FULL history of the unique 1856 1¢ British Guiana stamp

aethelwulf · Post by **aethelwulf** » 14 Dec 2010 04:49

(Merged 2 threads - see page 2 of this thread for first hand 2014 Auction info on this stamp for $US9.35 Million etc. Admin)

Detailed history of past owners is here -

https://www.stampboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=52624&start=311

The unique 1856 1c British Guiana Black on Magenta stamp photo

==============

The latest issue of Linn's has announced that John E. duPont, had died - famous for being:

i) A member of the duPont family,
ii) A convicted murderer serving a 13-30 year sentence for murdering an Olympic wrestler, and
iii) For us, the owner of the unique 1 cent British Guiana magenta

As far as is known, the stamp is still sitting in the bank vault in which it was held at the time of duPont's arrest in 1996. What will happen to it? Who knows...

IIRC there were some legal battles over it, ie. the government wanted to seize it and sell it to pay a civil lawsuit, in the OJ style of "he's not guilty of murder, but he does have to cough up $33 million".

Maybe Feldman will make some phone calls and try to secure it for another secret auction.

Unique 1856 British Guiana Black on Magenta stamp 1935 Royal RPSL Certificate f Genuineness.

mrboggler · Post by **mrboggler** » 14 Dec 2010 06:25

There must be enough material connected with this stamp by now,
to warrant an interesting Movie Script.

Allanswood · Post by **Allanswood** » 14 Dec 2010 09:18

"Murder in Magenta"?
Hitchcock would be pleased!

europhil · Post by **europhil** » 14 Dec 2010 09:49

More info - http://www.antique-stamp-collection.com/TB/?P=3443

I recall that when he bought the British Guiana it was reported
that he put it under his pillow while he slept.

I had the pleasure of seeing the stamp as part of his British
Guiana exhibit at AMERIPEX in 1986. There was an armed
guard in front of the frame with the 1 cent Magenta at all
times.

I also recall that he was featured on a stamp from one of the
Caribbean islands. Does anyone remember which one?

SMSSLT · Post by **SMSSLT** » 14 Dec 2010 11:21

So...5,400 Stampboards members, estimated value of stamp $5,000,000. So we each cough up $925, we each get to keep it for a week and 103 years later it begins to circle around our descendants again.

Sounds like a plan to me....

dukeprince · Post by **dukeprince** » 14 Dec 2010 13:11

Just proves , we are but Caretakers of Stamps, Ownership is but a fleeting moment in time.

iomoon · Post by **iomoon** » 14 Dec 2010 13:42

europhil wrote: I also recall that he was featured on a stamp from one of the
Caribbean islands. Does anyone remember which one?

There was a stamp "issued" by Antigua, Redonda in 1987 of a John Dupont as a triathlete.
I don't think it was the same person.
I may be wrong.

europhil · Post by **europhil** » 14 Dec 2010 14:09

Yes, that's it. It honored John du Pont as the (self-proclaimed)
"Father of the Triathlon in the Americas".

mikeg · Post by **mikeg** » 14 Dec 2010 14:13

Yes- the Redonda stamp was that Dupont.

My understanding is that he actually paid them to issue it

Talk about bad timing- I just sold my BG collection last week at Grosvenor's, and now the main item I was missing becomes available

mikeg · Post by **mikeg** » 14 Dec 2010 14:15

I should add that the 1 cent is now in such bad condition, it is hard to even recognize it.

Cover · Post by **Cover** » 14 Dec 2010 14:16

I thought the 1856 stamps with cut of corners only did 1/5 normaly, which idiot cut of those corners

aethelwulf · Post by **aethelwulf** » 14 Dec 2010 14:25

europhil wrote:Yes, that's it. It honored John du Pont as the (self-proclaimed)
"Father of the Triathlon in the Americas".

Reading some obituaries of him, it sounds like that sort of thing would fit the eccentric behaviour he fell into.

From an AP/New York Times article:

John E. du Pont, an heir to the du Pont chemical fortune whose benevolent support of Olympic athletes deteriorated into delusion and ended in the shooting death of a champion wrestler...

