Sparks 56th Auctions Spring 2026 - Stamps & Postal History of the World

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All lots Aftersale lots Sold at auction

Uruguay Covers bulk lot

Canada Covers bulk lot

Uruguay Covers bulk lot

Canada Covers bulk lot

Uruguay Covers bulk lot

Lot 854

300.00 CAD

Sold

BLOOD, WOOL, AND CAUDILLOS: The Wendelstadt Archive, 1854–1869, a German Pioneer’s Witness to the Uruguayan Revolution and the

BLOOD, WOOL, AND CAUDILLOS: The Wendelstadt Archive, 1854–1869, a German Pioneer’s Witness to the Uruguayan Revolution and the Triple Alliance War, an extensive and significant archive of 16 letters, approximately 60 pages of correspondence and an additional 15 pages (some double sided) of settlement records documenting the foundational German colonization of the Uruguayan littoral, primarily comprising the personal and business correspondence of Richard Wendelstadt, alongside letters from his brothers Carl and Victor Wendelstadt, and fellow settler Eduard Deichmann. The archive traces 1854 mercantile activity in Rio de Janeiro to the establishment of a massive agricultural Estancia near the settlement of New Melhem (Nuevo Berlín). In addition to the narrative interest, the archive includes comprehensive financial ledgers from 1854 and 1858, such as the Estancia von 68 Suertes ledger, providing a technical census of the estate's 16,000+ sheep and capital valuations; some imperfectons, not detracting from the historically fascinating narrative. This archive serves as a vital primary source for the study of 19th-century German emigration and the socio-political evolution of the Rio de la Plata region. The early letters from Rio de Janeiro capture the alien environment of Brazil, describing the "ice-cold water" and lush avenues of trees. By the late 1850s, the correspondence provides a visceral account of pioneer life, from the "primitive conditions" of their initial shelters to the "unending pests" and "bitter cold" that threatened their livestock. Wendelstadt’s writing offers a candid look at the immigrant psyche, advising his family in Prussia that success in the Americas requires "iron patience and a strong back". The historical and political significance of the archive is highlighted during the turbulent 1860s as the settlers were caught in the crossfire of regional wars, documenting their precarious position amidst regional volatility, noting that the "Revolution disturbs the communications" and describing an "anxious atmosphere" as local Caudillos mobilized for conflict. Wendelstadt specifically details how political instability and "blockades" hindered commercial trade with firms like Santiago Lowry, with wool shipments frequently delayed. His 1861 letters emphasize a strategy of "strict neutrality" as a means of survival during the lead-up to the War of the Triple Alliance. By 1864, the impact of the war is direct, with the settlers witnessing the mobilization of militias and the total disruption of the river trade that sustained their colony. Central to the narrative is the Guerra Grande Legacy, as the earliest 1854 letters find the settlers moving into a landscape still defined by the aftermath of the "Great War" (1839–1851). The 1860s correspondence directly witnesses the Uruguayan Revolution (1863–1865), with Wendelstadt recording how the "Revolution" paralyzed the countryside and cut off the interior from Montevideo. Important regional figures and historical ties appear throughout, including interactions with the merchant house of Santiago Lowry and references to Eduard Deichmann, whose firsthand reports on the Caudillos underscore the lawlessness of the frontier. The narrative reaches a conclusion in the 1869 correspondence from Montevideo. After fifteen years of labor, Wendelstadt writes of being "distressed" by the "disappearance of capital" and the "colossal" impact of regional economic failure following the war's conclusion, stating that wealth had "vanished from the land". He reflects that while he succeeded in building a "New Berlin" in the wilderness, he still harbored a deep longing for the "order and quiet" of his homeland.

Canada Covers bulk lot

Lot 905

130.00 CAD

Sold

First Day Covers, 1960s/2005, accumulation of approximately 600 first day covers comprising private and Canada Post Official issues, with

First Day Covers, 1960s/2005, accumulation of approximately 600 first day covers comprising private and Canada Post Official issues, with singles, se-tenant multiples, and large-format souvenir sheets represented, spot-checking confirming most issues in the period present with a good number of higher-denomination stamps and attractive cachets, overall very fine.

