Stamp collection is a hobby that sparks the interest of people around the world. Each stamp narrates fascinating stories about the history, geography, local culture, beliefs, society, and economics of a specific region. The hobby, also known as philately, is considered the king of hobbies and, at times, the “hobby of kings” due to the high costs associated with collecting stamps. Here are some of the most valuable stamps in the world today:
British Guiana 1 cent Magenta, 1856
This is one of the rarest, most valuable stamps in the world. With only one copy known to be in existence, the British Guiana 1c Magenta stamp was printed due to an emergency, as the expected shipment of stamps went missing. It is currently valued at $9.48 million. The presence of a small, faint boat on the face of the stamp makes it easily distinguishable from others.
Treskilling Yellow, 1855
This Swedish stamp gains its rare status due to a color error. Originally meant to be printed in blue-green, the three-skilling stamp had one batch that was mistakenly printed in yellow. Only one of these survives today, and it is considered to be worth $2.6 million.
The Sicilian Error of Color, 1859
The Sicilian Error of Color was meant to be printed in yellow but was printed in a stark blue color instead. This stamp is popular due to its well-preserved appearance—almost as if it just rolled off the printing press. It was last sold at an auction in 2011 for $2.6 million.
Baden 9 Kreuzer Error, 1851
The Baden 9 Kreuzer stamp features an easily recognizable green ink plate. This was originally meant to be used for a 6 Kreuzer stamp in Germany. However, due to a misreading by the printer, the 9 Kreuzer stamp was printed. The stamp has an expected value of €1.31 million today.
The Inverted Jenny, 1918
This is one of the most famous American stamps, priced at $1.35 million. It features an upside-down print of the Jenny plane, which was first used by the US Post Office to carry mail across the country.
Some of the other valuable stamps in the world are the Red and Blue Penny Mauritius (1847), 3c George Washington with B-grill (1867), Tiflis Stamp (1857), Hawaiian Missionaries (1851), and The Whole Country is Red (1968).
