Philipp von Ferrary

Philip Ferrari de La Renotière, Herzog von Gallièra in Genua, (January 11, 1850 - May 20, 1917) was a legendary stamp collector, assembling probably the most complete worldwide collection that ever existed, or is likely to exist. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Stamp collecting is the Collecting of Postage stamps and related objects such as covers (envelopes or packages with stamps on them Amongst his extremely rare stamps were the unique Tre Skilling Yellow of Sweden and the 1856 one-cent "Black on Magenta" of British Guiana. The "Treskilling" Yellow, or 3 skilling banco error of color (Swedish Gul treskilling banco, Gul=yellow is a Postage stamp of Sweden The British Guiana 1¢ magenta is "egarded by many as the world's most famous stamp.

Background

Hôtel Matignon

Ferrary was born in the sumptuous Hôtel Matignon, Rue de Varenne in Paris, where he resided until 1917. The Hôtel Matignon is the official residence of the Prime Minister of France. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city Once the festive gathering place for the Ancien Régime society, at the start of the Bourbon Restauration in 1815 Louis XVIII had traded the Hôtel de Matignon for the Élysée Palace. Ancien Régime ( pronounced: /ɑ̃sjɛ̃ ʁeʒim/ refers primarily to the aristocratic social and political system established in Following the ousting of Napoleon I of France in 1814 the Allies restored the Bourbon Dynasty to the French throne Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Louis XVIII (17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824 Louis Stanislas Xavier de France, was a King of France and Navarre. It is now the official residence of the Prime Minister of France. ^[1]

Ferrary was the son of the Duke and Duchess of Gallièra. His father, Raffaele de Ferrari, was a wealthy businessman made Duke of Gallièra in Genoa by Pope Gregory XVI and Prince de Lucedio by Victor-Emmanuel II, King of Italy. Genoa ( Genova, ˈdʒɛːnova in Italian; Zena in Genoese and Ligurian; Genua in Latin and archaically in English Pope Gregory XVI ( September 18 1765 &ndash June 1 1846) born Bartolomeo Alberto Cappellari, named Mauro as a member of Victor Emmanuel II King of Italy ( Vittorio Emanuele II; March 14, 1820 – January 9, 1878) was the King of Raffaele de Ferrari was founder of the Crédit Immobilier de France with the Péreire brothers, rivals of the Rothschilds, which financed many of the major construction projects of the second half of the 19th century: railroads in Austria, Latin America, Portugal, upper Italy and France (the Paris-Lyon-Marseille line), the digging of the Fréjus Rail Tunnel and the Suez Canal, and the reconstruction of Paris designed by Baron Haussmann. The Péreire brothers were prominent 19th century financiers in Paris, France who were rivals of the Rothschilds. The Rothschild banking family of France was founded in 1812 in Paris by James Mayer Rothschild (1792–1868 Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic (República Portuguesa is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. The Compagnie des chemins de fer de Paris à Lyon et à la Méditerranée (usually known more simply as the PLM) was a French railway company. See also Fréjus Road Tunnel. The Fréjus Rail Tunnel (also called Mont Cenis Tunnel) is a railroad tunnel of 13 The Suez Canal is a Canal in Egypt. Opened in 1869 it allows Water transportation between Europe and Asia without circumnavigation Georges-Eugène Haussmann ( March 27, 1809 &ndash January 11, 1891) who called himself Baron Haussmann, was a French He died in 1871.

Ferrary's mother, the Duchess of Gallièra, born Maria de Brignole-Sale, was the great niece of the Princess of Monaco and daughter of the Marquis Antoine de Brignoly-Sale, ambassador of the King of Sardaigne in Paris, under the Restoration and during the reign of Louis-Philippe. For other uses see Monaco (disambiguation Monaco, officially the Principality of Monaco ( French: Principauté de Monaco; Monégasque Louis Philippe ( 6 October 1773 &ndash 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the After the death of Ferrary's father, the Duchess proposed that Philippe, Count of Paris take up residence at the Rue de Varenne. Louis-Philippe Albert of Orléans Count of Paris ( 24 August, 1838 – 8 September, 1894) was the grandson of Louis Philippe I, He came to occupy the ground floor of the Hôtel Matignon. The Duchess soon became disenchanted with the adverse social environment for the monarchists, quit Paris, and left Hôtel Matignon to the Austro-Hungarian Emperor, who made it his embassy in France. Ferrary was then adopted by the Austrian Count of Renotière von Kriegsfeld and he adopted Austrian nationality. ^[2] Upon the death of his father, he renounced all of the titles. Thereafter, he preferred the name, "Ferrary"; his calling card reads "Philipp von Ferrary". Calling Card is the sixth studio release by Irish singer/guitarist Rory Gallagher. Collectors and dealers usually say just "Ferrary".

