Treskilling Yellow
Encyclopedia
The "Treskilling" Yellow, or 3 skilling banco error of color (Swedish: Gul tre skilling banco, Gul=yellow), is a postage stamp
of Sweden
, and holds the world's record auction
sales price for a single postage stamp.
, with denominations
ranging from 3 to 24 skillings banco
. The 3-skilling banco value was normally printed in a blue-green color, while the 8-skilling was printed in a yellowish orange shade. It is not known exactly what went wrong, but the most likely explanation is that a cliché
of the 8-skilling printing plate (which consisted of 100 clichés assembled into a 10 x 10 array) was damaged or broken, and mistakenly replaced with a 3-skilling cliché. The number of stamps printed in the wrong color is unknown.
Somehow, this error went entirely unnoticed at the time, and by 1858 the currency was changed. The skilling stamps were replaced by new stamps denominated in öre
. In 1886, a young collector named Georg Wilhelm Backman was going through cover
s in his grandmother's attic at the farm Väster Munga Gård north of Västerås, and came across one with a 3-skilling stamp, for which local dealer Heinrich Lichtenstein was offering 7 kronor
apiece.
After changing hands several times, Sigmund Friedl
sold it to Philipp von Ferrary
in 1894, who had at that time the largest known stamp collection in the world, and paid the breathtaking sum of 4,000 gulden
. As time passed, and no other "yellows" surfaced despite energetic searching, it became clear that the stamp was not only rare, but quite possibly the only surviving example.
When Ferrary's collection was auctioned in the 1920s, Swedish Baron Eric Leijonhufvud acquired the Yellow, then Claes A. Tamm bought it in 1926 for £1,500 (GBP
) in order to complete his collection of Sweden. In 1928, the stamp was sold to lawyer Johan Ramberg for £2,000 who had it for nine years. In 1937, King Carol II of Romania
purchased it from London auction house H. R. Harmer for £5,000, and in 1950 it went to Rene Berlingen for an unknown sum.
In the 1970s, the Swedish Postal Museum caused controversy by declaring the stamp to be a forgery
, but after examination by two different commissions, it was agreed that it was a genuine error.
In 1984 the stamp made headlines when it was sold by David Feldman
for 977,500 Swiss franc
s. A 1990 sale realized over one million US dollars, then in 1996 it sold again for 2,500,000 Swiss francs. Each successive sale has produced a world record price for a postage stamp.
On 22 May 2010, the stamp was auctioned once again by David Feldman in Geneva, Switzerland. It sold "for at least the $2.3 million price it set a record for in 1996". The buyer reportedly was an "international consortium" and the seller was a financial firm auctioning the stamp to pay the former owner's debt. The exact price and the identity of the buyer were not disclosed, however, and all bidders reportedly were sworn to secrecy.
The buyer has subsequently been identified as Armand Rousso
, "a colorful philatelic player ... known ... for a number of high profile activities."
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, and holds the world's record auction
Auction
An auction is a process of buying and selling goods or services by offering them up for bid, taking bids, and then selling the item to the highest bidder...
sales price for a single postage stamp.
History
In 1855, Sweden issued its first postage stamps, a set of five depicting the Swedish coat of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
, with denominations
Denomination (postage stamp)
:This article deals with the price of a postage stamp. For other meanings of the word 'denomination' see Denomination .In philately, the denomination is the "inscribed value of a stamp"...
ranging from 3 to 24 skillings banco
Swedish skilling
The skilling was the Scandinavian equivalent of the schilling or shilling. It was used as a subdivision of the Swedish riksdaler, the Danish rigsdaler, the Norwegian rigsdaler, and the Norwegian speciedaler.-Denmark:...
. The 3-skilling banco value was normally printed in a blue-green color, while the 8-skilling was printed in a yellowish orange shade. It is not known exactly what went wrong, but the most likely explanation is that a cliché
Stereotype (printing)
In printing, a stereotype, also known as a cliché, stereoplate or simply a stereo, was originally a "solid plate or type-metal, cast from a papier-mâché or plaster mould taken from the surface of a forme of type" used for printing instead of the original...
of the 8-skilling printing plate (which consisted of 100 clichés assembled into a 10 x 10 array) was damaged or broken, and mistakenly replaced with a 3-skilling cliché. The number of stamps printed in the wrong color is unknown.
