Luxembourg Rareties by Gary Little

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Rare Stamps

Number 1

• An incredible block of 50 essays. A true museum piece.
• A used strip of 4 with a 3-ring cancellation from Clervaux. This item was offered in the Soluphil s.a. auction of July 17, 1989 in Luxembourg. The starting bid was FF 4,500.
• A used strip of 3 of the ivory-head essay. Sold for CHF 3,600 in the Corinphila auction of September 26, 1985.
• A used copy with a nearly full sheet margin. Sold for BEF 20,000 in the Maurice Baeten & Co. auction of December 9, 1986 in Brussels.

Silbergroschen (Number 2)

• A used block of four featuring a green 3-circle cancellation. Sold for CHF 9,000 in the Corinphila auction of September 26, 1985.
• A used strip of 3 from the edge of a sheet. This item was offered in the Soluphil s.a. auction of July 17, 1989 in Luxembourg. The starting bid was FF 3,000.
• A mint pair. Sold for CHF 5,200 in the Corinphila auction of March 4, 1996.

Armoiries (imperforate)

• A mint block of 15 of Luxembourg #7 [10c imperforate]. This half sheet includes the only Luxembourg tête-bêche pair ever issued. (Only one other pair of #7, part of a full sheet of 30, is known to exist.) This sheet had a reserve of DEM 8,000 at the Jakubek auction of October 12, 1987 in Hamburg, but did not sell.
• A mint block of 4 of Luxembourg #8 [12 1/2c imperforate], with full gum. This item was offered in the Soluphil s.a. auction of July 17, 1989 in Luxembourg. The starting bid was FF 10,000.
• A mint margin block of 6 of Luxembourg #9 [25c imperforate], the largest multiple known. Sold for CHF 10,000 in the Corinphila auction of October 26, 1982.
• A mint block of 4 of Luxembourg #9 [25c imperforate], from the right margin of the sheet. This item was offered in the Soluphil s.a. auction of July 17, 1989 in Luxembourg. The starting bid was FF 25,000.
• A mint block of 4 of Luxembourg #10 [30c imperforate], the only known such block. This item was offered in the Soluphil s.a. auction of July 17, 1989 in Luxembourg. The starting bid was FF 12,500.
• A mint margin pair of Luxembourg #11 [37.5c imperforate], the largest multiple known. Sold for CHF 1,500 in the Corinphila auction of September 26, 1985.
• A used strip of 4 of Luxembourg #12 [40c imperforate]. Sold for CHF 3,200 in the Corinphila auction of September 26, 1985.

Armoiries (rouletted)

• A mint block of 4 of Luxembourg #15 [4c rouletted]. Sold for CHF 1,600 in the Corinphila auction of September 26, 1985.
• A used block of 8 of Luxembourg #20 [12 1/2c carmine, rouletted in color]. Largest used block known. This item was offered in the Soluphil s.a. auction of July 17, 1989 in Luxembourg. The starting bid was FF 10,000.
• A used block of 10 of Luxembourg #22 [25c blue, rouletted in color]. Largest multiple known. This item was offered in the Soluphil s.a. auction of July 17, 1989 in Luxembourg. The starting bid was FF 15,000.
• A mint block of 10 of Luxembourg #22A [25c ultramarine, rouletted in color]. Largest multiple known. Sold for CHF 7,500 in the Corinphila auction of October 26, 1982.
• A mint corner strip of 5 of Luxembourg #23 [30c, rouletted in color]. Largest multiple known. Sold for CHF 6,000 in the Corinphila auction of October 26, 1982.
• A mint block of 12 of Luxembourg #24 [37 1/2c, rouletted in color]. Offered in the 162nd Maurice Baeten & Co. auction in Brussels.
• A used block of 4 of Luxembourg #24 [37 1/2c, rouletted in color]. Only used block of 4 known. This item was offered in the Soluphil s.a. auction of July 17, 1989 in Luxembourg. The starting bid was FF 20,000.
• A used block of 6 of Luxembourg #25 [40c rouletted in color] (20-Dec-1877). Sold for CHF 2,700 in the Corinphila auction of September 26, 1985.

Armoiries (Luxembourg print)

• A used block of 8 of Luxembourg #34 [12 1/2c Luxembourg print] cancelled in Vianden. This item was offered in the Soluphil s.a. auction of July 17, 1989 in Luxembourg. The starting bid was FF 12,500.
• A mint block of 4 of Luxembourg #36 [25c Luxembourg print]. Sold for CHF 3,000 in the Corinphila auction of October 26, 1982.
• A mint block of 6 of Luxembourg #37 [30c Luxembourg print], from the corner of a sheet. Largest mint block known. This item was offered in the Soluphil s.a. auction of July 17, 1989 in Luxembourg. The starting bid was FF 22,500.
• A superb mint copy of the famous "Un Pranc" overprint error, Luxembourg #39a [1 F on 37 1/2c Luxembourg print]. From the collection of the Luxembourg P&T Museum (acquired May 1997).
• A used strip of 5 of the "Un Franc." overprint -- the first stamp in the strip is the rare "Un Pranc." error. Only five or six used copies of this error are known. Sold for FF 88,000 in the Soluphil s.a. auction of July 17, 1989 in Luxembourg.

