Another Canada collection, this one with scans, which obviously held treasures for those who took time to view it thoroughly.

Canada Collection of fancy cancellations in two binders, a better than average collection with over 1,400 mostly Small Queens (virtually all 3¢ value). We noted many coloured cancels, good quantity of better early shades and a wide variety of cancels with not much duplication. Many cancels are illustrated with D&S numbers. A very clean collection and rarely offered in this extensive a lot. Condition generally fresh and fine or better. Estimate $500, sold for $1000 hammer.

Canada #1933i 2002 48¢ Year of the Horse, "Missing Horse" error imperforate pair, full margins, mint never hinged, very fine. A rare item. Unitrade CV $2500, sold for $1500 hammer.

A good realization for an item unpriced in Unitrade:

Canada 468Ac 1969 6¢ orange Centennial coil used imperforate vertical strip of 3, used and tied to piece by Bathurst NB cds dated AP.15.1970. Perforated at top otherwise imperforate, Very Fine. Rare and unpriced used by Unitrade. Estimate $500, sold for $525 hammer.

This was one that rewarded further inspection: Collection of CDS cancellations in three binders, an above average quality collection of over 4,250 stamps from Small Queens (great majority) to 1950s. Large portion are socked on the nose, fully dated cancels. Noted small Prince Edward County collection, cancels from most provinces. A nice collection. Estimate $750, hammer price $1900.

Another sold at full catalogue value.

Canada #134 1921 3¢ brown Admiral coil, mint never hinged pair, fresh colour, very fine. Unitrade CV $100, sold for $100 hammer.

A modern error in best possible condition selling for near catalogue.

Canada #775i 1978 30¢ Virgin & Child Christmas imperforate pair, with large margins all around, never hinged and very fine. Rare item with virtually all known examples being badly creased - this pair is the finest one we have seen. Unitrade CV $1500, sold for $1300 hammer.

An extremely fine stamp, selling for near catalogue value.

Canada #5d 1855 6d grey violet Consort on thick hard paper, with four large margins and 4-ring numeral cancel. An extremely fine stamp worthy of the finest collection. Accompanied by 1968 RPSL certificate. Unitrade CV $4000, sold for $3,400 hammer.

A Large Queen that sold for nearly five times catalogue value.

Canada #30iv 1873 15¢ greenish grey Large Queen, perf 12, used with light cancel, good colour, very fine. With 1997 Greene Foundation certificate. Unitrade CV $150, sold for $625 hammer.

The three lots of classic Iceland stamps were eagerly anticipated and did not disappoint, culminating in Lot 1237.

Iceland #62a 1902-1903 1g overprint on 20a greenish blue Numeral, perf 14x13½, from the third printing, very well centered, original gum, hinge remnant, very fine. Accompanied by 1993 Debo certificate (Facit #47c). A lovely example of this world-class rarity, Scott CV $10,000. Hammer price of $4400.

There is really no other place to start our account of the good realizations from Sale #6 than with lot 85, the 3¢ bright red Large Queen on laid paper. Local CBC television news was here to witness as bidding opened at $11,500, and two bidders some 10,500 kilometres apart took the price to $18,000.

Canada #33 1868 3c bright red Large Queen on laid paper, unused (regummed) single possessing nice bright colour, full perforations and pleasing centering, fine. Accompanied by 2002 APS and 2010 Greene Foundation certificates (latter one pink due to regumming). This is one of Canada's rarest stamps with fewer than ten mint or unused examples recorded to date. In fact, from all Canadian stamps with major Scott numbers, only the 1851 6d Consort on laid paper (#2) and the 1868 1c Large Queen on laid paper (#31) are known in similar small quantities. This specific stamp is likely the second finest example (only the original gum example that was in the Firth collection appears to be of a higher quality). Unitrade CV $25,000

The record price drew the attention of CanadianStampAuctions.com, which has provided detailed commentary about this item and several other stamps in the sale.

Thank you for your interest in Sparks Auction #6. There were nearly 400 internet bidders, and with thirty more on the floor we are busily dealing with the followup to the sale.

We were pleased with the results for many of the items in this sale. On Tuesday of next week, sparks-auctions.com will begin to feature a good realization each day with further information.

We are currently preparing invoices and sending them by e-mail. Once this is done, we will begin the process of sorting and organizing material for shipping. Because of the upcoming holiday weekend in Canada, shipping will start on Weds., May 26th, and local Ottawa customers can pick up their material beginning at that time.


-Sparks Auctions
Ottawa, Canada

Our Auction #6 begins today at 1:00pm EDT with 810 lots of Canada and B.N.A. Tomorrow we will call British Commonwealth, Worldwide, and Postal History; Wednesday is taken up with Lots and Collections.

If you are interested in bidding but haven't begun the process, there is still lots of time to register with StampAuctionNetwork.com and place bids through their site, or join in the live bidding. You may also view the PDF catalogue pages you can find by following the link at the right. Print out a bidsheet, and fax it to us (or e-mail your bids to info@sparks-auctions.com). More detailed information on the bidding process can be read at our bidding page, also linked here.

Opening bids are constantly updated at Stamp Auction Network. Click the Openings button on the page for our auction. Please note that openings do not represent the eventual "selling price," but rather one increment over the second highest bid, and where there is a $2 opening (the standard starting amount) this indicates only that there is at most one bid on a lot.

All bidders are encouraged to check our Catalogue Corrections & Updates page for changes and clarifications of lot descriptions.

Good Luck in the auction!

-Sparks Auctions

Ottawa, Canada

An interesting disaster item, potentially the centrepiece of a medal-winning exhibit.

S.S. St. Olaf November 21, 1900 Shipwreck cover, owned by A. Fraser of Quebec, the St. Olaf was wrecked in a snow storm on Great Boule Island, the largest of the islands off Sept Isles, Quebec in the St. Lawrence River. All 26 passengers and crew perished in the disaster. This is only the second reported piece of mail from this wreck. A very scarce and key disaster mail item. Estimate $500

Germany #C43 1933 1m carmine Graf Zeppelin flight to Century Progress International Exhibition Airmail, mint never hinged, fine-very fine. Scott CV is $2,500 for never hinged (Michel #496). Michel CV €3,400

More nice German airmails are listed in lots 1183-1189 and 1190-1202.

Iceland #62a 1902-1903 1g overprint on 20a greenish blue Numeral, perf 14x13½, from the third printing, very well centered, original gum, hinge remnant, very fine. Accompanied by 1993 Debo certificate (Facit #47c). A lovely example of this world-class rarity. Scott CV $10,000

See also lots 1235 and 1236.