Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 17:00 CET
of Classic
Great Britain
& Sicily
Classic Sicily (Part I)
TOMASINI COLLECTIONS
The
Everness Hotel & Resort – Chavannes-de-Bogis, Vaud, Switzerland
Classic Sicily (Part I)
Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 17:00 CET
Everness Hotel & Resort
Chavannes-de-Bogis, Vaud, Switzerland
of Classic
Great Britain
& Sicily
The
TOMASINI COLLECTIONS
Classic Sicily
(Part I)
© 2026 David Feldman SA
All rights reserved
All content of this catalogue, such as text, images and their
arrangement, is the property of David Feldman SA, and is
protected by international copyright laws.
Acknowledgement:
Catalogue numbers and most images of details of retouched
stamps in this catalogue are referenced from Sassone, Antichi
Stati Italiani Regno d’Italia 1850-1900 (85a edizione, 2026).
Printed in the UK by Pardy & Son Printers Ltd.
Cover images: front, lot 30093; back, lot 30202
Colour and size disclaimer. We strive to present the lots in this catalogue as accurately as possible. Nevertheless, due to limitations of digital scanners,
digital photography, and unintentional variations on the offset printing presses, we cannot guarantee that the colours you see printed are an exact
reproduction of the actual item. Although variations are minimal, the images presented herein are intended as a guide only and should not be regarded
as absolutely correct. All colours are approximations of actual colours. Images sizes may also be different from the actual sizes of the items.
We strive
for excellence
and we go the extra mile for our consignors
Contact us to discuss your consignment
to our auctions at info@davidfeldman.com
Matterhorn, Swiss Alps. Photo by Joseph Andrews.
(1) 1859 2 Gr. plate II, porous paper (NA), ultramarine in mint horizontal pair. An extremely rare showpiece. (2) 1859 1/2 Gr. plate I, porous paper (NA),
deep orange, horizontal pair, position 93-94, showing fresh original brownish gum. (3) 1859 1 Gr. plate I, rust brown (bruno ruggine), mint pair, positions
24-25. Exhibition showpiece. (4) 2Gr. plate I, porous paper (NA), bright blue (azzurro vivo), unused bottom left corner sheet marginal block of seventeen,
a rare and impressive unrecorded multiple. (5) 1859 1Gr plate I, state II, grayish olive green (verde oliva grigastro). (6) 1/2Gr. plate I, porous paper (NA)
olive yellow (giallo oliva) in very fine large margined single from the bottom of the sheet; extremely important unused shade. (7) 1840 VR Official 1d Black
The
TOM
COLLEC
(TF–TL) phenomenal lower right corner marginal inscriptional strip of seven, mint, plate number “A”; the unique largest known multiple with a plate letter.
(8) The Famous Ferry Mint Block of Six from Plate Eleven: 1840 1d Black, Plate 11 (AH–CI), a marvellous upper sheet marginal block of six, bearing the rare
and highly desirable inscription “AND SIDE of the Letter. In Wettin”; a superb and exceptionally rare multiple. (9) 1867–80 2s Brown Spray Fresh Mint Pair
(NF–NG); exceptionally rare. (10) 1847-54 10d Brown, die 2 marginal block of four, mint, showing a full sheet margin at right. (11) 1840 2d Blue, Plate 1
(SI-TL) exceptional block of eight, used on fragment, with deep, rich shade and excellent overall quality.