John EleuthÃ¨re du Pont was born Nov. 22, 1938, in Philadelphia and lived a lavish and eccentric lifestyle. He built the Delaware Museum of Natural History to house his renowned collections of 66,000 birds and two million seashells...

On occasion, Mr. du Pont ferried athletes to competitions in his helicopter...

At the 1995 world wrestling championships in Atlanta, Mr. du Pont wore an orange jumpsuit and asked to be introduced as the Dalai Lama...

dukeprince · Post by **dukeprince** » 14 Dec 2010 14:36

The Corners were cut off and sold for Twenty Grand each perhaps.
And you would look a bit rugged too if you were under an old Geezers head every night and rubbing up against a Smith and Wesson, for many many years.

aethelwulf · Post by **aethelwulf** » 14 Dec 2010 14:47

A quick google turned up the 'other' stamp discussed:

And a shot of a news headline showing the man now:

Post by **GlenStephens** » 14 Dec 2010 15:37

The stamp is stated to be cut to shape, thinned, torn, and repaired apparently.

I wrote this about duPont 5 years back -

https://www.glenstephens.com/snmay05.html

The other major world rarity is curiously also owned by: 'an individual of a magnetic interest for the media'. The 1856 1¢ magenta from British Guiana was purchased in 1980 at a Robert. A. Siegel auction by Mr John E. duPont for $US935,000.

Mr duPont, the eccentric multi-millionaire connected to the US chemical fortune was sentenced in 1997 to 40 years incarceration for murder (but whilst deemed to be mentally ill, thus sparing him a life sentence) for the 1996 slaying of Olympic wrestler David Schultz.

The exact present whereabouts of the 1¢ magenta is unknown - but is believed to be in a bank vault in Philadelphia. When this stamp next comes on the market it is anyone's guess as to its realisation. Mr duPont is now 65 years old and is still incarcerated.

phrag99 · Post by **phrag99** » 15 Dec 2010 05:06

More than 1 strange member of this family.

I recently researched a cover I own addressed to a Mrs Alfred Du Pont.
Turns out that the lady was Alfred's third wife.

He gave his first wife and 4 young children a week to leave the mansion where they lived .....and then he pulled it down.
He never spoke to some of the children again.

aethelwulf · Post by **aethelwulf** » 15 Dec 2010 05:46

phrag99 wrote:He gave his first wife and 4 young children a week to leave the mansion where they lived .....and then he pulled it down.

Prevents the wife from getting the house in a divorce settlement.

capetriangle · Post by **capetriangle** » 15 Dec 2010 07:40

All interested

My favorite recollection about the actual stamp. Prior to the Siegel Auction in 1980 my old firm Stanley Gibbons had the stamp on view in London. It was being shown by the former chairman Howard O. Fraser in his office during an interview by a French television company. The stamp, of course, was well protected in multiple layers of plastic but at one point during the interview one of the French television company's lights went out.

A loud pop was heard and some of the plastic covering was showered with hot metal fragments. There was, of course, no damage done to the stamp but it certainly made for an interesting day for Howard Fraser.

The stamp was, I believe, exhibited by DuPont in the open competitive class, under the pseudonym "Rae Mader" (Demerara) at the Toronto International in 1987. I was at the show and remember seeing it with its own security guard standing by the frames.

Kindest regards

Richard Debney

David Smitham · Post by **David Smitham** » 15 Dec 2010 10:01

Greetings from New Zealand - the infamous 1c British guiana made its way to Auckland where it was displayed in 1980 at the Zeapex 80 stamp exhibition.

To mark its (well guarded) appearance in New Zealand a souvenir card was produced. Probably this is the only way most of us will ever have of owning a facsimile of this stamp.

I remember being impressed at the time about the stamp being worth $1 million but what a grotty one it was too. Whether or not it was displayed in Australia I do not know.

If anyone wants a 1c 1856 British Guiana postcard please advise = NZ $10 postpaid world wide.

David

dukeprince · Post by **dukeprince** » 16 Dec 2010 04:05

capetriangle wrote:All interested

My favorite recollection about the actual stamp. Prior to the Siegel Auction in 1980 my old firm Stanley Gibbons had the stamp on view in London. It was being shown by the former chairman Howard O. Fraser in his office during an interview by a French television company. The stamp, of course, was well protected in multiple layers of plastic but at one point during the interview one of the French television company's lights went out.

