During the international Rapp auction on November 26, 2014, to
the surprise of all attendees in the packed hall, a cover featuring a
“Basel Dove” was sold for a new world record price of 103,700 Swiss
Francs. How can such an incredible price, approximately double what was
expected, be explained?
Undoubtedly, this is an exceptional piece. The vividly blue, strikingly fresh example from the first printing, with white margins on all sides and a markedly embossed relief, affixed to a complete city cover addressed to the well-known location of Carl Ryhiner, owner of the property “Zum Goldenen Löwen” in Basel, which remains in family hands to this day. Most of the surviving Basel Dove covers are addressed to Ryhiner, who lived from 1792 to 1855 and was a merchant and silk ribbon manufacturer. The envelope, which presumably contained an invoice, is particularly decorative thanks to the clear red cancellation dated June 26, 1847. Auctioneer Peter Rapp, who has been in the business for over 50 years, remarked to the successful bidder that he was not aware of a more beautiful cover featuring a “Basel Dove.” This showpiece came before collectors and investors who are currently willing to pay top prices for first-class, outstanding pieces. Initially called at CHF 20,000 to 25,000, this gem skyrocketed in a fierce bidding war in the auction hall, ultimately fetching 103,700 Swiss Francs. For comparison, the catalog price for a cover with the “Basel Dove,” the world’s first multicolored printed postage stamp, is “only” 40,000 Swiss Francs. The price achieved at the Rapp auction is significantly above the levels seen during the boom of classical philately around 40 years ago.