Philipp von Ferrary
Philipp la Renotière von Ferrary, Herzog von Gallièri in Genua, (
January 11,
1850 -
May 20,
1917) was a legendary
stamp collector, owner of probably the most complete worldwide collection that ever existed, or is likely to exist.
He was
Duke of Gallièri in
Genoa, but used the pseudonym "Ferrary"; his
calling card reads "Philipp von Ferrary". Collectors and dealers usually say just "Ferrary".
He started collecting in his youth, then inherited a fortune, which he dedicated to the purchase of rare stamps. He lived in
Paris, but travelled frequently, meeting with dealers along the way, and often paying them in gold on the spot.
Wishing to make his collection accessible to the public, on
January 30,
1915 he willed it to the
Postmuseum in
Berlin, along with annual funds for maintenance. But as a citizen of
Austria living in
France,
World War I put him at risk, and leaving his several hundred albums in the Austrian embassy, he fled to
Switzerland, where he soon after died.
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 over 25 million francs. Many of the rare stamps of today proudly bear an "ex-Ferrary" in their
provenance.
