In the light of the uncertain situation of the stock market at the present time, stamps are increasingly being seen as safe, alternative investments for the long term. So, from 1 to 4 June 2010, a stamp auction at the Peter Rapp AG auction house in Wil, St. Gallen, Switzerland, will certainly be causing a stir.

In addition to the lost “Ticino” stamp collection that dates back more than 100 years and is one of the most valuable in history, stamps and coins are due to be auctioned for an estimated 13 million Swiss francs. Investors and collectors from more than twenty-four countries will be bidding in the room, and several thousand by telephone or online.

 The auction is generating this amount of interest largely because stamps have once again been rediscovered as an investment option, given the economic problems currently being experienced. It is already the case that several billion francs are exchanged for stamps every year throughout the world.

All the relevant price curves are rising sharply. Only a few stamps from the 19th century have survived into the 21st with a level of quality that is actually high enough for trading or investment. This makes them especially valuable, and record-breaking prices are anticipated. The auctioning of the “Ticino” collection on 1st June will be an historic “once-in-a-century event” for philatelists because it was previously believed to be lost. It is one of the most valuable and legendary stamp collections from the period between 1843 and 1854. This is why it has already caused a sensation amongst experts, globally, ahead of the auction. One of the pièces de résistance is a fantastically beautiful cover bearing three “Neuenburg” stamps dating back to 1852. It is thought that this cover, alone, will realize more than a quarter of a million francs – it was last sold in New York in 1956.

The collection also includes several spectacular Swiss postal history covers, that are each expected to achieve more than 150,000 francs at aucion. Check the ites and auction www.rapp-auktionen.ch

SOURCE: WIL, St. Gallen, Switzerland – (Business Wire)

published June 3rd, 2010