Lot 910

375.00 CAD

Sold

Newfoundland, 1890s/1940s, accumulation of 250+ covers, with a large number of Trail of the Caribou and Pictorial frankings, including

Newfoundland, 1890s/1940s, accumulation of 250+ covers, with a large number of Trail of the Caribou and Pictorial frankings, including censored items, registered covers, T.P.O. and R.P.O. cancels, a few Butler covers, and a group of five identified as Blitz Printing issues (noted by Walsh), approximately 30% fronts only with many of those addressed to Groves and Lindley in Huddersfield, England, many fine with some very fine, all useful for further study.

Lot 915

50.00 CAD

Sold

Olympics & Expositions, 1976/1986 Olympics, Expo and Commonwealth Games First Day Covers (FDCs) and special event cover collection, ex

Olympics & Expositions, 1976/1986 Olympics, Expo and Commonwealth Games First Day Covers (FDCs) and special event cover collection, ex Earle Covert. More than 400 covers (large majority are addressed) in eight FDC albums with sleeves (35 being loose), nearly two-thirds being related to the 1976 Montréal Olympics, and with representation from the 1978 Commonwealth Games, 1980 Moscow Olympics, and 1986 Expo covers plus postcards. Shows a tremendous range of postmarks including for opening and closing ceremonies and the various sporting events. Also includes a b/w copy of Dale Speirs's postal history of the 1988 Calgary Olympic Games. Fine to very fine overall, and providing a solid foundation for continuation in this area.

Lot 916

Scott 368-273...

325.00 CAD

Sold

Peace Issue, 1946, group of 38 first day covers, comprising singles, mixed frankings, plate blocks, and blocks from the 8c Farming through

Peace Issue, 1946, group of 38 first day covers, comprising singles, mixed frankings, plate blocks, and blocks from the 8c Farming through the 17c Special Delivery Express stamp with several airmail covers, including plate blocks of the 50c Logging and $1 Ferry, commercial corner cards, and private makers including Cachet Cover and Artmaster, overall fine to very fine.

Lot 928

Scott 368-273...

1,300.00 CAD

Sold

Collections & Accumulations, 1880s/1990s, assortment of 250+ covers comprising commercial mail, corner cards, and advertising covers,

Collections & Accumulations, 1880s/1990s, assortment of 250+ covers comprising commercial mail, corner cards, and advertising covers, with early postal cards, a few Small Queens, Victoria Numerals through George VI War Issue, first day covers from the 1930s, and a binder of eclectic 1980s–1990s material, ideal for the show or online dealer, overall fine or better.

Old German States Baden Covers bulk lot

Old German States Saxony Covers bulk lot

United States Covers bulk lot

Old German States Baden Covers bulk lot

Old German States Saxony Covers bulk lot

Old German States Baden Covers bulk lot

Lot 941

Video

200.00 CAD

Sold

Baden & Württemberg, 1830s/1860s (circa), collection of 74 stampless folded letters with straight-line and early c.d.s. markings,

Baden & Württemberg, 1830s/1860s (circa), collection of 74 stampless folded letters with straight-line and early c.d.s. markings, housed in a Lighthouse album, showing a rich range of straight-line town handstamps predominantly in red and black with several blue strikes and a useful selection of early circular datestamps, with emphasis on post-1840 strikes and a higher proportion of Württemberg-origin material illustrating the development from earlier Baden postal conventions, particularly noted are Bischofsheim R.2, Boxberg R.3, Donaueschingen R.2, Ettlingen R.2, and Pfullendorf R.3 among other offices exhibiting the distinctive Baden mileage-rated straight lines (R.1–R.3), together with multiple examples from major towns including Carlsruhe, Mannheim, Ellwangen, Lahr, Ludwigsburg, and Stuttgart and a number of smaller or scarcer offices including Boxberg, Hechingen, Künzelsau, Ochsenhausen, and Pfaffendorf, further interest provided by several CHARGE covers in italic and boxed types including two-line italic Freyburg im Breisgau and boxed Freiburg, and a handful of turned covers from Besigheim, Leonberg, Mengen, and Cannstatt, only minor duplication where examples have been deliberately chosen for distinctive strikes or colour variations, overall very fine.