Grand Duke Adophe (face)

• A complete mint sheet of 25 of Luxembourg #62a [20c brown error] (1905). From the collection of the Luxembourg P&T Museum (acquired 2000).

Officials

• A mint pair of Luxembourg #O64, the 5F Allegories stamp with an italicized "S.P." overprint (1883). From the collection of the Luxembourg P&T Museum (acquired 2000).

Modern Errors

• Luxembourg #B242a [children's painting with 2F+25c denomination missing]. This rare "missing value" error comes from the 1964 Caritas set featuring children's paintings of Luxembourg City landmarks. It seems that only one pane of 100 escaped the post office, distributed as four sheetlets of 25. However, there are only about 10 documented single copies known. From the Hamilton collection.

Rare Covers

Number 1

• Two vertical strips of four and vertical strip of three of Luxembourg #1, tied to front and reverse of 1859 folded illustrated company ledger sheet to New York, "Luxembourg, Aout 25, 59" origin cds, red French transit and red New York entry cds, one strip of four folded over cover (1859). This cover sold for US $27,000 at the Schuyler Rumsey auction of April 17, 2005. [Sale 20, Lot 3443.] Here's another picture, this one from the Schuyler Rumsey auction catalog.
• A strip of 5 of Luxembourg #1 appears on the front of this cover (1855). Incredibly, there is another strip of 5 on the back affixed by the recipient when he sent the letter back to the original sender. Sold for CHF 11,000 in Christie's auction of May 28, 1991 in Zürich.
• A strip of 8 of Luxembourg #1 (1853). Sold for BEF 105,000 in the Willy Balasse s.a. auction of June 22, 1996 in Brussels.
• A strip of 5 and a pair of Luxembourg #1 (1856). The fourth stamp of the strip shows the plate variety "line through upper left ornament". This is the earliest known use of this variety on cover. Sold for CHF 19,000 in Christie's auction of May 28, 1991 in Zürich.
• A strip of 6 of Luxembourg #1 (1856). (Black and white image.) Sold for CHF 5,200 in the Corinphila auction of October 26, 1982 in Zürich.
• A block of 4 of Luxembourg #1 (1855). The stamps are cancelled with two 3-ring cancellations and there is a Belgian-style Redange sidemark. Sold for BEF 34,000 in the Willy Balasse s.a. auction of June 22, 1996 in Brussels.
• A strip of 4 of Luxembourg #1 (1856). The cancellation is the 9 bars of Luxembourg and there is a large framed "P.D." marking. Offered in the Willy Balasse s.a. auction of October 25, 1997 in Brussels. The estimate was BEF 20,000-30,000.
• A strip of 3 of Luxembourg #1 cancelled at Kap (1858). This is the largest strip known with this cancellation. Sold for CHF 4,400 in the Corinphila auction of September 26, 1985 in Zürich.
• Luxembourg #1 with a 3-circle cancellation and a Belgian-style Echternach cancellation (1855). The cover, addressed to Vianden, also has transit postmarks for Luxembourg and Diekirch (French-style). From the Jarvis collection.
• Luxembourg #1 and #10 [30c imperforate] (1859). One of only two known covers with this combination. Sold for CHF 12,000 in the Corinphila auction of September 26, 1985.

Silbergroschen (Number 2)

• 14(!) of Luxembourg #2. Sold for CHF 75,000 in the Corinphila auction of October 26, 1982 in Zürich, the highest price ever paid for a philatelic item from Luxembourg.
• Two strips of 3 of Luxembourg #2. Sold for BEF 40,000 in the Willy Balasse s.a. auction of June 22, 1996 in Brussels.

