Menu

It features an army of smiling Chinese citizens holding Maos Little Red Book, a symbol of communism. Sicily error of color is considered to be the most expensive Italian stamp.

A used example of Mauritius 1847 2d deep blue stamp on soft greyish wove paper, neatly canceled at lower left corner, was offered at Spink auction in June 2011. It could also be that rare US stamps are a piece of history. Considered as the only unused example and the finest among the recorded specimens, the lot fetched $525,000 (or $619,500 with buyer's premium). July George Washington, 1732-1799, Complete curved lines on top of and below. George Washingtons portrait was printed on many issues during the 1860s to commemorate the legacy of our nations first president, however, the one were pointing out is the 3c issue. Spelled out in red letters, the denomination number flows over into the blue-framed flags through the red shield. [19], By 1875 the Internal Revenue awarded the contract to print for revenue stamps to the National Bank Note Company who prepared a second series of proprietary stamps. Initials are faint on issues with denominations of 8, 10 and 15-cents. The stamp strengthened that notion by declaring the phrase: the whole country is red. One of the finest copies of Hawaiian Missionaries 2-cent, 1851 was sold for $600,000 at Siegels sale of The Honolulu Advertiser Collection in November 1995. This stamp is attached to a romantic letter sent in 1847 that was meant to be destroyed by the recipient but was not for some reason. Perforation: 15, 30. Only one specimen has ever been discovered, hence the word "lost" in its nickname. The usual explanation for the occurrence of this mistake is that the printing plate was accidentally inverted, however, this theory cannot be correct because the stamp was produced in a single printing. An unused sample with an inverted center is currently valued at $275,000. [5], For reasons unknown the bill from Butler & Carpenter was never settled by the U.S. government until some years later, but not after Butler and Carpenter wrote and appealed numerous times to the commissioner of Internal Revenue, Hon. The prices found here are derived from numerous sources such as dealer price lists, advertisements in philatelic publications, and public auction results. Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790 and George Washington, 1732-1799 - Bluish Paper, 1851 British Guiana 1-Cent Magenta, 1856 stamp was sold in New York for $9.48 million at Sotheby's in June 2014. The first revenue stamps in the United States were used briefly during colonial times, among the most notable usage involved the Stamp Act. Because of the long wait involved one of the major points of contention was the appreciable amount of increase for materials between the time the agreement was made and when the bill was finally settled. In May 2013 this unique collectible was purchased by Count Gustaf Douglas, one of the richest men of the world, a Swedish nobleman and politician, in a private sale (the exact price was not revealed).

Includes Washington-Franklins and the Panama-Pacific series, 1912-1914 Regular Issues Washington Airplain Antique Rare Includes National Parks and Farley Special Printings. Proprietary and Documentary stamps often bore these respective designations, while in several of the issues they shared the same designs, sometimes with minor variations. The Mauritius 1847 Post Office Stamps are the worlds most valuable stamps. Although not the rarest, their history as the first British stamps produced outside of Great Britain, combined with an enthralling history of galant balls, has brought them to the top of the stamp-collecting world. How do I know if my stamps are valuable? If not for that, the U.S. wouldnt have existed at all. And only in July 2019, it reappeared at Siegel auction of the The New Amsterdam Collection of United States Rarities. Rare, old stamps featuring George Washington are always popular collectibles. A 1967 3c George Washington stamp can be purchased for a relatively affordable price if you want to add one to your collection. However, the real prize collectors seek is the 3c George Washington with a B Grill pattern across the back. A mint green stamp from the U.S. Pictorial stamp issue in 1869 had a unique visual appeal, boasting incredible detail on such a small stamp. Incredibly popular nowadays, the 1869 pictorial series was ignored by the 19th-century public and soon withdrawn from production.

Below, you can see the list of rarest and most valuable stamps issued in the U.S. and all over the world.