Somehow, this error went entirely unnoticed at the time, and by 1858 the currency was changed. The skilling stamps were replaced by new stamps denominated in öre
Öre
Öre is the discontinued centesimal subdivision of the Swedish krona. The plural and singular are the same in the indefinite forms, whereas the singular definite form is öret and the plural definite is örena. The name derives from the Latin aureus , the name of a coin worth 25 denarii...
. In 1886, a young collector named Georg Wilhelm Backman was going through cover
Cover (philately)
In philately, the term cover pertains to the outside of an envelope or package with an address, typically with postage stamps that have been cancelled and is a term generally used among stamp and postal history collectors. The term does not include the contents of the letter or package, although...
s in his grandmother's attic at the farm Väster Munga Gård north of Västerås, and came across one with a 3-skilling stamp, for which local dealer Heinrich Lichtenstein was offering 7 kronor
Swedish krona
The krona has been the currency of Sweden since 1873. Both the ISO code "SEK" and currency sign "kr" are in common use; the former precedes or follows the value, the latter usually follows it, but especially in the past, it sometimes preceded the value...
apiece.
After changing hands several times, Sigmund Friedl
Sigmund Friedl
Sigmund Friedl was one of the most famous Austrian philatelists, who misused his knowledge toward the end of his life to make forgeries harming the stamp collectors....
sold it to Philipp von Ferrary
Philipp von Ferrary
Philip Ferrari de La Renotière, Duke of Gallièra was a legendary stamp collector, assembling probably the most complete worldwide collection that ever existed, or is likely to exist...
in 1894, who had at that time the largest known stamp collection in the world, and paid the breathtaking sum of 4,000 gulden
Austro-Hungarian gulden
The Gulden or forint was the currency of the Austrian Empire and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire between 1754 and 1892 when it was replaced by the Krone/korona as part of the introduction of the gold standard. In Austria, the Gulden was initially divided into 60 Kreuzer, and in Hungary, the...
. As time passed, and no other "yellows" surfaced despite energetic searching, it became clear that the stamp was not only rare, but quite possibly the only surviving example.
When Ferrary's collection was auctioned in the 1920s, Swedish Baron Eric Leijonhufvud acquired the Yellow, then Claes A. Tamm bought it in 1926 for £1,500 (GBP
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
) in order to complete his collection of Sweden. In 1928, the stamp was sold to lawyer Johan Ramberg for £2,000 who had it for nine years. In 1937, King Carol II of Romania
Carol II of Romania
Carol II reigned as King of Romania from 8 June 1930 until 6 September 1940. Eldest son of Ferdinand, King of Romania, and his wife, Queen Marie, a daughter of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, the second eldest son of Queen Victoria...
purchased it from London auction house H. R. Harmer for £5,000, and in 1950 it went to Rene Berlingen for an unknown sum.
In the 1970s, the Swedish Postal Museum caused controversy by declaring the stamp to be a forgery
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
, but after examination by two different commissions, it was agreed that it was a genuine error.
In 1984 the stamp made headlines when it was sold by David Feldman
David Feldman (philatelist)
David Feldman is a professional philatelist, author and auctioneer, chairman of David Feldman SA, a Geneva based philatelic auction company that has attained record prices for some of the most famous postage stamps of the world...
for 977,500 Swiss franc
Swiss franc
The franc is the currency and legal tender of Switzerland and Liechtenstein; it is also legal tender in the Italian exclave Campione d'Italia. Although not formally legal tender in the German exclave Büsingen , it is in wide daily use there...
s. A 1990 sale realized over one million US dollars, then in 1996 it sold again for 2,500,000 Swiss francs. Each successive sale has produced a world record price for a postage stamp.
On 22 May 2010, the stamp was auctioned once again by David Feldman in Geneva, Switzerland. It sold "for at least the $2.3 million price it set a record for in 1996". The buyer reportedly was an "international consortium" and the seller was a financial firm auctioning the stamp to pay the former owner's debt. The exact price and the identity of the buyer were not disclosed, however, and all bidders reportedly were sworn to secrecy.
The buyer has subsequently been identified as Armand Rousso
Armand Rousso
Armand Rousso, also known as Marc Rousso, is a business man who was born in France. He is the founder of Accoona.com, a business-to-business search engine, and X3D Techonology.- Biography :...
, "a colorful philatelic player ... known ... for a number of high profile activities."