BASLE, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--1.8 million euros for a stamp – records broken at the Galerie Dreyfus' international stamp auction in Basle. The most expensive Italian stamp and a unique old Swiss letter were auctioned on June 9. A large French collection came under the hammer on June 10, including Vermillion 1-franc stamps worth an estimated 100,000 euros. Bidding can also be done on the internet at www.galerie-dreyfus.com.
The absolute highlight was the auctioning of the ''error of color'' letter bearing a Sicilian misprint stamp, deemed a valuable and unique philatelic rarity. An enthusiast paid 1.8 million euros for this diminutive asset dating back to 1859, which was printed in blue instead of orange. The item goes down in history as the most expensive Italian postage stamp and second most expensive stamp in the world.
In addition, one of the most coveted items on the auction and in Swiss philately was the museum-worthy ''Champion'' letter from 1855. It is a particularly rare and well-preserved color misprint, franked with two 5-centime Strubels in blue instead of brown, and a brown 5-centime Strubel stamp, auctioned for the first time, which fetched 1.5 million euros.
Since actress Audrey Hepburn was depicted on a stamp with a cigarette, relatives decided not to put it into circulation. Some of the stamps did however find their way into circulation and are of great value: 126,000 euros was forked out for one of the 10 Hepburn stamps in circulation on the market. The auction also caused a stir among experts with the 1-penny Post Office stamp from Mauritius in orange, of which only three are on the market. They were offered at an auction for the first time in 50 years, with a starting price of 250,000 euros – in the end, they fetched 300,000 euros.
If you wish to take part in the live auction at the UBS Center in Basle, you can do so until June 10. You can also bid live on the internet at www.galerie-dreyfus.com A large French collection will be auctioned on Friday June 10. From this collection, the unused Vermillion 1-franc stamps stand out most, of which 15 copies will be on offer – an all-time world record. The price per item has been estimated at 100,000 euros.