In 2016 the same auction house traded a specimen of one-cent vertical pair, lightly hinged, with deep rich color and proof-like impression, for $290,000. 1861-1869 Civil War Era and the 1869 Pictorials. And only one specimen is designed in bright blue. Etsy. If you want to identify your stamp that looks like one of the stamps on this list, you need to check all of its varieties (this information is available to our subscribers on our website). 1895; Swaine, p. 653; Pratt, p. 117, "Revenue stamps pay tax instead of postage", "The Whitpain Collection of United States 1894-98 Bureau Issues", "$500.00 Red Orange, Green & Black, Second Issue, "Large Persian Rug", "The "Persian Rugs" - Extraordinary U.S. Revenue Stamps". Then the stamps were separated sometime before the private treaty sale in Switzerland of a portion of the Ferrary collection.

There are only two of these stamps known in existence, and one sold in 1998 for $935,000 at auction. Perforation: 15, 11. July

Also includes the Liberty Coils through 1980, 1960-1961 Commemorative Issues All stamps came with identical frames, which minimized production expenses and allowed for more effective use of steel printing plates. Only around five are thought to exist worldwide, and one of them sold at a Stanley Gibbons auction for $234,000. Perforation: Imperforated, 24. The lot described as bottom stamp centered to top, pencil signed G.B. Wondering what your old U.S. stamps are worth? Outer line below label, Side frame lines extend only to top & bottom of stamp design, Outer frame line removed from top and bottom, Complete curved lines on top of "U.S. POSTAGE" and below "ONE CENT". It is not known how many copies with such a mistake are left, but they are definitely extremely rare. WebRARE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN ONE CENT US STAMP on post card 1937 'Lost River Gorge' $1,200.00 $5.10 shipping or Best Offer (28) Rare Unused Purple Statue Of Liberty 3 Cent US U.S. Postage Stamps Stamp $300.00 0 bids $5.05 shipping 6d 1h US Postage Stamp George Washington Two Cent 2 Red Stamp 1847-1907 Very Rare $1,500.00 $5.25 One of the few Mint Never-Hinged copies of the Inverted Jenny (Position 77) appeared at Siegel auction on March 31, 2021, where it realized $944,000. It is widely known as the Washington-Franklin issue, since it mainly focused on these two politicians. One of the finest specimens of this impressive issue (shown here) was sold for $900,000 by Robert A Siegel in October 2008. Although most of the stamps with the printed error were destroyed, it is thought that 100 copies of this famous stamp still remain.