Armoiries (imperforate)

• Luxembourg #7 [10c blue, imperforate] (12-June-1866). The stamp is a top margin variety and bears a 3-circle cancellation. There is also a rare 2-circle French-style Weiswampach side mark. This cover was offered in the Soluphil auction of January 29, 1997. The starting bid was FF 3,000.
• Strip of 3 and a pair of Luxembourg #8 [12 1/2c rose, imperforate]. Sold for BEF 64,000 in the Maurice Baeten & Co. auction of April 3, 1981 in Brussels.
• An "L" of 4 of Luxembourg #10 [30c rose lilac, imperforate] (1866). Sold for CHF 6,500 in the Corinphila auction of October 26, 1982 in Zürich.
• An "L" of 3 of Luxembourg #11 [37 1/2c green, imperforate] (1860). Sold for CHF 11,000 in the Corinphila auction of October 26, 1982 in Zürich.
• Luxembourg #11 [37 1/2c green imperforate] with a rare "Officier Brief Luxemburg" Prussian military side mark. Sold for DEM 2,500 in the Heinrich Köhler auction of February 5, 1997 in Wiesbaden.
• A strip of 4 of Luxembourg #12 [40c red orange, imperforate] and a single of Luxembourg #2 (1860). Sold for CHF 38,000 in the Corinphila auction of September 26, 1985 in Zürich.

Armoiries (rouletted)

• Luxembourg #14, #17, and #19 [2c black, rouletted; 1c red brown, rouletted in color; 10c lilac, rouletted in color ] (1875). The correct rate was 12 1/2c for this cover, so it is overfranked by 1/2c, perhaps because the sender did not have a 12 1/2c stamp on hand. This cover was offered in the Soluphil s.a. auction of July 17, 1989 in Luxembourg. The starting bid was FF 18,000.
• Luxembourg #15 [4c rouletted], #18var [1c red-orange, rouletted], and a pair of #19a [10c rose lilac, rouletted in color]. One of only two known covers with this combination. Sold for CHF 2,600 in the Corinphila auction of September 26, 1985.
• Luxembourg #19 and #23 [10c lilac, rouletted in color; 30c lilac rose, rouletted in color. Sold for CHF 2,400 in the Corinphila auction of October 27, 1993 in Zürich.
• A single of Luxembourg #21 [20c gray brown, rouletted in color] and a block of 4 of Luxembourg #34 [12 1/2c dull rose, Luxembourg print] (1878). Sold for CHF 7,500 in the Feldman auction of October 26, 1984 in Zürich.

Grand Duke Adophe (face)

• Luxembourg #62a [20c brown error] (1905). This cover is the one of two known that is postmarked in Grevenmacher (the usual postmarks seen are Wasserbillig and Wecker). It was sent to Vienna. Offered in the 133rd banque du timbre auction of April 23, 1983. The other known example is from the collection of Allan Wichelman and was mailed to Leipzig.
• Luxembourg #62a [20c brown error] (1905). This cover is postmarked in Wecker and was sent to Berlin. Offered in the Ulrich Felzmann auction of May 3, 1995.
• Luxembourg #62a [20c brown error] (1905). This registered cover to Germany is one of not more than six that were postmarked in Wasserbillig. This cover was offered in the Soluphil s.a. auction of October 14, 1997 in Luxembourg. The starting bid was FF 15,000.

Grand Duke Guillaume IV

• Luxembourg #93 [5 F Guillaume IV] (1908). This cover was postmarked in Cap and was sent to New York via "Deutsch-amerik. Seepost Hamburg-New York". Sold for DEM 360 in the 34th Dr. Heinrich Wittman auction.

Charity Seals

• Marie-Adélaïde Caritas forerunners (1908). This beautiful cover hosts a complete set of the 1908 Marie-Adélaïde Caritas forerunners and is postmarked June 15, 1908 (second day of use!). These charity seals were supposed to be affixed to the back of an envelope, but the postmaster in Diekirch obviously looked the other way in this case. From the Little collection.
• Anti-Tuberculosis charity seals (1950). This first day cover features all three color varieties of the charity seals issued in booklets on March 21, 1950 by the Ligue Luxembourgeoise Contre la Tuberculose. From the Little collection.

German Occupation

• Hitler Siegt! cachet. This 1941 cover has many desirable attributes: a Hitler Siegt! (Hitler Wins!) "V" propaganda cachet (in red); an Adolphe Bridge pictorial cancellation; and a "Drucksache." rubber stamp marking. In addition, the envelope has an embossed Luxembourg coat-of-arms in the top-left corner and is from "Der Oberbürgermeister der Stadt Luxemburg" -- the mayor of Luxembourg City. From the Little collection.
• Sowjet-Paradies cachet. This unfranked cover from the office of the Mayor of Luxembourg to the Worker's Board has a violet Sowjet-Paradies propaganda cachet. This cachet was used to promote an exhibition deriding life in the Soviet Union. The cover also has a circular "Stadt Luxemburg" rubber stamp and a straight-line "Abt. Familienunterhalt" rubber stamp. From the Little collection.
• Liliput cancellation. This special cancellation was used to promote the appearance of Schaefers Märchenstadt Liliput -- Schaefer's Fairy City of Dwarfs -- at the Schueberfouer fair in 1941. This was a traveling exhibit of a real city of dwarfs, complete with its own post office. From the Little collection.

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Luxembourg Philately

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Last updated on April 20, 2005.