Tapling Collection

{{Short description|Collection of postage stamps}}

{{Infobox collection

| name = Tapling collection

| image = 200px

| image_caption = The Tapling Collection includes this 1854, 4 annas stamp in blue and pale red from India with the error of having the head inverted.

| housed_at = British Library

| curators = Paul Skinner

| funded_by =

| website =

}}

The Tapling Collection of postage stamps was donated to the British Museum from the estate of Thomas Tapling in 1891.{{cite news |title=Wills and Bequests |date=11 July 1891 |page=4 |newspaper=The Times |url=http://archive.timesonline.co.uk/tol/keywordsearch.arc?queryKeywords=WILLS+AND+BEQUESTS-The+will,+executed+on |quote=...to the Trustees of the British Museum his entire collection of postage stamps and everything belonging to him 'appertaining to the science or hobby of stamp collecting,' upon the condition that the collection is kept in a separate room or part of a room, and is to be called 'The Tapling Collection,' and is always accessible to the president and secretary of the Philatelic Society. |access-date=16 January 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111004090201/http://archive.timesonline.co.uk/tol/keywordsearch.arc?queryKeywords=WILLS+AND+BEQUESTS-The+will,+executed+on |archive-date=4 October 2011 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}

The probate value of the Tapling collection was set at £12,000 but on arrival Richard Garnett (assistant keeper of Printed Books) estimated their value at more than £50,000 and described the bequest as the most valuable gift since the Grenville Library{{cite web |url=https://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/archives/f/frederick_york,_the_grenville.aspx |title=Frederick York, The Grenville Library, a photograph |publisher=British Museum |date=2010-12-13 |access-date=2011-01-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101216224048/http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/archives/f/frederick_york,_the_grenville.aspx |archive-date=2010-12-16 |url-status=dead }} in 1847 (equivalent to £24,000,000 in 2011).The figure of £24 million ignores any increase in value due to age of the collection and is calculated with average earnings increase since 1891.

• {{cite news|title=Death of Mr. T.K. Tapling, M.P. |newspaper=Leicester Chronicle and the Leicestershire Mercury (Leicester, England)|date=April 18, 1891|page=6}}
• {{citation | last=Day | first=Alan Edwin | year=1998 | title=Inside the British Library | publisher=Library Association Pub. | isbn=978-1-85604-280-2 | page=205}}
• {{harvnb|Harris|1998|p=411}}

It is held in the Philatelic Collections of the British Library and selected items are on permanent public exhibition.{{cite web |url=http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/philatelic/philateliccollections/articles/articletapling/articlestapling.html |title=Philatelic Collections: The Tapling Collection |publisher=Bl.uk |date=2003-11-30 |access-date=2011-01-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120918021757/http://www.bl.uk/reshelp/findhelprestype/philatelic/philateliccollections/articles/articletapling/articlestapling.html |archive-date=2012-09-18 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web|url=http://www.helenmorgan.net/bm/biogs/E000092b.htm |title=Tapling, Thomas Keay - Biographical entry - Blue Mauritius - Research Companion |publisher=Helenmorgan.net |date= |access-date=2011-01-16}}{{citation | last1=Humphreys | first1=Rob | year=2003 | title=The Rough Guide to London | last2=Bamber | first2=Judith | edition=5 | publisher=Rough Guides | isbn=978-1-84353-093-0 | page=152}}

The collection covers the period 1840 to 1890 with some items up to 1900 added subsequently and recorded on the album pages. As of January 2009 the stamps were held in 72 boxes and the postal stationery part held in 113 albums and seven boxes.Martin, Jeremy, & John Powell. (2010) West Africa in the British Library Philatelic Collections. Dronfield: West Africa Study Circle. pp. 154-156. {{ISBN|9781905647040}}