A loud pop was heard and some of the plastic covering was showered with hot metal fragments. There was, of course, no damage done to the stamp but it certainly made for an interesting day for Howard Fraser.

The stamp was, I believe, exhibited by DuPont in the open competitive class, under the pseudonym "Rae Mader" (Demerara) at the Toronto International in 1987. I was at the show and remember seeing it with its own security guard standing by the frames.

Kindest regards

Richard Debney

Ok, I am waiting for the next installment, what was the loud pop please ?, was it the light actually did blow up
and not just went out.

capetriangle · Post by **capetriangle** » 17 Dec 2010 08:45

dukeprince

Sorry about that, I thought it was clear, there was a meteor shower of hot molten metal falling on the outer-lying plastic covering the stamp. Thankfully no damage whatsoever was done to the stamp, after all it is ugly enough.

Kindest regards

Richard Debney

Post by **GlenStephens** » 01 Jan 2011 10:16

John duPont being arrested.

Well if it comes onto the market, my guess is there will not be much change out of $US10 million after buyer fees are added.

31 years back the $US935,000 he paid was clearly a lot of money. Adjusted for inflation it is around $US3-4 million today.

I have little doubt that if marketed correctly, and intelligently, by a media savvy action house like Shreves/Spink, it will be invoiced out for around $US5-10 million.

When this stamp next comes on the market is anyone's guess, but it is realistic to assume "sooner rather than later" will be the answer, with this death.

I think this stamp has enough status and intrigue attached to it, to be keenly sought by several wealthy stamp enthusiasts and/or entrepreneurs.

Keen to own something famous and newsworthy they can be publicly associated with owning, and loaning to International Exhibitions etc.

American Bill Gross is the type of person for whom this sum is small change, and I suspect if it does sell for a record price, it will probably get far more, soon down the track.

Even a corporation buying it would not surprise me, or even a savvy dealer like Stanley Gibbons, who would gain millions in publicity alone while they offered it at a profit.

Post by **GlenStephens** » 06 Jan 2011 03:05

Discovered in 1873

The stamp was discovered in 1873 by a 12-year-old schoolboy, Vernon Vaughan, in the Guyanese town of Demerara, amongst his uncle's letters.

There was no record of it in his stamp catalogue, so he sold it some weeks later for a few shillings to a local dealer, N. R. McKinnon.

After that, the price escalated. It was bought by a succession of collectors before being bought by Philippe von Ferrary in the 1880s for US$750.

Ferrary was one of the wealthiest men in Europe, but mostly dressed like a hobo, never married, and did not drink, smoke or party or have friends.

He was obsessed with stamps, and had a mansion full - including many of the world's rarities! He never sold a stamp, and showed them to almost no-one.

Arthur Hind's agent bought the Guiana during the series of fourteen Ferrary auction sales in 1922, for 352,500 Francs.

This was £7,343, a world record then, and he reportedly outbid Maurice Burrus, and 3 kings - including King George V.

A second copy reportedly turned up in the 1920s, and sold to American Hind. Rumour says Hind lit a match under it and said: "I still possess the only copy".

Australian Frederick Small bought it off Hind's widow in 1940, and sold it at Siegal Auction NYC in 1970.

norvic · Post by **norvic** » 06 Jan 2011 04:51

David Smitham wrote:Greetings from New Zealand - the infamous 1c British guiana made its way to Auckland where it was displayed in 1980 at the Zeapex 80 stamp exhibition.

To mark its (well guarded) appearance in New Zealand a souvenir card was produced. Probably this is the only way most of us will ever have of owning a facsimile of this stamp.

You can probably find three facsimiles quite cheaply - Guyana issued a pair in a 1967 set to mark the World's Rarest Stamp. The third was the cachet on the cover.

Mae Rader · Post by **Mae Rader** » 03 Mar 2011 11:37

It is frequently mentioned that Vernon Vaughan from the Guyanese town of Demerara was the one who is known to have handled the stamp.