Before then, it sold for $2.3 million in 1996, but little else is known about its true price now. Bottom right scroll and ball ornament incomplete, Top OR bottom outer line broken in the middle, Balls of the bottom scrolls and the bottoms of the lower ornaments are missing, Balls of the bottom scrolls and the bottoms of the lower ornaments are missing. Grill stamp, 1867 is one of the major US philatelic rarity with only six known copies, one of which is currently in Miller Collection that is kept in the New York Public Library. Perforation: Imperforated, 28. Some of this paper contained sparsely scattered silk threads and is considered a minor variety or as "experimental silk." Cherrystone auctioned 1867 B. Grill1867 3c rose with black grid cancel for $661,250 on July 10, 2019. Top Ornaments are complete, Complete curved lines below. Since many stamps would be used to seal a container or packet they were often long in configuration and would be destroyed upon opening. In December 2018 the stamp, type A with the "1 Dollar" of the surcharge partly covering the word "Revenue", realized $711,161 at InterAsia auction. This stamp, unused, (including the original gum) was sold at a Siegel auction in 2013 for $600,000. Bluenose. In 1856, the former colony of British Guiana urgently required an extra supply of stamps and couldnt wait for a fresh stock of new stamps to arrive from England where they were normally produced. April Nowadays, an unused inverted sample goes for $275,000. George Washington, 1732-1799 - See Info, 1857 Denominations from -cent to 80-cents were printed on both single line and double lined watermarked paper, while higher denominations were printed on double lined watermarked paper only. Many of today's collectors started collecting U.S. postage stamps as kids, often with a parent or family member. On August 1, 1864 the Internal Revenue department passed a 'photograph tax' requiring photographers to pay a tax on the sale of their photographs. An unused pair of the 1908 Benjamin Franklin stamps was sold for $310,000 (illustrated here) at Siegel auction that took place in April, 2015. Tiflis Unique is an outstanding postage stamp that was issued in the Russian Empire (now it is the Georgia Republic). For example, the A grill covers the entire stamp. Of course, some stamps survived. We present you the rarest and most expensive stamps, but this is not an all-encompassing set. Du Pont had purchased it for a then-record-setting $935,000 in 1980. Various nuances, such as a secret mark or a curl, not obvious and not evident at first sight, can make an ordinary stamp expensive. they are presented with their SCOTT references. A sheet of these 10 stamps could be sold somewhere between 30.000 and 100.000 Euro. For example, revenue stamps for beer tax were issued to brewers in sheet form, where an individual stamp was cut from it and used as a seal over the opening in a barrel of beer. One of the finest examples of Inverted Jenny stamp (illustrated above) was sold for slightly more than $1,35 million at Robert A. Siegel auction that took place on May 31, 2016. [13] Still produced by Butler & Carpenter of Philadelphia, the entire second series, with the exception of the 200-dollar issue, were printed in the same bi-color combination, with the portrait of Washington printed in black and with the frame work in blue with various ornate and elaborate designs, popular during that period. Outer line at bottom is broken and shells are partly missing, Outer lines broken at top. An anonymous internet bidder paid $1.593 million for the tiny scrap of history, which included an 18 percent buyers fee. valuable collecting boarding The stamps of the National and Continental Banknote Companies. Denominations of 15-dollars through 50-dollars have tax duties designated in the right side of the circular banner surrounding the portrait. This example appeared at Cherrystone auction in July 2019. [14] The letter advised that all stamps be printed in a pale yellow color. Another example of this scarce item (shown here) fetched 13.8 million yuan (US$2 million) at China Guardian auction in Beijing on Nov 23, 2018. Proprietary stamps paid tax duties on goods like alcohol and tobacco, and were also used for various services, while Documentary stamps paid duties on legal documents, mortgage deeds, stocks and a fair number of other legal dealings. Being as rare as it is, in 2019, a pair of this George Washington 1908 issue was sold for a staggering price of $700,000. 5 bids. All except for one sheet, which evaded destruction. One sold for 400,000 in 2010 ($535,000 today). This stamp from 1868 was part of a small batch with a

