Harmers of London is pleased to present a prestigious auction of Stamps and Postal History on Thursday, 24 June 2021. The sale will take place at the Royal Over-Seas League in St James’s and is dedicated to rare and important pieces from Britain, the British Empire, and the Commonwealth.

The sale is led by the “Gem collection”, which is comprised of outstanding rarities from the classic period of Ceylon. Formed by an English Gentleman over an entire lifetime, the collection is undoubtedly one of the most important of its type to come to public auction in recent decades. The 211-lot section features multiples, die proofs, errors, colour trials, DLR day-book pieces and specimens. Many of the lots have not been seen on the open market since the 1960s and have excellent provenance including the Percy de Worms and Burrus collections.  

 Sale highlights include a cover franked with six single 1840 One Penny Black (lot 17), a mint corner block of four 3d rose from 1866 (lot 224), and a 5-pound orange of 1867 on white paper (lot 32).