For a century, Corinphila has been the oldest philatelic auction house in Switzerland. Its participation in major international philatelic exhibitions in 2026 generated additional global attention. This international interest was impressively reflected in the Corinphila auctions held in Zurich from June 2nd to 6th, 2026. With high participation from collectors, investors, and dealers from Europe, North America, Asia, and the Middle East, and strong results, the auction series confirmed the continued high demand for top-quality classic philately.
The highest bid of the entire week was achieved at the finale by the legendary Basel pair of doves on the famous "Burckhardt Letter." This unique postal history item, bearing the rare second Basel tariff grade and originating from significant provenances, was sold for CHF 209.100 after an intense international bidding war, starting at CHF 150.000, once again underscoring the global appeal of classic Swiss rarities.
Other highlights included Friday's sale of the famous Romanian ox heads. An exceptional registered letter from 1858 from Jassy to Galatz, bearing the renowned 108-parale stamp, once accompanied by a shipment of eighty gold ducats and with a prominent provenance from the Maurice Burrus collection, fetched CHF 67.650, significantly exceeding its estimate.
On the very first day of the auction, exceptionally intense competition developed for the classic issues of the Australian colonies from the second part of the HONITON Collection. The famous Sydney Views, in particular, attracted considerable international interest. Several examples of the rare 2-pence issue achieved five-figure results; the top lots sold for CHF 33.210 and CHF 30.750. Overall, the results confirmed the currently very strong demand for unused, top-quality issues of Australian states, numerous lots of which significantly exceeded their British catalogue estimates.
The Zurich auction series impressively illustrated the continued strength of the international market for high-quality classic stamps and postal history. Rare provenances, first-class condition, and a globally active bidding community ensured dynamic competition throughout the auctions, resulting in numerous sales significantly exceeding expectations. The next Corinphila auction series with special catalogs is already scheduled for the end of November 2026.
New publications
The current issue of the informative in-house magazine 'CORINPHILA GAZETTE' No. 14, with detailed auction reports in English, is available free of charge via email (to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots To display JavaScript must be turned on! or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots To display JavaScript must be turned on!).
An exciting new publication, a bibliography, covers all Corinphila auctions from 1925 to the spring auction of 2026. Presented chronologically, it showcases previous auctions and the history of the auction house, followed by a listing by collecting area, culminating in so-called 'Name Sales' of the most well-known and famous collectors (88-page PDF file, available for download at https://corinphila.ch/de/home# ).
Although the internet age offers considerable convenience for bidding, printed luxury catalogs remain a cornerstone of auction history. This was evident at the PARIS literature auction at Heinrich Köhler: a sensational lot consisting of all Corinphila catalogs from 1925 to 2024, including supplements, was driven from €2.500 to a hammer price of €5.800.
Michael Burzan, AIJP
