Auctioneer Elisabeth Schlegel presents a sheet with ten stamps showing actress Audrey Hepburn in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010. The stamps will be auctioned in Berlin next Saturday for UNICEF and the Audrey Hepburn children's foundation. AP Photo/Michael Sohn.
BERLIN (MARKETWIRE).- Audrey Hepburn left an indelible impression -- an imprint of gracious compassion and respect, which endures in a fashion as timeless as her heart.
In 2002 the German ministry of finance decided to honor Miss Hepburn with a stamp and entered into a contract with the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund (AHCF). Due to an internal breakdown the printing of the 14 million stamps for the German post was ordered prior to obtaining the contractual approvals from the AHCF. The AHCF, unaware of the printing, requested some creative changes. The Ministry, unable to comply, ordered the entire stock destroyed!!! ... but for three sheets -- 1 kept by the Ministry, 1 by the printer and one located recently in a file in the office of Sean Hepburn Ferrer, the chairman of the AHCF.
These stamps are today, by agreement with the Ministry, the only un-postmarked specimens available for sale (5 postmarked stamps were sold at auction for prices ranging from 50,000 to 125,000 Euros. It is believed that someone high up inside the ministry picked up a single sheet hot off the press and sent letters to friends). The mint condition sheet of 10 stamps is the object of unprecedented desirability and unique value in the international scene of modern philately. The minimum reserve is set at a record 500,000 Euros.
Judging from the very exclusive list of guests and bidders and the limited availability of admissions -- Stamp Collectors, VIPs, Bankers, Investors and Industry Captains have been clamoring for invitations. This event promises to be the most exciting Auction, Gala and 'nonprofit' social event of the season.
The Audrey Hepburn stamp is estimated to reach close to a million Euros on the final hammer. 100% of the proceeds will go to charity through the AHCF and UNICEF.
Andreas Schlegel, of the reputable 'Schlegel Briefmarken' stamp appraisers and auctioneers, has been overwhelmed with requests for attendance, since news of the exclusive Auction and Gala became public.
The Auction will take place on October 16th in Berlin, Germany, and will provide 300 seats, most of which have been reserved in advance. The demand and requests have been so numerous, Mr. Schlegel has already gone to "waiting list" status.
He is, however, considering making allowances for donors/philanthropists who wish to contribute in support of the reputable Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund.
Audrey Hepburn, who was a devoted UNICEF Ambassador, has left two worthy champions for her humanitarian cause -- her sons, Sean Ferrer and Luca Dotti, who keep her legacy, life works and charities meaningful and alive.
The Audrey Hepburn Stamp: A Portrait of Eternal Beauty to Be Sold by Schlegel Briefmarken
