Hong Kong's first international auction of Chinese stamps seen to bring over HK$60m

Auction rolls out on January 11–14.

Hong Kong-based Interasia Auctions hosts this year’s first major international auction of Chinese and Hong Kong stamps this coming weekend from January 11–14 at the Excelsior Hotel Hong Kong.

A total of 3,600 lots with a pre-sale estimate in excess of HK$60 million (US$7.7 million) go under the hammer in what is expected to be the largest auction of Chinese stamps anywhere in the world this season. Each season Interasia’s semi-annual auction of Chinese, Hong Kong and Asian stamps is the largest Chinese stamp auction anywhere in the world, dwarfing the other stamp auctions in China and Hong Kong, and this weekend’s sale promises to be no exception.

Highlights include major rarities of Classic China and the People’s Republic of China, the most prized valued as high as HK$5 million (US$644,00), as well as the earliest known letter from Hong Kong.

“Avid collectors worldwide will be paying keen attention to the auction to gauge current valuation sentiment,” said Dr Jeffrey Schneider, Director of Interasia Auctions and an international expert in Chinese and Asian philately.

“While the Chinese art market has seen significant corrections, classic Chinese stamps have shown strong resilience buoyed by major serious collectors in Mainland China and growing enthusiasm from ethnic Chinese abroad and non-Chinese alike.

“Chinese stamps remain among the most popular in the world, steadily increasing in value amid fierce competition, with collecting considered a sophisticated and fashionable hobby, as well as a store of value and alternative investment.”