PUBLIC STAMP AUCTIONS

Public Stamp Auction #49

Saturday 21st March 2026

Commencing 11.30am
West Plaza Hotel
Wellington, New Zealand

Click here to download a PDF copy of the Catalogue

Click here to access our Live Bidding platform (an extra 3% charge applies to all successful bids placed through the live bidding facility, whether placed before or during the auction). 

Most lot images online - the rest coming shortly!

Welcome to our 49th sale. This bi-annual auction comprises 913 lots with estimates of $1.3M from over 140 vendors.
Highlights include:

• Over 260 collections including 65 New Zealand, estimated from $300 to $35,000.

• Wonderful selection of Chalons/Full Face Queens - 181 lots in total featuring:

- SG 1 x4, including one mint cat £80,000 & est $40,000 (lots 319-22).

- SG 3b cat £32,000, est $35,000 (Lot 327).

- 6d brown imperf block of 4 mint, est $15,000 (lot 388).

   Plus many hard to get quality items at attractive estimates.

• Strong New Zealand, including 1d Claret mint, est $12,000 (lot 617); and 1905 On Public Service Only (official) cover with 5 different "OPSO" overprints, est $15,000 (lot 661).

• Good New Zealand Postal History, noted 1846 entire with"Russell" boxed handstamp (1 of 2 known), est $10,000 (lot 279).

• Extensive offering from Ted Sanders (Australia) immense New Zealand collection.

• A recently discovered previously unrecorded NZ 2006 90c Kapa Haka self adhesive stamp, est $5,000 (lot 643).

• NZ Queen Victoria Long Types mint collection to £5 (lot 697).

• Quality rarities from NZ Pacific Territories - Cook Islands, Niue & Samoa.

• 1901-13 British Antarctic Expeditions correspondence from a family archive, never previously seen on the market (lots 740-4).

• GB 1d Blacks, 57 lots including three mint and one lot of 200 est $10,000 (lot 793), nearly all ex Ian Hawken.

• USA Postal History 1784-1873 in six lots ex Bob Watson (lots 908-13).

Overseas bidders please note the mails are very slow. Please send your absentee bids to us by email, via the website, fax or phone, or you can bid live online through the course of the auction.

Viewing in Wellington is available on Friday 18th September and Saturday morning prior to the auction; or until Wednesday 16th September at our premises in Otaki. We are only 50 minutes from Wellington Airport and ten minutes from Waikanae commuter railway station. We can pick you up from either (by appointment only).

My thanks go to John Mowbray, David Smitham, Graham Burnett, Alan Jackson, Ken Markham and Don Stewart, who have produced another great catalogue, ably assisted by Maree Malin, Kirsten Fulford, Kelly Robertson, Amor Von Tonder, Sallie Bassett, Clare Cross and Liam Jennings. We look forward to your participation in this sale and wish you well with your bidding.

Christopher Burtt
Philatelic Manager

Auction 49 - Saturday, September 19, 2026

FURTHER INFORMATION ON LOTS
For any enquiries regarding lot descriptions etc, contact our office +64 6 364 8270 or email auctions@mowbrays.nz

 INSPECTION OF LOTS
At the premises of Mowbray Collectables, Main Highway, Otaki, by appointment: from about Monday 24th August to Wednesday 16th September, during normal office hours; at the West Plaza Hotel, Wellington: Friday 20th March - 9am till 5.30pm, and Saturday 19th September prior to the Auction - from 9am.

Bids can be placed live during the auction via our live bidding platform.  
Otherwise by mail, phone, fax or email - such bids should be received by us no later than 8am NZ time (GMT + 13 hours) Saturday 19th September (at your risk if not received in time).
Due to mail delays, please send bids by email, phone, fax or via the website.
Phone bidding may be made during the auction by prior arrangement only; please make early contact. Total $1,000 minimum in bids applies.

BUYERS PREMIUM
Buyers Premium of 17% (plus GST on buyers premium for NZ buyers) will be added to the hammer price of each lot.  (All buyers please note: no GST will be added to the hammer price of lots).

ALL ESTIMATES ARE IN NEW ZEALAND DOLLARS
At time of publishing NZ $1 = UK 44p, USA 59c, Euro 51c, Australia 84c.  Click here for an online currency converter.

PHOTOCOPIES/SCANS OF LOTS
Available on request. We can supply representative images of bulk lots or collections.

Note: credit card payments will incur at surcharge of 2% for Visa, Mastercard and American Express.

BIDS UNDER 70% OF ESTIMATE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED as this is the reserve on all lots. No vendor bids shall be accepted.