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1956-59: Shanahan's Stamp Auctions Scandal

Currency:EUR Category:Collectibles Start Price:135.00 EUR Estimated At:150.00 - 200.00 EUR
1956-59: Shanahan's Stamp Auctions Scandal

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Auction Date:2011 Sep 24 @ 12:00 (UTC+01:00 : BST/CET)
Location:The Freemasons Hall - 17 Molesworth Street, Dublin, Dublin, ., Ireland
1956-59: Shanahan's Stamp Auctions Scandal



A collection of auction catalogues and ephemera from the famous Shanahan's Stamp Auctions, Dún Laoghaire, run by Eastern European émigré “Doctor” Paul Singer which defrauded investors through a philatelic investment Ponzi scheme. Promising a return of over 60% per annum Singer took in millions of pounds from gullible Irish investors, and while he cornered the world market in rare postage stamps for collectors and drove prices up, eventually he ran out of rare stamps to buy, and started paying out dividends from new investors’ deposits thus making it a Ponzi scheme. Singer, who had an opulent lifestyle, was the most feted celebrity of Dublin during his stay here. He defended himself in an appeal against conviction on fraud charges and was acquitted after the longest and most expensive case in the history of the State. He died in Canada in the 1980s. (33 items)