People collect all kinds of things. It amazes many, who have not been bitten by the collecting bug, that a little, imprinted piece of paper can create intense interest in certain individuals, or have much value. The truth is that a stamp can bring in the millions of dollars at auction, and that a display of
rare postage stamps can bring serious philatelists together from all corners of the globe.
One example of a printing error creating a rare stamp is Britain's olive colored Queen Victoria's head. This stamp was printed in 1864 in Hong Kong. It was meant to be grayish brown. By mistake fifty-two sheets were printed olive. The original stamps sold for ninety-six cents Hong Kong. In 2012 a block of four sold for almost six point five million dollars Hong Kong.
The British Guiana 1 Cent Magenta is one of the most highly prized in the world. It is printed with black ink on magenta paper. This stamp came about because the postmaster in British Guiana had run out of his regular supply and asked a local newspaper to print an emergency batch. To prevent forgery, a postal employee had to initial each one. In 1980 this stamp brought $850,000 at auction.
The Post Office Mauritius is another printing error that happened when someone got in a hurry. The governor's wife held a ball in 1847, and the post office issued a special stamp for the invitations. Unfortunately, instead of imprinting post paid on the stamp, the sheets went out with post office printed. One of the only twelve two pennies known to exist sold in 2011 for $1.6 million U. S. Dollars.
The Inverted Jenny was the first air mail stamp. It was issued in 1918. The rare ones show the plane upside down. The mistake was easy to make at the time. The sheet of a hundred stamps had to pass through the press twice. One set was turned the wrong way on the second pass resulting in the error. It got out without anybody noticing. A block of four sold for $3 million in 2005.
The 1840 Penny Black was the first stamp ever made. It shows Queen Victoria as she appeared in 1837. This stamp was only used for a year because the cancellation mark was too hard to see. Only two of them are known to be left. An American businessman bought one of them recently for $5 million.
The Treskilling Yellow is the most sought after and expensive stamp in the world. It is a Swedish stamp that was supposed to be green, but is yellow. It was last sold in 2010 for an undisclosed amount. All the auctioneer would say is that it is more expensive than any other single stamp on the planet.
It might be hard for some to see the wisdom of paying millions for a tiny piece of paper. For philatelists, who have the money and means, a rare stamp is a prize. There is no telling what another enthusiast will be willing to pay in the future.