Philately

Ferrary started collecting in his youth, then inherited a great fortune, which he dedicated to the purchase of rare stamps and coins. His collection is believed to be the greatest ever assembled, and it may never be equalled. Amongst his extremely rare stamps were the unique Tre Skilling Yellow of Sweden and the 1856 one-cent "Black on Magenta" of British Guiana. The "Treskilling" Yellow, or 3 skilling banco error of color (Swedish Gul treskilling banco, Gul=yellow is a Postage stamp of Sweden The British Guiana 1¢ magenta is "egarded by many as the world's most famous stamp. He also owned the only unused copy of the Two Cent Hawaii Missionary of 1851,^[3] for which its owner, Gaston Leroux, had been murdered by a fellow collector. The Hawaiian Missionaries are the first Postage stamps of the Kingdom of Hawaii, issued in 1851 ^[4]

One-cent "Black on Magenta" of British Guiana, 1856

He purchased many important old collections, including that of Judge Frederick A. Philbrick (1835-1910) for £7,000, Sir Daniel Cooper's for £3,000, W. Sir Daniel Cooper 1st Baronet, GCMG ( 1 July 1821 - 5 June 1902) was the first speaker of the Legislative Assembly B. Thornhill's Australians, etc. , and was a large buyer in the leading capitals of Europe for a great many years. Stanley Gibbons said his expenditure with that firm alone averaged from £3,000 to £4,000 a year.

He employed Pierre Mahé, a leading Paris stamp dealer, as a consultant or curator to examine and keep order in his collection from 1874 until Mahé died in 1913. Also, he had two secretaries, who were paid large salaries: one to look after the postage stamps and the other the post cards, envelopes, and wrappers. Ferrary had his own stamp room furnished with numerous fan cabinets.

Although he lived in Paris, Ferrary travelled frequently, meeting with dealers along the way, and often paying them in gold on the spot. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city ^[5] He was impulsive in his buying and seemed to be indifferent to price, so dealers and counterfeiters took advantage of him. Exceptionally dangerous forgeries gained the nickname, "Ferrarities"^[6].

Numismatics

Ferrary assembled a large collection of magnificent rare coins, as well. His British numismatic collection was sold by Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge in London over five days from March 27 to March 31, 1922. The title of the sale did not mention Ferrary by name, but reads as follows: “Catalogue of the Famous and Remarkable Collection of British and Colonial Coins, Patterns & Proofs from George III to the Present Day, Formed by a Nobleman, Recently Deceased. ” The catalogue had 710 lots and 15 plates. Other sales of his French and ancient coins were held in Paris. ^[7]

The "Nobleman" Sales

Wishing to make his unequaled collection accessible to the public, on January 30, 1915 he willed it to the Postmuseum in Berlin, along with funds for maintenance, 30,000 guldens. Events 1648 - Eighty Years' War: The Treaty of Münster is signed ending the conflict between the Netherlands and Spain Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. But as a citizen of Austria living in France, World War I put him at risk. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Leaving his several hundred albums in the Austrian embassy, he fled to Switzerland in 1917. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation He died soon after, and so did not see the dismantling of his life's work after the war. The French government confiscated Ferrary's collection, claiming it as a war reparation. The massive assemblage was auctioned off between 1921 and 1926, in 14 separate sales, realizing some 30 million francs. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Year 1926 ( MCMXXVI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Many of the rare stamps of today proudly bear an "ex-Ferrary" in their provenance. Provenance, from the French provenir, "to come from" means the Origin, or the source, of something or the history of the ownership or location

Ferrary died in Lausanne, May 20, 1917. Lausanne ( pronounced, Losanna is a city in Romandy, the French -speaking part of Switzerland, situated on the shores of Lake Geneva His last resting place, as "Philipp Arnold", is in Steinbach am Attersee, a village on Lake Atter in the province of Upper Austria. Steinbach am Attersee is a village on the banks of the Attersee (Lake Atter in the state of Upper Austria, Austria. Attersee (also known as the Kammersee or Lake Attersee) is the largest Lake of the Salzkammergut area of Austria. Upper Austria (Oberösterreich Horní Rakousko is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. ^[8] He had been a frequent visitor to the Attersee, where he bought a house in 1890, and had been a generous benefactor to the community in the guise of "a friend of Austria". ^[9]

Ferrary is featured on a 1968 stamp of Liechtenstein, 30 rp red brown, Scott no. 448, SG no. 496.

Notes

• Regarding personal names: Herzog is a title, translated as Duke, not a first or middle name. A duke is a member of the Nobility, historically of highest rank below the Sovereign, and historically controlled a Duchy or a Dukedom A duke is a member of the Nobility, historically of highest rank below the Sovereign, and historically controlled a Duchy or a Dukedom The female form is Herzogin. A duke is a member of the Nobility, historically of highest rank below the Sovereign, and historically controlled a Duchy or a Dukedom

References

• František Žampach, "Pan Filatelista - Pan Filip de Ferrari", Japhila (in Czech)