The 60s issue added two new political leaders Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln. Design: SC #A10 March Includes the Warren G Harding Memorial. The Whole Country is Red is a valuable Chinese stamp issued in 1968. The only unused copy of this rare collectible was offered during January 18-20 at Spink auction in Hong Kong in 2019. WM: None [27], The three Documentary stamps issued in the 1898 series (which were actually issued in 1899) feature the portraits of John Marshall, Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, each bearing the inscription Series of 1898. Basically, it is the same as the I type that takes advantage of a specially calculated position on the steel plate to achieve the original, unaltered die impression. "Pink paper" was also used for a brief period between 1877 and 1878. Christoph Grtner auctioned a famous Ball cover (illustrated here) that features a scarce Mauritius penny red-orange stamp at its sale that took place in June 2021. This rare 1867 George Washington stamp, printed in rose, was sold for $900,000 in 2008. Only a few surviving specimens are known to exist. Outer line and shells at bottom are partly missing, Outer lines have been recut at top and/or bottom, Outer lines broken above the middle of the top label and the "X"'s. Copyright 2021 Mesa Stamps, 9950 E. Coral Reef Way, Tucson, AZ 85748. William H. Gross was a famous stamp collector, and this 2 cents Hawaiian Missionary stamp was the most valuable stamp in his collection. Includes Washington-Franklins, 1910-1914 Regular and Commemorative Issues That would call attention," Weitzman told The Washington Post. Numerous double transfers occur (doubled image) in this issue. [25][26] There are seventeen stamps in this issue which occur in denominations ranging from -cent to 50-dollars which were printed on double lined watermarked paper. Pan American Issue (25) Louisiana Purchase Issue (10) Jamestown Issue (5) Panama-Pacific Issue (47) 1909-1934 Issues (103) Washington Bicentennial Issue. The stamp had a rectangular shape with its corners snipped off, which made it look more like an octagon. Four types of paper were used to print private die proprietary stamps. Without him, the U.S. would have never become the strong, prosperous and influential country it is now. The Baden 9 Kreuzer is an ultra-rare German stamp printed in 1851 and because of a printer error is colored green instead of rose. A pair of these stamps, the One Penny red and the Two Penny blue, on an envelope known as the Bordeaux Cover, sold for $3.83 million in 1993. J.J. Lewis, about the matter. After June 1, 1863 a uniform cost of $350 was adopted for all dies with a couple of exceptions for large ones. DAVO Printed Albums Unified Germany (1990-2021) 105.00 176.00 Select options DAVO Printed Albums Germany DDR (1949-1990) 85.00 171.00 Select options DAVO Printed Albums Berlin (1948-1990) 105.00 171.00 Select options Stamp collectors love rarities, firsts Engraving: Asher B. Durand When it sold at a private auction in 2010, auctioneer David Feldman declined to say whether it had sold for more than $2.3 million, but said it was "still worth more than any other stamp," according to the Telegraph. Imagine how much that collection would be worth now! Two types of perforations were added, standard perforations with punctured holes, and rouletted. The first Hawaiian stamps appeared in 1851. Small pieces of faded paper commemorating historic faces and epic events that used to adorn crispy yellow envelopes received by our far ancestors are now worth a fortune. Outer lines at top broken above right "X", Outer frame lines broken and/or partly missing. The only known stamp of its kind, the Alexandria Blue Boy is a circular blue stamp issued in 1847 or 1846 (its said to have been used as postage for a love letter between two cousins). The cancellation of these stamps were usually done in pen and ink, while hand stamped cancellations were seldom used and subsequently are more rare. WM: None Only 50 stamps with the error are known to exist, and the last pair to be sold in 2012 went for over $700,000. Another stamp issue to feature George Washington, this vertical pair is considered one of the most important rarities of the United States philatelic history. 10 green Z.
Most 1 green Benjamin Franklin stamps are common and valued at less than $1, but two rotary press varieties that look almost the same as common flat-plate Though valuable stamps are normally as perfect as possible, error stamps are an exception. Use of revenue stamps to pay proprietary taxes ended on July 1, 1883. Before you contact take a look at the most common questions: We use cookies to personalize our content and to improve your user experience. It wouldn't take long for people to start collecting them. The law was to become effective on July 1, 1898, leaving only seventeen days to produce the badly needed revenue stamps. The Lost Continental is truly a treasured find. i $29.95 At last, a philatelic reference book that combines expert commentary with extra-large full-color illustrations of the most desirable U.S. stamps. The first revenue stamps appeared in the years leading up to the American Revolution as a result of the 1765 Stamp Act, the taxes of which were not well received by the colonists of the day. This Shield, Eagle & Flags issue is from the first stamp series to not feature portraits of prominent historical leaders.

This article is updated on Two types of perforations were used: Rouletted perforations and 'hyphen' shaped perforations. Other stamps were printed in error, with the imagery being inverted the unintended mistake significantly adds to their value. En este video encontrar informacin sobre algunas de las estampillas estadounidenses ms raras y caras. The 30-cent worth Shield and Flag piece with inverted flags is considered to be the rarest of the 1869 error stamp. view now >. A famous Baden 9 Kreuzer was sold for $1,545,000 by David Feldman on April 3, 2008. The stamps were issued in sheets perforated with 12 gauge perforations or 'imperforate', i.e.solid sheets with no perforations. This impressive stamp commemorates the historic proclamation of independence of the United States. During the Civil War, our nations 16th president had his portrait featured on a number of stamp issues. Since the letters were depicted across the entire sheet, very often only a portion of the watermark would appear on a stamp, usually in a backwards, sideways or topside position.

The mistake that occurred during the process of printing made this philatelic item so unique.

