It was with great pleasure that David Feldman S.A. offered the third selection of Dan Walker’a collection of Princely States of India via another specialised catalogue. More than four hundred lots were auctioned, representing a wonderful array of items from almost all the Princely States with unused, used, multiples, varieties and usages on cover. The auction attracted even more buyers than its predecessors and saw bids from 4 continents drive average hammer prices to exceed estimates by an average of 170%.
If ever an international poll was held to find out which collecting area had been the most obscure and challenging to collect, it would most certainly be the Princely States of India. However, with the encouragement of the India Study Circle for Philately and the work of collectors and specialists like Dan Walker, philatelic interest in these little known territories has been increasing, and thankfully selections of Princely States material are now being made available to other collectors.
Here are the highlights of the auction:
Lot 40158: Dutia – 1896 1/4a black on orange, unused
Estimate: £1000
Sold for £4’880
Lot 40159: Duttia 1896 1/2a black on blue-green
Estimate: £2’400
Sold for £6’710
Lot 40160: Duttia 1896 2a black on yellow
Estimate: £2’000
Sold for £7’320
Lot 40335: Orchha 1939-42 10R Turquoise Green used, very rare
Estimate: £2’000
Sold for £17’080