A set of rare Two Penny Blue stamps which once belonged to the Queen have sold for more than £200,000 at auction.

The dozen 1840 Two Pence Blues - the sister stamp to the Penny Black - was bought by an anonymous telephone bidder from Spink auctioneers.

Although they have changed hands several times, they once belonged to the monarch as part of her Royal Philatelic Collection.

Dominic Savastano, stamp specialist at Spink, said: "They're rather nice. They have some creases and a tear but it's still an outstandingly rare block.

"We sold them originally for the Queen in 2003 but since then they have changed hands a couple of times."

He added: "They're the sister to the Penny Black, coming out at the same time."

Housed in St James's Palace, the Royal Philatelic is said to be the world's most comprehensive collection of postage stamps in Great Britain and the Commonwealth.

Starting in the early 19th century, it was put together and then added to by Royal stamp enthusiasts, most notably Queen Victoria's second son Prince Alfred and King George V.

Unlike the Crown Jewels and the Royal residences, the Royal Philatelic Collection is privately owned by the Queen, rather than belonging to the nation.

The 12 stamps, which would have originally been from a sheet of 240, sold for £207,100 including buyer's premium.

Source: ukpress