HONG KONG.- 2016 is Spink’s 350th year as an established firm of outstanding reputation, and to kick start such an important year Spink will be holding two philatelic auctions, one numismatic auction and one whisky event in Spink’s Sheung Wan auction rooms between the 15th and 17th January 2016.

Spink will be presenting Meiso Mizuhara, The Exhibition Collection, China Customs Post; an incredible collection that sets the bench mark for the noble art of philatelic collecting. Chinese philately and postal history is a vast and intricate thing, but Mizuhara meticulously compiled the most thorough collection ever seen. It contains an assembly of unique essays and printing proofs, including the original brush stroke essay that was selected to be the first Chinese postage stamp (est.: HK$800,000-1,000,000/ US$100,000-125,000).

Despite the popularity of the Large Dragon design, there were few errors on the stamps but the exhibit includes the rare imperforate between variety on pairs of the 1 candarin and 3 candarins. There are only four pairs of the 3ca. recorded and this fine pair on offer is estimated at HK$1,000,000-1,500,000/ US$125,000-190,000.

Spink will also be holding another philatelic auction of Fine Stamps and Covers of China & Hong Kong. First and foremost amongst this sale is the one and only 96 cents olive-bistre, the right margin block of four with full original gum. This is, without question, the most important item of Hong Kong philately (est.: HK$7,000,000-10,000,000/ US$900,000-1,250,000). The 96c. olive-bistre has a short but sweet life story: they were released by the Post Office around February 1865 and were withdrawn when the correct brownish grey stamps arrived during late July 1865. Only 48 unused examples have been recorded, however this is the only unused multiple.

In the Banknotes, Bonds and Share Certificates and Coins of China and Hong Kong sale, numismatic collectors will be excited to find a complete set of 1912 specimen notes of five different denominations from The Mercantile Bank of India, in which the $25 is an iconic denomination that has not been seen in a public auction for many years. The Bank was once an issuer of Hong Kong banknotes. This set on offer is in near pristine condition and probably the only time a complete set has been offered together in one single auction.

Also of note is a 1992 whisky cask from the Springbank distillery, one of the first official organic whiskies ever produced (starting bid: HK$553,000/ US$70,000) and the oldest single malt whisky from Karuizawa distillery in Japan: the incredible 1964 Karuizawa 48 aged for just under 50 years in a Sherry Oak cask (est.: HK$180,000/ US$23,000) presented in the Evenings of Great Whiskies and Other Spirits.