However, that information must be partly incorrect. There is no such town called Demerara. Demerara is a district.

There is also a river and a rum called Demerara. I was born in a hospital that is situated at the banks of the Demerara river you see..

Post by **admin** » 03 Mar 2011 11:49

A month or two back I was in mosquito infested Lethem GUYANA, a dusty sleepy speck of a border town with Brazil, sipping a locally brewed Banks beer, in the searing savannah heat there.

I did ask them about Demerara and yes they confirm that TODAY it is a region, (within Gerogetown basically as I recall) but THEN it was actually a locale - that clearly had a PO - the unique stamp has that cancel as you can see above!!

I've been lucky to have visited all the other 12 countries in South America ... most several times, but had NEVER made it to Guyana for some reason.

So this Boxing Day, after spending a Christmas Day on the Amazon fishing for Piranha fish, we snuck in via public bus over a remote border crossing.

From the wild west north-east tip of Brazil to get a passport stamp for country 13 in South America, from a Customs Officer whose name badge (I swear!) said PUGSLEY!

I suspect many collectors would have had no idea that Venezuela, Suriname, Guyana and French Guinea are all totally Northern Hemisphere countries.

All 4 border Brazil of course, which is party in that Hemisphere, and all 5 countries speak 5 quite different major European languages.

That would be a great trivia night question, as many people assume Spanish is the only language spoken in South America!

Indeed I'd guess Spanish is the minority primary language spoken on this continent.

To be only a few miles from Brazil, and surrounded by dark, dread-locked, ganja puffing locals, speaking only thickly accented Caribbean English is pretty neat.

Unique in South America they all drive RH drive vehicles - all on the left hand of the road as in Australia and the UK.

And the "Frontier News" has a photo of politicians promising to tar the main road "soon" - next to a barely clothed very bosomy local lady!

Glen

https://www.glenstephens.com/snfebruary11.html

PUGSLEY's signautre -- I swear!

Mae Rader · Post by **Mae Rader** » 03 Mar 2011 12:19

They drive on the left hand side as well in Suriname, which is next door to Guyana. I got a reasonable collection of stamps from Suriname as well, where I was educated for most of my pre-uni life.

The problem with the Demerara thing is that I can't find any record of it ever being a town. I have gone through public records in Georgetown and Paramaribo, Suriname. Why in Paramaribo? Because Demerara was once a Dutch colony, just like Suriname was.

The name Demerara comes from a variant of the Arawak (= a South American/Caribbean tribe) word "Immenary" or "Dumaruni" which means "river of the letter wood".

And there in laid the mystery for me as to how come there was a cancel with Demerara on it.

But then I happened to talk to a postman who delivered letters along the Demerara river. As is practised up to today, people living along the river have their post delivered by boat from the nearest post office in the nearest town.

The cancel on that would be from that town.

However, some letters never originated from the town, but might have been written and posted on one of the many passenger steamers that go up and down the river. The steamers carried stationary, stamps, etc., and had a post box of sorts.

It is the most logical conclusion I can come up with.

Post by **admin** » 03 Mar 2011 13:32

My recollection of the BEST thing about Surinam was the Parbo Beer.

Mae Rader · Post by **Mae Rader** » 03 Mar 2011 17:45

Parbo bier is the greatest beer on earth as far as I am concerned. As a student I consumed immense quantity of the stuff, aided by the fact that the production facility was run by the dad of one of my school mates.

But we digress..

fromdownunder · Post by **fromdownunder** » 09 Dec 2011 07:40

Today is the first anniversary of Du Pont's death. There has been no progress as to the sale of the famous stamp - the One Cent Magenta - as apparently, not surprisingly, his Will is in dispute.

I suspect that this issue will not be resolved for years.

In June of 2011, relatives of duPont, Beverly A. du Pont Gauggel and William H. du Pont, filed a petition in Media, PA, that suggested duPont was not "of sound mind" when his will was made up. Also in the petition, claims were made that duPont believed that he was alternately Jesus Christ, the Dalai Lama and a Russian Czar.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_E._du_Pont

Norm

mikeg · Post by **mikeg** » 09 Dec 2011 07:50

Sadly, I do not think the 1¢ will survive being mauled by all the lawyers

It will turn to dust being carted from one courtroom to the next

huanga · Post by **huanga** » 09 Dec 2011 08:28

Demerara. A TPO. This may well be the answer to the question?

