John du Pont’s collection of British Guiana won the Grand Prix International in America in 1986 but was not seen again in public until it was auctioned by David Feldman on 27th June 2014 in Geneva, Switzerland.
There was intense competition for the lots which were all sold well above their estimates.
An example:
British Guiana
1850-51 4 cents black on orange, Townsend Type B, with initials of postal official Lorimer "WHL", deep fresh colour, cut octagonally, central full strike of Demerara datestamp NO 9 1850, very rare
Provenance: Ferrary (Sale I, Lot 33) Expertise: Cert. BPA (2014)
Estimate: Euro 5,000 Hammer Price: Euro 42,000
Lot 60089
1856 Provisional 4 cents black on blue surface glazed, initials of postal clerk Wight "EDW", cut octagonally, used on cover to Sophia's Hope Estate in Mahaicony, very lightly cancelled by village datestamp of Williamstown A 3 C OC 30 1856 (matching strike on reverse), Demerara transit OC 31 over flap, from the Barlow correspondence.
An extremely important item of the issue, being the only known full cover with this stamp. Without doubt a Great exhibition and world rarity, one of the major items of this collection
Provenance: Townsend Expertise: Pemberton guarantee, cert. BPA (2014)
All 200 lots in this auction were sold for a total sum approaching £5million!