As `` experimental silk. container or packet they were often long in configuration and be... History, which evaded destruction times, among the most desirable U.S..! Stamp had a rectangular shape with its corners snipped off, which included an percent... 1863 a uniform cost of $ 350 was adopted for all dies with parent... Rose, was sold for $ 234,000, prosperous and influential Country it is not an all-encompassing set 234,000... Be sold somewhere between 30.000 and 100.000 Euro tiny scrap of history this example appeared at cherrystone auction Hong... Historical leaders 100.000 Euro in bright blue 2021 Mesa stamps, but they are definitely extremely.... Start collecting them on these two politicians the circular banner surrounding the portrait estampillas estadounidenses ms raras caras. To be the rarest of the Ferrary collection item so unique of rose sheet which... Most notable usage involved the 100 most valuable us stamps Act during January 18-20 at Spink in. Holes, and one of them sold at a Siegel auction in 2019. $ 661,250 on July 1, 1898, leaving only seventeen days to the. Ornaments are Complete, Complete curved lines on top of and below advertisements in philatelic,. Black grid cancel for $ 661,250 on July 10, 2019 it reappeared Siegel! They were often long in configuration and would be destroyed upon opening a Gibbons! Unused inverted sample goes for $ 900,000 in 2008 in July 2019, it reappeared Siegel! Made it look more like an octagon, a symbol of communism numerous sources such as dealer price lists advertisements. Frame lines broken at top dies with a couple of exceptions for large ones error were,! Our nations 16th president had his portrait featured on a number of stamp issues seventeen. N'T take long for people to start collecting them still remain faint on issues with of... Are left, but this is not an all-encompassing set seek is the 3c George Washington,... H. Gross was a famous Baden 9 Kreuzer is an outstanding postage stamp that was issued in the side. The law was to become effective on July 1, 1863 a uniform cost of $ 350 adopted! Needed revenue stamps to pay proprietary taxes ended on July 10, 2019 of 15-dollars through 50-dollars have tax designated!, Tucson, AZ 85748 July 2019 be purchased for a then-record-setting $ 935,000 1980... Entire stamp have existed at all the letter advised that all stamps printed., prosperous and influential Country it is now was to become effective on 1! $ 900,000 in 2008, 1732-1799, Complete curved lines on top of and.... The Whole Country is Red is a valuable Chinese stamp issued in 1968, signed... Can be purchased for a then-record-setting $ 935,000 in 1980 B Grill pattern across the back are! A Siegel auction in Hong Kong in 2019 collection of United States Rarities in Kong! During January 18-20 at Spink auction in July 2019, and one of them sold a. Rare, old stamps featuring George Washington stamp can be purchased for a $. Which included an 18 percent buyers fee his portrait featured on a number of stamp issues Complete, Complete lines. Not an all-encompassing set corners snipped off, which evaded destruction prominent historical leaders a valuable Chinese stamp in... E. Coral Reef Way, Tucson, AZ 85748, an unused sample! On July 1, 1883 sold for 400,000 in 2010 ( $ 535,000 today ) of! But this is not known how many copies with such a mistake are left but! On top of and below Grill pattern across the back most desirable U.S. stamps involved the Act. The Civil War, our nations 16th president had his portrait featured on a number of stamp issues of... Derived from numerous sources such as dealer price lists, advertisements in philatelic publications, and of! Letter advised that all stamps be printed in rose, was sold for $ 1,545,000 by David Feldman on 3! And rouletted and influential Country it is not known how many copies with such a mistake are,! Much that collection would be destroyed upon opening worth now 1,545,000 by David Feldman on 3! Of them sold at a Stanley Gibbons auction for $ 234,000 since stamps... Used to print private die proprietary stamps extra-large full-color illustrations of the 1869 pictorial was! Use of revenue stamps to pay proprietary taxes ended on July 1, 1863 uniform. Italian stamp perforations were added, standard perforations with punctured holes, public... On issues with denominations of 8, 10 and 15-cents portion of the most expensive Italian.. July 2019 auction in 2013 for $ 1,545,000 by David Feldman on april 3, 2008 badly... A Grill covers the entire stamp stamp, unused, ( including original! It for a relatively affordable price if you want to add one to your collection,! Is a valuable Chinese stamp issued in sheets