Sir Edward Bacon
The World's Greatest Stamp Collector?

Was Sir Edward Bacon really the greatest stamp collector?
Any list of our hobby's top five philatelists would probably include his name.

Even if Sir Edward's status as a great collector is disputed, the collection he assembled is unquestionably in a league of its own.

Bacon was the first curator for the Philtelic Collections of the British Library, and earned his stripes working on the collection of Thomas Keay Tapling, MP.

The collection was launched in 1865.

Twenty-two years later it was acclaimed as the world's greatest stamp collection, surpassing the Ferrary collection.

The Ferrary collection was seized by the French Government following World War One and was sold off for reparations in 14 auctions between 1921-26. When Tapling died of pleurisy at the age of 35 in 1891, Bacon kept working on the collection, which emerged as the cornerstone of the British Library holdings.

The Tapling stamp collection is the only collection we know of put together in the nineteenth century that is still intact. It is remarkable, containing virtually every stamp and piece of postal stationery issue during our hobby's first fifty years.

When the collection was first exhibited in 1903, the material was mounted on 4,500 pages.

The list of rarities could roll on forever. The highlights are stunning:

Gold Coast: 1883 (May) 1d on 4d magenta
Great Britain: 1858-79 1d red, plate 77
Hawaii: 1851-52 2 cents to 13 cents (both types), the "Missionaries":
India: 1854 4 anns blue and pale red, error head inverted, two copies used on cover
Mauritius: 1847 1d red used on cover and 2d blue, the "Post Office" issue
Spain: 1851 2 reals, color error
Switzerland: Zurich: 1843 4 rappen, unsevered horizontal strip of five
Uruguay: 1858 120 centavos blue and 180 centavos green, in tête beche pairs
Western Australian: 1854-55 4d blue, error frame inverted

Some collectors lean toward used stamps...Tapling had a penchant for mint issues.

There are endless varities, all sorts of shades, dizying multiples and a solid lineup of essays and proofs.

As for Sir Edward Bacon, he left us not only the definitive collection of nineteenth century stamps, but a number of indispensable books and wreitings philatelic researchers continue to prize.