Robert A. Siegel, 80, Stamp Dealer, Is Dead

Robert A. Siegel, a Manhattan stamp dealer who auctioned off some of the world's rarest and costliest stamps, died on Friday at New York Hospital. He was 80 and had homes in Manhattan and Fort Lauderdale.

The One Cent Magenta from British Guiana in 1856. Considered the Rarest Stamp in the World, it was auctioned by Robert A. Siegel at their Rarities of the World Auction in 1970.

http://www.siegelauctions.com

 By his own estimate, the company bearing Mr. Siegel's name sold more than $200 million worth of stamps during his 63 years in the business. One, the unique British Guiana "One-Cent Magenta," was auctioned by him twice. The second time around, in 1981, it fetched $935,000, which set a record at the time.
He was a past president of the American Stamp Dealers Association.

He is survived by a daughter, Roberta Edelstein of La Jolla, Calif.; a sister, Betty Portwood of Albuquerque, N.M., and two grandsons.