has a current value of just ￡7,500.
That’s a?70% discount?to a similar stamp of equal rarity issued in the same period.
The big question is whether the price will catch up with its peers in the next 5 to 10 years.
One thing is for sure, it represents excellent value to a collector at the current price compared to other similar stamps of this level of rarity.
Buy the best value abnormal Queen Victorian stamp on the market
I expect to see this major rarity sell quickly.
It is one of the most difficult Queen Victoria surface printed stamps to find.
It is a gap in the stamp album of most collectors.
To recap:
Call me immediately on +44(0)1534 639998.
Or email me today [email protected].?
You will need to let me know as soon as possible if you want me to reserve this stamp for you.
My recommendation is, when the banks go bust, buy rare tangible assets.
Kind regards
?
Mike Hall, CEO
PS. We sold one of the most iconic and famous stamps in the world last week - the Black Empress. We wish it well with its new owner…
Canada 1851 Used, the Famous 12d Black, SG4 – PRICE: ￡90,000
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