Sale of £20k stamps could impress antique valuation seekers

News that a series of 170-year-old stamps could fetch as much as £20,000 at auction may inspire those on the lookout for antique valuations.

An envelope sent to Edinburgh in 1840 is being put up for grabs, the Scotsman reports.

Due to the valuable nature of the postage marks, the item may prove a hit with collectors keen to obtain a unique piece of history.

Dominic Savastano, a stamps expert at Spink, was quoted by the publication as stating: "It is such a stunning item. It is a big rarity to find this combination of stamps on a cover and that is what makes it something very special."

The piece is being auctioned by Lord Vestey, a multi-millionaire meat baron, whose family fortune is worth about £750 million, according to the 2010 Sunday Times Rich List.

Those north of the border may have recently noted that a fragment of Bonnie Prince Charlie's sword has been put up for auction by Lyon and Turn bull with an estimate of up to £500, as reported by the same publication.

Posted by Lisa Marriott