They weigh about 0.05 grams and can cost millions. They are among the most expensive collectibles and are popular worldwide - the postage stamp.
1847 Red Mauritius
With approximately 152 surviving specimens, the stamp from the British Crown Colony is a sought-after collector's item. An envelope bearing the "Red Mauritius" was purchased at an auction in Ludwigsburg for 8.1 million euros (excluding the buyer's premium).
Equally popular is the Blue Mauritius, which is on display at the Museum for Communication in Berlin.2 Both stamp series feature the face of the British Queen Victoria.
1856 British Guiana 1¢ Magenta
This item, highly coveted in the world of philately (stamp collecting), went under the hammer in New York in 2021 for 7 million euros.1 From 2014 to 2021, it held the record as the world's most expensive stamp. The vintage one-cent stamp from the former British Guiana depicts a sailing ship accompanied by a motto. Although the stamp is cataloged with an issue year of 1856, there is no substantial evidence confirming the actual year of its production.
1859 Sicilian color error
This stamp is also among the rarest and most expensive collectibles in the world; it was actually intended to be printed in yellow.1 In 2011, a specimen was purchased for 1.8 million euros. It is the most significant stamp in the history of Italian philately and, with only two surviving examples, is estimated to have a collector's value of 2.6 million US dollars.4
The whole country is red from 1968
A stamp issued by the Chinese postal service once sold for 1.7 million euros.1 This price is considered sensational, given that the stamp is actually quite common; over 500 sales of this issue have been recorded.5 The stamp is a symbol of communism. It was issued in 1968 to commemorate the Proletarian Cultural Revolution.5 The stamp depicts workers beneath a map.
1855 Tre-Skilling-Banco
This Swedish stamp went under the hammer in 1996 for a net price of 1.6 million euros.1 Only one copy of this stamp is said to remain worldwide.6 The stamp features a yellow printing error.
Valuable stamps are defined by more than just rarity. Over time, many stamps were lost due to carelessness, war, and destruction, or simply because they were considered worthless at the time. However, printing errors involving color or design are rare, and it is precisely these stamps that command significant collector value today. As with any collectible or antique, a distinction must be made between the appraised value and the actual price paid at auction or in a private sale. The highest prices are paid for undamaged, well-preserved specimens.
There are numerous other rare specimens:
- The 1851 Baden 9-kreuzer misprint (sold postmarked for 1.26 million euros)1
- 1897 dark green "10 cents on 9 candarins" stamp (sold by the British auction house Spink & Son for over US$930,000)4
- 1897 Dark Ground Candareen (sold in 2019 for approximately 800,000 euros)1
- 1897 Red Revenue (sold in 2013 for nearly 750,000 euros)1
- Buenos Aires 1p "In Ps" tête-bêche pair from 1859 (the rare printing error sold for US$575,000)4
- Tête-bêche pair from 1859 (unique piece, sold in 2008 for 490,000 euros)1
- 1857 Tiflis (estimated value of 480,000 euros)1
... and many more!
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Sources
1 Magazin Welt der Wunder im Artikel: "Die teuersten Briefmarken weltweit", Ausgabe 11/21, S. 89 (German)
2 Wikipedia im online Artikel: "Rote und Blaue Mauritius", o.D. (German)
3 Wikipedia im online Artikel: "British Guiana 1¢ magenta", o.D. (German)
4 Auktionshaus von Brühl, Stuttgart im online Vermerk: "Auflistung der 10 wertvollsten Briefmarken weltweit", o.D. (German)
5 Wikipedia im online Artikel: "Das ganze Land ist Rot", o.D. (German)
6 Wikipedia im online Artikel: "Tre-Skilling-Banco-Fehldruck", o.D. (German)