11
of Classic
Great Britain
& Sicily
MASINI
CTIONS
10
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Auction Agenda
DATE
TIME (CET)
CATALOGUE
CURRENCY
Wednesday, March 25
14:00
Switzerland
CHF
Tuesday, March 26
14:00
The Tomasini Collection of
Classic Great Britain (Part I)
GBP
17:00
The Tomasini Collection of
Classic Sicily (Part I)
CHF
The auction will take place at the Everness Hotel & Resort
Les Champs-Blancs 70b, 1279 Chavannes-de-Bogis, Vaud, Switzerland
of Classic
Great Britain
& Sicily
The
TOMASINI COLLECTIONS
Switzerland Specialised Auction
+
Auction Bidding Agents
Commissionnaires / Kommissionäre
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Germany
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Auction Agency
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Website philatelic-auction-agent.co.uk
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nick@martinlincs.uk
Website loveauctions.co.uk
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10
11
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DIRECTION
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PHILATELY
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12
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David Feldman
International Auctioneers
Chemin du Pavillon 2
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13
CONSULTANTS
w w w . f e l d m a n a u c t i o n s . c o m
Entrust us with your
Gupta Empire – Kumaragupta, c. 415-455, AV dinar, 7.77
g. (18 mm), only 17 examples known, with 11 in museums.
Sold for CHF 107’625, Silk Road I Auction, December 2024
Whether they have financial or sentimental value, we cherish your treasures as much as you do!
SMALL OBJECTS
GREAT VALUE
of
COINS & BANKNOTES – WATCHES – JEWELLERY – PAINTINGS – OBJETS D’ART, etc.
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at any exhibition, you can benefit from:
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www.davidfeldman.com
15
• February 4-8 – Dubai World Stamp Exhibition, Dubai, UAE
• April 23-25 – Salon Philatélique de Printemps, Calais, France
• April 24-26 – Westpex 2026, San Francisco, USA
• May 23-30 – Boston 2026 World Expo, Boston, USA
• June 26 - July 1 – Macao 2026, Macao, China
• July 17-18 – York Stamp & Coin Fair, York UK
• August 27-31 – Asian International Stamp Exhibition, Bandung, Indonesia
• August 28-30 – Napex 2026, USA
• October 22-24 – Internationale Briefmarken-Börse, Ulm, Germany
• October 28-31 – Stampex 2026, London, UK
• November 20-25 – Philataipei 2026, Taipei, Taiwan
• December 3-5 – Monacophil, Montecarlo, Monaco
On dates to confirm:
• Salon Philatélique d’Automne, France
Viewing
Your first night at the
Everness is on us!
When you come to Switzerland for viewing,
your first night’s stay at the Everness Hotel
& Resort will be paid by us.
Please, contact us before booking.
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David Feldman
International Auctioneers
Chemin du Pavillon 2
1218 Le Grand-Saconnex
Geneva, Switzerland
Phone & WhatsApp +41 22 727 0777
Email info@davidfeldman.com
16
March 25 &26
David Feldman
International Auctioneers
Chemin du Pavillon 2
1218 Le Grand-Saconnex
Geneva, Switzerland
Book an appointment:
+41 (0) 22 727 0777
info@davidfeldman.com
Everness Hotel & Resort
Les Champs-Blancs 70b
1279 Chavannes-de-Bogis
Vaud, Switzerland
Just a 10-minute drive from
our headquarters in Geneva.
From 10:00 to 14:00
Before March 25
(by appointment)
Introduction
Dear Friends and Fellow-Collectors,
The introduction and presentation of the Tomasini collections motivates me to devote
this preface appropriately to QUALITY — we might even say, “TOMASINI QUALITY.” The
Italian philatelic community for almost a century has surpassed all other countries in its
emphasis on the condition of a classic stamp, especially its colour and, more particularly,
the size of its imperforate margins. A stamp with huge margins can sometimes be
considered more valuable than a block or other multiple in less fine condition, by a factor
of five or even ten. This philosophy was introduced and promoted by great Italian dealers
and experts such as Emilio, Alberto and Enzo Diena, Giulio and Alberto Bolaffi, Renato
Mondolfo, Luigi and Maurizio Raybaudi and Giangiacomo Orlandini, to mention only a few
of the many great proponents, now unfortunately no longer with us.
Standing like a tower above these traditional Italian connoisseurs was Mario Tomasini.
