Gartner Auctions of Germany sold earlier this year, what was described as "Artist pencil drawing for the issue of the 6th World Boy Scout Jamboree - size 110 x 177 mm and signed by the artist- Unique".  The start price was €1400 and it sold for €2100 (£1810).  Also in the sale was this "1944 Warsaw Uprising Scout Post letter with two cancels".  The start price was €650, it sold for €900 (£775) plus the usual buyers premium.

While in Prague recently, I attended the Burda Stamp Auction where part 1 of the Ludvík Pytlíček Large Gold Medal collection was sold.  Amongst the lots was this pair of unused 1918 Czechoslovakia Scout Stamps with the overprint "Příjezd Presidenta Masaryka" (Arrival of President Masaryk).  Only used for one day on 21 December, a total of 600 stamps of the 10h blue and 1000 of the 20h red were overprinted.  Most of the genuine stamps were used, so this pair of stamps, with some four expert committee names on the reverse sold well.  The estimate was 90.000 CZK, but they soon sold for 120,000 CZK with the rate of exchange on the day being £3910, €4570, US$ 4880 plus 19% buyers premium.

While writing about Czechoslovakia items, I noted that another auction house in Prague sold a Zlin cancelled cover.  I did write about this postmark a year ago, but to find an example on cover is very difficult.  One of the rarest of all Czech Scout cancellations is that of the 3rd Scout Congress, which should have taken place on 28 February 1948 at Zlin.  The Congress had started, but within one hour, the Scout Association was banned by the Communist Government throughout the country.  The State Police arrived and all documents as well as the postmark were confiscated.  Very few postcards and covers had been cancelled and only those placed in the letter box survived.  This cover was estimated at CZK 5000 and sold for CZK 6860, (£220 US$ 274, € 258) plus 10% buyers premium.

These two Australian Die Proofs were sold by Spink's of London in April.  The 1952 Australia Pan- Pacific Scout Jamboree 3½d. maroon on white wove paper, mounted in a sunken card frame (86x85mm.).  Eight die proofs were prepared for presentation purposes, and this was presented to Sir G. Chippendall, Director-General of the P.M.G.'s Department.  Both Die Proofs were estimated at £880-£1000 and this one sold for £800.  The 1960 Girl Guide Movement Anniversary 5d. deep ultramarine on white wove paper mounted in sunken card frame (102x92mm) sold for £650.  Eleven die proofs were produced for presentation purposes and this was presented to C.W. Davidson, the Postmaster-General.  Both Die proofs were subject to 5% import tax on the hammer price in addition to the Buyer's Premium of 20% and both plus 20% VAT so the total charges come to 30%, so if paying 2% by credit card the total came to nearly a third extra.