Huanga.

aethelwulf · Post by **aethelwulf** » 09 Dec 2011 20:30

fromdownunder wrote:Today is the first anniversary of Du Pont's death. There has been no progress as to the sale of the famous stamp - the One Cent Magenta - as apparently, not surprisingly, his Will is in dispute.

I suspect that this issue will not be resolved for years.

Going by history--the Anna Nicole Smith incident; the founder of DHL, Larry Hilbrand; and in HK, Nina Wang--those Will disputes all dragged on for many a year.

(The Nina Wang one was followed daily by the media. She married a tycoon years ago; he disappeared without a trace; a self-proclaimed Feng Shui 'master', Tony Chan, started having an affair with her. When she died, she left her estate to a Trust; he sued, saying he had a Will she signed on her deathbed, giving him millions if not billions. He lost in First Instance; in Appeal; and in Final Appeal. Final legal bill to him: roughly USD$7million. And his expertise in feng shui came from a single book he found one day on his father's bookcase

).

fromdownunder · Post by **fromdownunder** » 11 May 2012 19:38

Now after nearly 18 months since du Pont died, so will this stamp ever be found, or seen again? I am beginning to wonder if anyone actually knows where it really is.

It is supposedly in a bank vault "somewhere"

Norm

Global Administrator · Post by **Global Administrator** » 11 May 2012 20:36

Norm .. DO keep it - it was just sold on ebay for $US510.

Some genius now owns this classic for that modest sum -

https://www.glenstephens.com/snmay12.html

aethelwulf · Post by **aethelwulf** » 06 Jan 2013 18:13

DuPont material is starting to dribble out.

His collections of Falkland Islands, Papua, and Postage Dues will be offered by Grosvenor in March 2013.

http://www.grosvenorauctions.com/wordpress/2012/12/british-e ... -6th-2013/

ThomasAdam · Post by **ThomasAdam** » 08 Jan 2013 10:46

fromdownunder wrote:Now after nearly 18 months since du Pont died, so will this stamp ever be found, or seen again? I am beginning to wonder if anyone actually knows where it really is.

I've got to say, having seen a photo of it a few times in magazines, that it's nothing more than a few black splurges on a red piece of paper. I'm sorry if that's somewhat debasing the essence of this rather famous stamp, but as soon as I saw it I didn't quite "get it" -- or maybe that's the point? It's famous only for being rare and not what it looks like.

And they still say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?

-- Thomas Adam

fromdownunder · Post by **fromdownunder** » 08 Jan 2013 11:19

I suppose it's a bit like Paris Hilton - famous for being famous.

Norm

mikeg · Post by **mikeg** » 08 Jan 2013 16:49

That poor stamp has had a hard life

Supposedly Dupont kept it under his pillow

It really suffered under the Wiell Brothers, who carted it with them everywhere they went. It was exposed to enough sunlight to give a normal person skin cancer.

Now half the lawyers in the US are drooling on it every day.

And to start with, all those locally printed stamps were made on paper of the worst & most unsuitable type possible.

So it is actually rather amazing the stamp still exists at all- it should have turned to dust long ago under all the mistreatment it has suffered

aethelwulf · Post by **aethelwulf** » 08 Jan 2013 16:54

mikeg wrote:Sadly, I do not think the 1¢ will survive being mauled by all the lawyers

It will turn to dust being carted from one courtroom to the next

Send it to PSE and have it slabbed. 8)

Just don't ask for it to be graded.

Global Administrator · Post by **Global Administrator** » 08 Jan 2013 17:30

I'll take it if no-one else wants it.

aethelwulf · Post by **aethelwulf** » 08 Jan 2013 18:20

fromdownunder wrote:I suppose it's a bit like Paris Hilton - famous for being famous.

There's probably not a huge number of people out there collecting British Guiana--at least not modern material complete.

capetriangle · Post by **capetriangle** » 09 Jan 2013 02:03

mikeg

It really suffered under the Wiell Brothers, who carted it with them everywhere they went. It was exposed to enough sunlight to give a normal person skin cancer.

