The world’s most fascinating collectible?

If I began talking at length about stamps, how quickly would your mind begin to wander?

Unless you’ve got the bug, I’d probably guess about 30 seconds.

While there are millions of avid collectors out there in the world, for the majority of people stamps are a byword for dull.

It’s a shame that the traditional, unfair image of the stamp collector as a boring obsessive is so rarely challenged.

The fact is, there’s a great deal more to the hobby than there appears to be.

Think for a moment about a world before the internet, before telephones, before telegrams.

Stamps were used to indicate colonial rule, as in this British stamp issued in Honduras

This is a time in which the only method of long distance communication was via letter.

These small pieces of history, some of which are the most valuable items by weight on the planet, exist as proof of nations that no longer exist – of perilous voyages across the globe.

Perhaps the biggest secret of stamp collecting is the way they reveal how the state sees itself.

Think about the idealised racial designs of the Third Reich, the images of national heroes and industrial scenes that adorn those examples issued during the Soviet era and the ubiquitous images of the monarch that essentially acted as territorial markers during the colonial era.

A Nazi-era stamp showing the birth of an Aryan

 

Stamps cross borders and are handled by people of all nationalities. They act as de-facto symbols of the state and the sheer variety on offer ensures that there is something out there for everyone, from design geeks to history nuts.

A Soviet-era stamp showing an oil refinery

While the value of the rarest stamps continues to grow, now might be the perfect time to get involved in this most maligned of hobbies.

 

Secret of Life letter breaks World Auction Record

Today, we heard the news that the world auction record for the sale of a letter has been smashed to smithereens.

And no wonder. The letter in question is the first written description of one of the most monumental scientific discoveries in history.

The letter was hand-penned by Francis Crick, the co-discoverer of the double helix structure of DNA. This 1953 breakthrough gave science an intimate understanding of the genetic composition and function of living things. In effect, they discovered, as Crick announced to a crowded Cambridge pub on the day of their breakthrough, ‘the secret of life’.

Very soon after this eureka moment, Crick wrote to his twelve year old son, who was away at boarding school, explaining in simple terms the significance of what they had discovered. He instructs: ‘read this carefully so that you understand it. When you come home we will show you the model’.

This letter is no dry scientific report, but affectionate, deeply personal pages, that convey the excitement the scientist must have felt and the desire to share his enthusiasm with his nearest and dearest. He describes the structure they had created as ‘beautiful’, and attempts to draw a picture of it, but admits that ‘I can’t draw it very well…the model looks much nicer than this’.

The letter sold at Christie’s for over $6 million. The previous auction record for a letter was $3.4 million, achieved by an Abraham Lincoln note in 2008. The price is testament to its historical significance, but also its personal, accessible nature. It is signed ‘Lots of love, Daddy’.

Crick and his partner were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discoveries in 1962. Watch this space for the results of the sale of that very same Nobel Prize award at Heritage Auctions, coming up today.

By Louise

Che Guevara vs Fidel Castro – the PFC Auctions showdown

There are just four hours left to bid over at PFC Auctions.

We’ve all given you our favourite lots in the sale, with plenty of choice on what to spend your hard earned money on. But, as we enter the final moments of the sale, an interesting rivalry has arisen…

Former comrades Che Guevara and Fidel Castro are going head to head in a race to see the biggest bids.

The iconic Che Guevara has long been a popular figure for collectors. In fact, I’m almost certain that, at some point, you have owned something with his silhouetted face on…

Fidel Castro on the other hand, has lost what little support he had over the years. Yet, as his grip on Cuba weakens, the market for his memorabilia has strengthened.

The PFC40 Autograph Index serves as a testament to this, with Fidel’s standing as the world’s most valuable living signature in 2012 (next to Nelson Mandela, that is).

In the auction, Castro’s signature on a poster of recognition is selling for £531 ($803), while an autographed letter from Guevara has raised £500 ($756) – the ailing leader looks to be winning.

Yet Guevara’s enduring popularity has seen him throw off all competition, with a £1,265 ($1,913) bid seen by a Cuban $6m bond signed by the man himself.

I’m sure when Castro is no longer with us, the tables will turn. Take advantage of these prices while you still can.

Joe

Einstein correspondence – my favourite PFC Auctions lot

Without a doubt, my favourite item that has been consigned to the latest PFC Auctions sale – which, by the way, is currently open for bidding  – has to be the correspondence between the great Albert Einstein and socialist philosopher Corliss Lamont.

Einstein and Corliss would later meet at Einstein’s home to discuss the matter further

Regarded as a genius, Einstein was called upon for his advice on numerous subjects as he became more famous, many of which were far removed from his physics background. The turbulent times that followed the second world war meant that few could avoid holding an opinion on matters such as civil rights, communism and the threat of the cold war, and Einstein was at the forefront of the intellectual debate.

His connections with Germany and zionism, as well as his socialist ideals and relations with leading communist figures, also ensured that the distrustful FBI held a file on him, which would grow to over 1,427 pages. Like many intellectuals in America at the time, Einstein felt oppressed under the watchful eye of his adopted government.

These remarkable letters show attempting to maintain an amicable relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union. Lamont was the president of the National Council of American-Soviet Friendship, an organisation supported by the likes of Charlie Chaplin, Orson Wells, Katharine Hepburn and Gene Kelly, to name but a few.

Over the course of the four letters, Einstein’s characteristically calm and eloquent manner is portrayed brilliantly, providing a fascinating insight into his character. He is clear and decisive in his writing, and demonstrates his strong awareness of the political climate at the time.

With a minimum bid of just £100 each, the letters are sure to be snapped up by hungry collectors, although if anyone is feeling generous I would very much like them as a birthday present! Another 1954 letter in which Einstein shares his views on God and religion was reportedly sold for $3m on eBay in October 2012, so act fast.

by Joe

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