Old German States Saxony Covers bulk lot

Lot 942

Video

190.00 CAD

Sold

German States, 1830s/1860s, stampless postal history collection of 70+ items showing a broad range of straight-line, boxed, and early

German States, 1830s/1860s, stampless postal history collection of 70+ items showing a broad range of straight-line, boxed, and early circular datestamps mostly in black and blue, with a strong Hesse section of 30+ items from cities including Cassel, Frankfurt, Fulda, Giessen, Hanau, and Wiesbaden with several blue c.d.s. and R-rated strikes including Bischofsheim R.2, and two turned covers from Hausen and Altenstadt including one with oval Postablage handstamp, a Thuringia group of nineteen items from Eisenach, Erfurt, Hildburghausen, Altenburg, Meiningen, and others several bearing Nachnahme (cash-on-delivery) endorsements with crisp straight-line or circular datestamps, ten Saxony items from Dresden, Leipzig, Düben, Lengenfeld, and Neumark including boxed and two-line types and two original postal forms, and eleven Saxony-Anhalt covers from Dessau, Halle, Wittenberg, Zerbst, and Freyburg R.1 with Halle R.3 examples, minor duplication only for differing handstamp or colour types, a diverse study, overall very fine.

United States Covers bulk lot

Canada Collections

United States Covers bulk lot

Lot 973

170.00 CAD

Sold

United States, 1880s/1900s machine cancellation group, with sixty five early cancels on cover or stationery/postcards, including 1893

United States, 1880s/1900s machine cancellation group, with sixty five early cancels on cover or stationery/postcards, including 1893 World's Fair, Washington machines on penalty envelopes or cards including the Department of the Interior and House of Representatives, Philadelphia 1899 National Export Exposition, 1903 St. Louis World's Fair, various different types from larger cities including Boston and New York, over a dozen flag cancels, mixed condition, some with faults, but chiefly fine or better strikes.

Canada Collections

Old German States Saxony Collections

Great Britain Collections

Canada Collections

Lot 1025

200.00 CAD

Sold

1992, Olympics philatelic assembly covering both the Barcelona Summer Games and Albertville Winter Games, the majority bearing signatures

1992, Olympics philatelic assembly covering both the Barcelona Summer Games and Albertville Winter Games, the majority bearing signatures of Canadian athletes, comprising 13 multi-athlete signed first day covers of the 1992 issues in six different signed configurations including cyclist Curt Harnett and speed skater Gaétan Boucher among others, the Albertville covers being the "Miracle Whip" official sponsor variety with stock cards, a 1992 Kraft presentation pack with sets of cards, postcards, and badges, two signed copies of the "Struggle and Triumph" monograph with stamps and first day covers, and 18 laminated "Miracle Whip" stamp issue promotional items (six different, twelve signed), autographs sourced by the collector at various Canada Post events, examples of all items shown on our online images, very fine.

Old German States Saxony Collections

Great Britain Collections

Old German States Saxony Collections

Lot 1120

600.00 CAD

Sold

Saxony, 1851–1863, specialised collection of stamps, on-piece items, and postal history on 14 Hagner pages, weighted toward cancellation

Saxony, 1851–1863, specialised collection of stamps, on-piece items, and postal history on 14 Hagner pages, weighted toward cancellation study with six pages of stamps and on-piece items organised chronologically by numeral cancel (ranging 1–213), together with ten folded letters showcasing standard and late-use frankings of various stamp issues of the period, a wide array of Neugroschen denominations and period varieties, several items with technical notations by the former owner, early imperforates with characteristic close margins, numeral strikes selected for clarity and strike quality, generally clean and fresh, an attractive and chiefly fine collection.

Great Britain Collections

Lot 1144

Scott 3/

50.00 CAD

After Sale

Great Britain, group of about 140 early used stamps, on black Hagner pages, with an imperforate Penny Red with Maltese cross cancel

Great Britain, group of about 140 early used stamps, on black Hagner pages, with an imperforate Penny Red with Maltese cross cancel together with a substantial group of perforated Penny Reds in strips of four, strips of three, pairs and singles. Mixed condition as expected though offering considerable postmark interest, with a few additional early issues included.