His collecting interest was not only in refinement but also in scope: a vast assemblage
of extraordinary collections, each bearing his trademark standard of excellence. They
covered mostly European countries, some being the finest ever formed, alongside a
passion for great rarities in outstanding state of preservation. It was a great surprise
to me to learn that he had already passed away in 1965 at the age of only 59. What a
philatelic empire he would have built had he lived another few decades, to rival those
of Ferrary, Caspary and Burrus. In terms of overall calibre, he had already surpassed
those philatelic luminaries.
I recall the first viewing visit by Marcus Orsi and myself, when we had the greatest
pleasure turning each album page and being mesmerized by the sheer beauty, freshness
and, of course, the extraordinary condition of items such as we had not encountered in
decades. David Feldman SA had the honour to present Tomasini’s Grand Prix Romania
in 2006. It was one of the company’s milestone auctions, realizing world-record prices,
hardly a surprise considering the combination of great rarity and exceptional quality.
Once again, we have the great privilege to present, this time, Tomasini’s Great Britain,
with some of the greatest rarities, which were an invited exhibit at the Court of Honour
in London in 1960 and his Grand Prix Sicily, which won that top prize in Palermo in 1959.
Perhaps after these auctions the philatelic world will refer to a new qualification in its
descriptions, a new standard: “Tomasini Quality.”
David Feldman, RDP(I), FRPSL
Founder & Director Emeritus
Geneva, January 2026
17
17
of Classic
Great Britain
& Sicily
The
TOMASINI COLLECTIONS
Mario Tomasini (image provided by the
Tomasini family and digitally restored)
Acknowledgement:
Catalogue numbers and most images of details of retouched stamps
in this catalogue are referenced from Sassone, Antichi Stati Italiani
Regno d’Italia 1850-1900 (85a edizione, 2026).
PHILATELIC JEWELS RESURFACE AFTER 60 YEARS IN HIDING
For decades, they were spoken of in hushed tones,
legendary pieces assumed lost to time, locked away
beyond the reach of the most serious collectors. Now,
after more than sixty years in the shadows, these
masterpieces return. This is not a rediscovery driven
by nostalgia or sentiment. It is the re-emergence of
absolute quality at a level modern philately rarely sees.
The David Feldman Company has long been
inseparably linked to the name Mario Tomasini,
most famously through the sale of his extraordinary
Romania collection. Offered during Monaco Phil
2006, that auction did more than attract attention,
it smashed world records, many of which remain
unchallenged today. The Newspaper alone continues
to stand as an unassailable reference point. Yet the
true force of the Tomasini collection was never
measured in prices, but in an uncompromising
standard of quality.
December 3, 2006: David Feldman’s Classic Romania
auction, featuring the Tomasini/Künzi Grand Prix Collection
Lot 20027, estimated €500’000-700’000, sold for €829,500.
It holds to date the record of the most expensive Romanian
philatelic item.
Mario Tomasini emerged in the period immediately
following the Second World War as one of the
most intelligent and formidable figures of a new
generation of collectors. Supported by legendary
Italian dealers such as Renato Mondolfo and Giulio
Bolaffi, he assembled collections built exclusively
on what later became known as “Italian Quality.”
Nothing average was tolerated; nothing questionable
survived his scrutiny.
His early focus lay with the stamps of Italy and its
colonies, a field he approached with genuine passion
Robson Lowe’s J. B. Seymour Collection auction of
1951 was the source of some of the GB treasures
acquired by Mario Tomasini.
and relentless discipline. Tomasini studied printings,
varieties, and quantities with a rigour that reshaped
collective knowledge. For a time, he maintained a
regular column in Italia Filatelica, devoted entirely to
the “Varieties of Italy and Colonies.” In many cases,
it is thanks to his work that we know today exactly
how many stamps were printed—and how many were
deliberately destroyed.
While continuing to lead major industrial enterprises,
particularly in construction, Tomasini expanded
his focus into classic philately. He began with the
Old Italian States, applying the precision of an
engineer and the eye of an aesthete. His intelligence,
extraordinary memory, and ability to synthesise vast
amounts of data allowed him to dominate every field
he entered. Plate characteristics, surviving quantities,
rarity of cancellations, colour classifications, nothing
escaped his command.
