Bernd Juchert: Bull's Eyes on covers (2nd edition)

Collectors of Brazil's famous "Bull's Eyes" of 1843 may well have seen Bernd Juchert's first edition of this book which was a 150-page study which listed, described and illustrated, in black and white, all the "Bull's Eyes" covers that were known to him at the time.

The second edition of this book, to be published on 14th May 2015 by Wolfgang Maassen, is a world apart from the first edition. This new, high-quality and lavishly presented book now has 360 pages and it shows almost 50 per cent more covers which have come to light over the intervening years. There are also listed some 38 faked or forged covers and 18 covers on which no expert opinion has yet been given and which must be regarded as "questionable". The author and publisher make it clear that 'questionable' does not necessarily mean that these covers are faked; they might be perfectly genuine, but all the relevant questions are not yet answered and/or the author, Bernd Juchert, has not yet seen these covers at first hand.

Three characteristics in particular distinguish the new edition. The circa 300 illustrations are, for the most part, shown in colour for the first time. More than one hundred of the illustrations are new. Secondly, auction records, including prices realised, are given for almost every cover. All this is presented in an attractive, full-colour format, and trilingually, with German, English and Portuguese text. For the first time all the covers are given numbers that can, in future, be easily referred to and quoted. To date just 217 genuine "Bull's Eye" covers are known. The author and publisher have spent two years preparing this book and I have no hesitation in recommending that if you have any passing interest in either Brazil or classic first issues covers then this book should have a place in your library.