Our Auction #58: Rare Stamps and Postal History of the World, held from October 12 to 26, 2026, has become the largest sale in the history of Oldlouis Auctions. More than nine and a half thousand lots, every one of them starting at just $1, attracted collectors from around the world and produced strong results in every area, from classic Europe and Imperial Russia to Mongolia, the Soviet Union and Ukraine.
The Auction in Numbers
- 9,566 lots offered
- 9,045 lots sold, a sell-through rate of almost 95%
- 605 bidders took part
- 74,253 bids placed, nearly eight bids per lot on average
A sell-through rate this high for a sale of this size confirms the steady international demand for quality philatelic material. It also shows how well the $1 starting price works: competitive bidding, not the opening figure, determines the true market value of every lot.
See the full results of Auction #58
Below are some of the highlights of the sale. All prices listed include the buyer's premium.
1914 Kerki to Warsaw: An Early WWI Censored Picture Cover
Sold for $1,150
An equally strong result went to this illustrated envelope sent on August 9, 1914 from Kerki, a remote town on the Amu Darya river in Russian Turkestan near the Afghan border, to Warsaw. Mailed in the very first weeks of the First World War, it bears a purple oval censorship handstamp, an unusual linear handstamp reading "МНОГО ЛИЦЪ" ("Many faces") and crayon postal markings.
The envelope itself, printed in Vilna and decorated with a column of cavalry, adds strong visual appeal to an already rare piece of wartime postal history. It attracted 36 bids.
1616 Venice to Crema: A Letter Sheet More Than Four Centuries Old
Sold for $1,092
The oldest item among the top lots was sent from Venice to Crema on March 10, 1616. It carries the red printed fiscal stamp of the Venetian Republic: the Lion of Saint Mark between the large letters "A" and "Q".
The printed text refers to the 1608 decision of the Savi ed Esecutori alle Acque, the magistrates responsible for the waters of the Venetian lagoon, which introduced a duty on letter sheets. Stamped sheets of this kind are often regarded as forerunners of the postage stamp. This example is signed by Gabriel Coradin Dacio II, carries the handwritten administrative number "N 7490" and retains its paper-covered wax seal on the reverse.
1869 Württemberg: Rare Multiple Franking from Reutlingen to Zurich
Sold for $1,035
Classic German States material was in great demand. This folded letter to Switzerland is franked with seven copies of the green 1 Kreuzer rouletted stamp (Michel 36): a horizontal strip of five across the top and a vertical pair at right, together paying the correct 7 Kreuzer international rate.
A transit postmark of the Royal Württemberg railway post and an arrival postmark on the reverse complete this attractive multiple franking.
1949 Lenin Souvenir Sheet, Type I
Sold for $1,150
Sharing the top spot of the sale is the 1949 souvenir sheet issued for the 25th anniversary of the death of V. I. Lenin, with four imperforate 1-ruble stamps showing the Lenin Mausoleum on Red Square. This never-hinged example is Type I (Zverev 1279 I), with a catalog value of $2,500. Thirty-two bids were placed before the hammer fell.
1927 Altan Bulak to Kalgan: Early Mongolian Postal History
Sold for $977
Mongolian covers from the Dr. Orth collection were among the most sought-after items of the Worldwide Postal History session. This cover was sent on January 3, 1927 from Altan Bulak, on the Mongolian–Russian border, to Kalgan in China.
It is franked with two 10-cent stamps of the 1926 issue bearing a purple handstamped overprint and a 5-cent revenue stamp without overprint, paying the correct 25-cent rate for a foreign letter. A Manchouli transit postmark of January 17, 1927 records its route.
1929 Ulangom to Kalgan: Only Five Letters Known
Sold for $690
From the same collection comes this cover sent on March 4, 1929 from Ulangom, in the far west of Mongolia, to Kalgan. It is franked with 5 and 20 mung stamps of the Freepost issue for the 25-mung foreign letter rate, together with 4 cents of Chinese postage, and bears a black Type IV double-circle cancellation and a Harbin transit postmark. Only five such letters are known.
Other Notable Results
- 1955 "85th Anniversary of the Birth of V. Lenin" 1 ruble, double printing of the frame and text, with certificate: $862
- 1957 "VI World Youth Festival in Moscow" 60k, line perf. 12.5 instead of comb perf. 12x12.5, with certificate: $805
- 1935 Chelyuskin Rescue, USSR airmail, complete set: $747
- 1935 10k Tannu Tuva, corner margins, missing perforation between two stamps: $632
- 1920 70k on 1k Kuban, South Russia, proof with inverted overprint: $632
- 1919 Ukrainian postal money order to Yampil with trident overprints: $632
- 1919 70k Denikin Army, marginal tête-bêche gutter block of four: $575
What's Next
Bidding is already underway in Auction #59: French Area Proofs & Deluxe Sheets, with live sessions through November 13.
In December we will present Auction #60: Rare Stamps and Postal History of The World, featuring Armenia proofs, worldwide postal history, Germany of all periods, WWII propaganda and caricature, the Russian Empire, the Russian Civil War, the Soviet Union and Tannu Tuva, the Polish Legions of 1914–1918, and Ukraine. It will be followed by Auction #61: The George Werbizky Zemstvo Collection (January 2027).
We thank all bidders and consignors who made Auction #58 a record-breaking success. If you are considering selling your stamps or postal history, now is an excellent time to consign. Our global audience of active collectors ensures maximum exposure and competitive bidding for every lot. Please contact us to discuss your material.
