The biggest stamp exhibition ever held here opens at the RDS in Dublin next Friday. Running until Sunday evening, Stampa '97 is to include many rare philatelic examples, the most important of which is an 1847 envelope with a Mauritius one penny red stamp. In September of that year, the island's governor held a ball and the very first stamp issued by the colony was used on the invitation envelopes. Although a couple of hundred such invitations were despatched, only three still remain, one of which is in the British royal collection. The example on display at next week's exhibition once belonged to King Carol of Romania; it is due to be auctioned in Zurich on November 20th next. Its starting price will be two million Swiss francs, approximately £1 million. The world's leading philatelic auctioneer, Dublinborn David Feldman, is to conduct this sale.
Other rarities on show at Stampa '97 include the Western Australia "inverted swan" (worth some £100,000), a British Edward VII six-penny "Inland Revenue" overprint block of four, valued at £250,000, and a collection of Irish issues from 1922, worth around £100,000.
There will be a wide variety of different exhibits at the event, such as a display of stamps depicting Irish sportsmen, whales on stamps, postal history from the early 18th century to the present, pioneer airmails and Red Cross mail of the first World War. Trophies and medals will be awarded by an international jury for best-presented exhibits, and junior collectors can compete for the An Post Young Philatelist of the Year award and the Windsor Motors Schools' Trophy.
Leading specialists from Ireland, Britain, the United States and Germany will be there to offer free valuation of stamps and postmarks. Dealers will present a wide variety of stamps, worth from a few pence to several thousand pounds, and overseas post offices are due to offer recently-released stamps from more than 50 countries. Next Saturday, November 8th, a philatelic children's party takes place at Stampa '97, marking 150 years to the day of the birth of Dubliner Bram Stoker, whose novel Dracula was commemorated on a recent set of Irish stamps. Stampa '97 takes place in the RDS Concert Hall, Ballsbridge, Dublin from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Friday, November 7th until the following Sunday. Admission is £2.50 for adults, £1 for children and £5 for families.
