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Rare Stamp Discovery Worth Millions to be Offered at Auction for the First Time
The block of 48 "Tuppence Blue" stamps, known as the "Buccleuch Block" offered for sale at Siegel Auction Galleries May 28
The 5th Duke of Buccleuch, at his writing desk
The Famous "Inverted Jenny" stamp, Position 99, is also offered at this Special Auction
The Famous "Buccleuch Block" and other philatelic rarities will be offered at a special auction in Boston on May 28, 2026
We all dream of opening an old book or desk drawer and finding a hidden stamp treasure. The Buccleuch Block was found just this way. In May, it will be offered at auction for the first time ever”
BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, May 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On May 28, 2026, at the Boston 2026 World Expo, Siegel International will offer the largest known intact block of the Great Britain Two-Pence Blue—one of the world’s very first postage stamps —at auction for the first time in history.— Scott Trepel, President Siegel Auctions
The mint block of 48 blue stamps depicting a young Queen Victoria is known to collectors as the “Buccleuch Block” (pronounced “buck-loo”). Its name was inherited from the Scottish noble family who purchased the block and unknowingly owned it until its discovery and sale soon after World War II.
Siegel estimates the block will bring between $5,000,000 to $7,500,000. The block cost the 5th Duke of Buccleuch a mere $1.92 when he purchased it from the post office in 1840, the year the Two-Pence Blue and One-Penny Black were issued for use.
The Buccleuch Block is considered by many philatelic experts to be one of the world’s most important philatelic items as it is the largest known multiple of the 1840 Two-Pence Blue. The second largest, a 38-stamp block, belongs to the British royal family, while a large block of the One-Penny Black is housed in the British Postal Museum and Archive.
FOUND INSIDE AN OLD TRAVELING WRITING DESK SET
The Buccleuch Block measures about 10.5 in. wide by 4.25 in. tall (approximately 27 by 10.5 cm). Remarkably, it was uncovered in 1945, rolled neatly inside a compartment of the Duke’s old leather traveling writing desk set and next to a companion block of a much more common stamp.
The discovery was made by a recently released member of the Royal Air Force named Alexander Martin, who served as personal secretary to the 8th Duke of Buccleuch. Martin was tasked with inventorying the contents of Dalkeith Palace, where the Buccleuch family resided until 1914; this assignment prompted his investigation of the desk set, which was casually situated on a table in the Palace Library.
THE BUCCLEUCH BLOCK HAS NEVER BEEN OFFERED AT AUCTION
The two blocks revealed from inside the desk set were sold for £6,500 in 1946 in a private transaction through the London firm H. R. Harmer Ltd. (approximately $26,000 at the then-current exchange rate). The buyer was a British collector named Gordon P. Bailey.
Sometime later, the block was acquired in a private transaction by Renato Mondolfo, an Italian collector who owned many eminent world rarities. In 1985, the block was sold by Mondolfo, once again, in a private transaction; the London dealers William and Michael Lea negotiated the sale to Hassan Shaida, an Iranian collector. Shaida exhibited the block as part of his exhibit of “Queen Victoria: The Birth of the World’s First Postage Stamps,” which won the Grand Prix National at Stamp World London in 1990.
After Shaida won the Grand Prix in 1990, his entire collection, including the block, was sold privately to Guido Craveri, a European dealer. The block was one of twenty items displayed in the “Aristocrats of Philately” exhibit at ANPHILEX 1996 in New York City, the Collectors Club centenary event. It was listed in the 1996 exhibition catalog as “on loan” from Tito Giamporcaro, a European collector, before it was subsequently acquired by the current owner, a private collector.
The Buccleuch Block will be offered with a few other renowned philatelic rarities, including one of the famous “Inverted Jenny” stamps (Est. $250,000-300,000), a Pony Express envelope stolen in a mail robbery (Est. $200,000-300,000), and letters carried and signed by Charles Lindbergh on his 1927 nonstop transatlantic flight (Est. $100,000-150,000). The auction will be held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center on Thursday, May 28, at 4 p. m. The Auction is held in conjunction with Boston 2026 World Expo (May 23-30).
The details of and catalogue for the sale can be found on the firm's website:
www.siegelauctions.com
SCOTT TREPEL COMMENTARY ON THE SALE
Scott Trepel, president of the Siegel firm, describes the block and predicts its potential value:
“The stories of fantastic discoveries of rare collectibles are what fascinate and inspire collectors. We all dream of opening an old book or desk drawer and finding a hidden stamp treasure. The Buccleuch Block was found just this way. As the world was still celebrating the defeat of tyranny in Europe in 1945, this incredible part sheet of the ‘Tuppence Blue’ was found inside a desk set in a Scottish nobleman’s palace, lying there since the Duke of Buccleuch purchased it for use in 1840. In May, the block will be offered at auction for the first time ever. I agree with those who describe it as the world’s most important philatelic item, and I think it is worth at least $10 million. I’m excited to see just how far the bidders take it.”
ABOUT SIEGEL AUCTION GALLERIES
Since its founding in 1930, Siegel Auction Galleries has become one of the highest-grossing stamp auction companies in the world and is the leading auctioneer in the U.S. Under Scott Trepel’s leadership as president, Siegel has generated nearly $900 million in sales. Siegel has broken multiple auction records with sales including the 1c Z Grill at $4.366 million, the Inverted Jenny plate block at $2.97 million, the Hawaiian 2c Missionary cover at $2.090 million, and the Inverted Jenny single at $2.006 million. Siegel is committed to ensuring the future of stamp collecting by providing free educational resources, developing innovative technology, and sharing the stories of collections with the public. Trepel is an authority in philately, producing thoroughly researched catalogues for auctions of some of the most prestigious stamp collections in the world. The firm’s website is also a valuable research platform for experienced and novice collectors alike, offering census data for rarities, scholarly research articles, pricing data, and additional information. For more information on the firm and upcoming sales, please visit www.siegelauctions.com.
Alison Sullivan
Robert A. Siegel Auction Galleries
+1 212-753-6421
email us here
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