Expert’s Statement:
The vast majority of Mario Tomasini’s Sicily collection in the present catalogue, has been carefully examined by
Mr Giacomo Bottacchi, AIEP and signed by him in pencil with a special signature exclusive to this collection.
After thorough inspection, he has concluded that the descriptions, attributions
and technical details provided are, to the best of his knowledge and belief,
correct and prepared in accordance with accepted professional standards.
One Penny Black block of 24 from plate seven: The largest
known multiple of the Penny Black in private hands. One
of the supreme rarities of world philately and one of Mario
Tomasini’s crown jewels.
Tomasini was not content to merely absorb
existing literature. He studied stamps directly
and relentlessly, often reaching conclusions that
advanced or corrected the accepted canon. His
definitive work on the imitations created to defraud
the Italian post with the 15-centesimi issues of 1863
remains a standard reference. Equally influential was
his research into the tête-bêche pairs of the Papal
States ½ bajocco, which he identified in all known
positional relationships.
From the Old Italian States, his reach expanded
naturally to the classics of Europe. At the great
“Sicilia 59” exhibition, he presented major rarities
from Austria, France, Switzerland, the German
States, and Romania, an exhibit that earned the
International Grand Prix. Between 1959 and 1965, he
continued to strengthen and expand his holdings,
capitalising on the exceptional material then
available on the market.
His dominance was reaffirmed repeatedly. In London
in 1960, he exhibited some of the most important
rarities ever shown, the legendary 1840 One Penny
Black block of twenty-four, mint. In 1969, his
collections earned another Grand Prix, this time in
Bulgaria, cementing his reputation as a collector
operating on a level few could approach.
Tomasini presented his Classic Sicily collection and won
the Grand Prix in Palermo, at the International Philatelic
Exhibition Sicilia 59.
Then, the collection vanished from public view.
The silence only sharpened the legend. Today, its
reappearance is not an event for casual observers
or trend-driven buyers. The first of a series of
international public auctions will take place in
Switzerland on March 26, 2026 offering these
unparalleled collections of Great Britain and Sicily.
This will be philately at its most exacting and
unforgiving, where method, scholarship, rarity and
aesthetics converge without compromise. For those
who truly understand what Italian Quality represents,
one truth remains unavoidable:
Opportunities of this magnitude do not repeat.
They surface only once in a lifetime.
20
A Spectacular rarity from Mario Tomasini’s Sicily collection: The most important franking of the 5 Grana value and one
of the only two listed 64 Grana rated covers listed in Sassone. Arguably the greatest cover of the five Grana
The David Feldman International Auctioneers Expert Committee
certifies that the philatelic item herewith described and pictured originated from the
MARIO TOMASINI COLLECTIONS auctions with the lot number and on the date stated below.
David Feldman
FOUNDER
Gregor Gaetjens
PHILATELIC EXPERT
Lot Nr.:
Ref.:
Date:
Ricardo Verra
DIRECTOR OF PHILATELY
Chemin du Pavillon 2
1218 Le Grand-Saconnex
Geneva, Switzerland
+ 41 (0) 22 727 07 77
info@davidfeldman.com
of Classic
Great Britain
& Sicily
The
TOMASINI COLLECTIONS
DAVID FELDMAN’S CERTIFICATE OF PROVENANCE
Every lot originating from the Tomasini sales will be accompanied by a Certificate of Provenance. This certificate will
include the item’s description, its identification, unique reference number, auction date, the chronological ownership history
when available, a statement confirming that the item forms part of the Tomasini Collection and the signatures of the
David Feldman Experts Committee.
1859 5 Gr. plate II, vermilio (vermiglio), mint with original white gum on right-hand sheet marginal block of six, positions
28-30/38-40, fresh, very fine and a rare mint multiple.
Expertise: Signed “AD” Alberto Diena, Cert. Giacomo Bottacchi, AIEP. (2026).
21