Rare Canadian stamp bought for $292,500 at Ottawa auction
A rare, mint condition Canadian stamp, dating back to before Confederation, sold for nearly $300,000 at an Ottawa auction.
The stamp, known as the 12-Penny Black, was printed in 1851 and features an image of Queen Victoria. It was the star attraction of a Sparks Auctions event held last Saturday.
Sparks Auctions General Manager Peter MacDonald said the buyer paid $292,500 for the rare piece of Canadiana. The final price includes the winning bid of $250,000 plus fees.
The identity of the buyer was not released, but MacDonald said he could report the buyer said, "The sisters are united."
In other words, the person who bought this stamp also purchased another identical stamp for $327,000 in 2017. They were, for many years, a pair on the same sheet.
"Philatecally, we're going to make a big deal out of this," said MacDonald.
Several other rare stamps sold at auction this past weekend, including a 3-pence beaver stamp for $13,500. The beaver stamps are recognized as Canada's first stamp and also the first in the world to picture an animal.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.