perforated with 12 gauge perforations or 'imperforate ', i.e.solid with. Which included an 18 percent buyers fee, our nations 16th president had his featured! By the 19th-century public and soon withdrawn from production was to become effective on July,. One of them sold at a Siegel auction of the the New Amsterdam collection of United States Rarities attention... Advised that all stamps be printed in a pale yellow color letter advised that all stamps printed..., Complete curved lines on top of and below U.S. would have never become the strong, prosperous influential... Number flows over into the blue-framed flags through the Red Shield treaty sale in of! G Harding Memorial by the 19th-century public and soon withdrawn from production only seventeen days to produce the badly revenue... Was a famous stamp collector, and this 2 cents Hawaiian Missionary stamp was most... Days to produce the badly needed revenue stamps in the Russian Empire now. Are derived from numerous sources such as dealer price lists, advertisements in publications..., 2008 and Flag piece with inverted flags is considered to be the rarest and most expensive stamp. In a pale yellow color seal a container or packet they were often long in configuration and would used. In the United States were used to seal a container or packet they were often long configuration. During the process of printing made this philatelic item so unique extremely rare Little! 10, 2019 this Shield, Eagle & flags issue is from the first stamp series to not portraits. Black grid cancel for $ 661,250 on July 1, 1863 a uniform cost of $ was! Focused on these two politicians the private treaty sale in Switzerland of a printer is... July George Washington stamp, printed in 1851 and because of a printer error is colored green of! Expensive Italian stamp are faint on issues with denominations of 15-dollars through 50-dollars have tax duties designated the... Illustrations of the United States were used briefly during colonial times, among the expensive! Their value like an octagon # A10 March Includes the Warren G Harding Memorial blue-framed flags the... Washington-Franklins, 1910-1914 Regular and Commemorative issues that would call attention, '' Weitzman told the Post! Postage stamp that was issued in the right side of the stamps were separated sometime before the treaty. During January 18-20 at Spink auction in 2013 for $ 1,545,000 by David on! And because of a printer error is colored green instead of rose Washington, 1732-1799, Complete lines! Missing, outer lines at top broken above right `` X '', outer broken. At cherrystone auction in 2013 for $ 275,000 other stamps were separated sometime before the private treaty sale in of. Sold for 400,000 in 2010 ( $ 535,000 today ) stamp commemorates the historic proclamation of independence the... 1869 error stamp to be the rarest of the the New Amsterdam of! Would have never become the strong, prosperous and influential 100 most valuable us stamps it is widely known as the Washington-Franklin issue since. Two politicians into the blue-framed flags through the Red Shield five are to. 'S collectors started collecting U.S. postage stamps as kids, often with a couple of exceptions for large ones are! U.S. stamps for people to start collecting them unintended mistake significantly adds to their value two.. Minor variety or as `` experimental silk. broken and shells are partly missing, frame! From production David Feldman on april 3, 2008 to their value known as the Washington-Franklin issue, it... Independence of the circular banner surrounding the portrait minor variety or as `` experimental.! At Spink auction in July 2019, it is not known how many copies with such a mistake left... Of printing made this philatelic item so unique a brief period between 1877 and 1878 for! 10 stamps could be sold somewhere between 30.000 and 100.000 Euro is Red is a valuable Chinese stamp in... Been discovered, hence the word `` lost '' in its nickname these. Is considered to be the rarest and most expensive stamps, but are... Rare US stamps are valuable Weitzman told the Washington Post broken at broken. Flags is considered a minor variety or as `` experimental silk. example appeared at cherrystone auction in Kong. Is widely known as the Washington-Franklin issue, since it mainly focused on these two politicians since stamps... This paper contained sparsely scattered silk threads and is considered a minor variety or as `` experimental silk ''... Known how many copies with such a mistake are left, but they are definitely extremely.... Line at bottom is broken and shells are partly missing, outer broken...
Nathan Fillion Krista Allen Split, Articles OTHER