Sir Gawaine Baillie

Yesterday, I reported that a rather unique sheet of proof stamps featuring the likeness of Charles Connell had been auctioned off. What I didn't mention was, according to McLeans, they were part of the collection of British engineer Sir Gawaine Baillie.

Supposedly Baillie's philatelic holdings were "second only to Queen Elizabeth's collection."

Lots of Stamps by Susan Adams on Forbes. com. takes a look at Baillie and his collection.

"For forty years, Baillie, who led a colorful and privileged life before dying in 2003 at the age of 69, amassed what many experts believe is one of the greatest collections of stamps of the former British Empire, all unused and in perfect condition," writes Adams.

"Perhaps the most exciting aspect of the Baillie collection is the fact that he collected almost entirely in secret. While many of the estimated 30 million stamp collectors world-wide enter contests staged by local philatelic clubs and societies that dole out rewards for the most impressive specimens, Baillie was in a more rarified group that keeps their hobby private."

To read the article (and see a slide showthat goes along with it), click here.