The Weill brothers were not involved with the stamp, as far as I know, it was bought by Irwin Weinberg and a group of investors at the Siegel sale in 1970, being sold to John DuPont in 1980 also at a Siegel sale. Now Irwin Weinberg certainly did promote the stamp but the color was fine, when I last saw the stamp in Toronto in 1987.

Kindest regards, Richard

mikeg · Post by **mikeg** » 09 Jan 2013 02:27

Richard- You are correct

Every time I rely on my memory, this is what happens

capetriangle · Post by **capetriangle** » 09 Jan 2013 02:38

mikeg

No problem whatsoever, I frequently have the same problem.

Kindest regards, Richard

Maxime Citerne · Post by **Maxime Citerne** » 09 Jan 2013 02:40

It is interesting to see how human nature can stick to one thing and label it (at least unconsciously) as 'the ultimate', while at the same time disregarding others (at least as much interesting) as less valuable.

I always wonder: under which criteria such unique stamp is worth 5.000.000$, while another unique one will barely fetch 1.000$. Both are uniques, both are classics, both have been emitted by states (or local districts) on their own rights.

My point is: what makes the 'famous' more famous than another 'famous'

There are countless of unique or extremely rare classic stamps in the world today that will never fetch that crazy price. And I am not even talking about varieties or special features, no, just normal stamps emitted by states or locally. As a short and limited example: how many rarities in Russian Zemstvo or Indian Uglies (or ... etc.) that you can buy for a few thousands, if not a few hundred bucks only.

And they are as fascinating as the One Cent Magenta. And in some cases, they also have some prestigious provenance! (I own some Zemstvo rarities that were -like the One Cent Magenta- parts of the famous Ferrari collection as well).

Maxime

Machaggis52 · Post by **Machaggis52** » 09 Jan 2013 04:24

fromdownunder wrote:I suppose it's a bit like Paris Hilton - famous for being famous.

Norm

And that video tape...

nigelc · Post by **nigelc** » 09 Jan 2013 04:44

Maxime Citerne wrote:It is interesting to see how human nature can stick to one thing and label it (at least unconsciously) as 'the ultimate', while at the same time disregarding others (at least as much interesting) as less valuable.

I always wonder: under which criteria such unique stamp is worth 5.000.000$, while another unique one will barely fetch 1.000$. Both are uniques, both are classics, both have been emitted by states (or local districts) on their own rights.

My point is: what makes the 'famous' more famous than another 'famous'

There are countless of unique or extremely rare classic stamps in the world today that will never fetch that crazy price. And I am not even talking about varieties or special features, no, just normal stamps emitted by states or locally. As a short and limited example: how many rarities in Russian Zemstvo or Indian Uglies (or ... etc.) that you can buy for a few thousands, if not a few hundred bucks only.

And they are as fascinating as the One Cent Magenta. And in some cases, they also have some prestigious provenance! (I own some Zemstvo rarities that were -like the One Cent Magenta- parts of the famous Ferrari collection as well).

Maxime

I'm reminded of Kotelnich #2 where only half of one stamp (the left-hand coupon half) is known to exist.

Maxime Citerne · Post by **Maxime Citerne** » 09 Jan 2013 06:35

nigelc wrote: I'm reminded of Kotelnich #2 where only half of one stamp (the left-hand coupon half) is known to exist.

Ah yes Nigel, I remember that one too now ... Let's check in my albums ... mmmm ... not in this one ... I open another album ... ah no, it is not in my collection as well

And that Kotelnich stamp, if I remember correctly, is sleeping in the Popov museum in Russia. What happens if someone finds the other coupon's half? 8)

GregPaulFraser · Post by **GregPaulFraser** » 17 Jan 2013 04:23

Did you know they are making a film of his life, where he will be played by Steve Carrell? Should be a good watch, if not a tad ridiculous.

Here's my write-up of the Du Pont Falkland Islands Collection at Grosvenor (as previously mentioned)

http://www.paulfrasercollectibles.com/News/STAMPS/Du-Pont-Fa ... 12690.page