The year 1847 is a huge one for stamps: this was the first year that you could purchase stamps from the United States government and affix them to a piece of mail as a method to prepay for its delivery (the legislation was passed in 1845). When a four-stamp block of the 1869 Pictorials (24-cent inverts featuring John Turnbull’s painting, Declaration of Independence) was sold at auction in London in 1938, it attracted worldwide attention. New York Stock Exchange stamp (courtesy of Siegel Auction Gallery); The New York Stock Exchange meeting under Buttonwood Tree on Wall Street. They are valued at $600,000 or more depending on the condition of the particular stamp being sold. The lot that was a part of the hilarious William Gross’ collection fetched $140,000. The new technique required double pressing: to print the center design also known as vignette and to print the frame. Canadian stamps price guide and values. Inverted CIA stamp (courtesy of Siegel Auction Gallery); The official seal of the Central Intelligence Agency. Scinde Dawk stamp (1852) The Dawk, or Dak, is an old postal service in Asia that is carried by runners. Nearly every stamp listed in … The 30 cent worth Shield and Flag piece with inverted flags is considered to be the rarest of the 1869 error stamp. 19.) They featured an image of a sailing ship, the lettering “Black Guiana” and an inscription of the colony's Latin motto "Damus Petimus que Vicissim" ("We Give and We Seek in Return"). 10. At present, this rare stamp value is estimated over a million dollars. Look for tears or creases on the stamp. (Credit: Movie Poster Image Art/Getty Images). Philately, like many other hobbies, enjoys the self-referential: this was the first plane used to deliver mail. A famous Baden 9 Kreuzer was sold for $1,545,000 by David Feldman on April 3, 2008. However, our main interest lies with the three cent B grill stamp in rose printing. These stamps were produced in 1978 and, due to an error, the 13p postage price failed to get printed on the stamp. Various nuances, such as a secret mark or a curl, not obvious and not evident at first sight, can make an ordinary stamp expensive. Almost all stamps with the error were destroyed; however it is widely considered that those one hundred items with the error managed to survive. Inverted Jenny. This unique philatelic rarity was sold for $575,000 at Robert A Siegel sale that took place in June, 2008. 1c Benjamin Franklin stamp fetched $375,000 at Siegel auction that took place in October, 2007. But long before, the Crown had named him postmaster general of the American colonies in 1753, a post he shared with William Hunter. 1924 10k on 5r green type II, basic stamp wide "5", complete pane of 25, unique PR: $805,000.00. Each of the agents kept one stamp for themselves. 1847-1857 America's First Stamps1861-1869 Civil War Era and the 1869 Pictorials1870-1875 The Banknote Stamps Part IThe stamps of the National and Continental Banknote Companies.1870-1875 The Banknote Stamps Part IIThe stamps of the American Banknote Company.1893 The ColumbiansThe first commemorative series in the US.1894-1898 The Bureau IssuesThe Bureau of Engraving and Printing takes over US stamp production.The 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exhibition Here are a few ways to find stamps that are worth money, and some that are rare finds. For a very long time, the 1856 one cent "Black on Magenta" of British Guiana was considered to be the world's ... Treskilling Yellow stamp, 1855. Some stamps are extremely rare, and just like with any other collecting hobby, there are some stamps that are worth insane amounts of money. A Washington, DC, Post Office clerk — who had never seen an airplane — sold a sheet of 100 stamps mistakenly showing the wrong image of a biplane. Here is a list of 10 of the most valuable and rarest postage stamps in history. It takes half the time and precision when it comes to applying a fierce and feline flick. One possibility is that they are at once so many things: they’re art, they’re history, they’re antiques, they’re money, they’re miniatures—all wrapped up in the romanticism of the letters they set into motion. McKinley was shot twice at close range by anarchist Leon Czolgosz as he greeted admirers at the fair. June 2008 Russia 1935 San Francisco surcharge, small Cyrillic "f" in "San Francisco", surcharge inverted PR: … Below, you can see the list of rarest and most valuable stamps issued in the U.S. and all over the world. Blue Hawaiian missionary stamp (courtesy of Siegel Auction Gallery); Stanley Donen’s 1963 comedy Charade, starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. The stamp sold for £40,000 at auction. Inverted Jenny is one of the most famous error stamps. There is only one … Only one copy of this pair left. In the world of U.S. stamp collecting, the Blue Boy is akin to the Mona Lisa. The value of a canadian stamp depends on several factors such as quality and wear, supply and demand, rarity, finish and more.Values in the section are based on the … As philately readies itself for a major reveal, we look back at 10 of the rarest stamps in American history. Then the stamps were separated sometime before the private treaty sale in Switzerland of a portion of the Ferrary collection. For all the Pony Express’s legends (both Buffalo Bill Cody and Wild Bill Hickok claimed to be riders; there’s no evidence either was), the outfit lasted only 19 months and was, in fact, somewhat of a publicity stunt by three businessmen attempting to win a government mail contract. These designs are now referred to as the "Hawaiian Missionaries" because they were frequently used by American missionaries on the islands to send letters back to the continental United States. Because the plates were laid by hand, the stamps often required re-cutting to adjust their position, individual designs came with various impressions, which led to the recognition of eight basic types. Another rare stamp featuring Benjamin Franklin is the 1908 one cent stamp. … Pan American invert stamp (courtesy of Siegel Auction Gallery); The assassination of President McKinley. The quirk about the stamp is the 13p did not get printed for some reason.There are only three in the world. The new stamps were released in Honolulu in three denominations (2 cent, 5 cent, and 13 cent). Some old and used stamps can be very valuable and ordinary-looking items can be expensive if they wear a so-called secret mark. On July 4th, 1776, thirteen American colonies that were involved in a bloody war with Great Britain proclaimed themselves independent states and refused to recognize the rule of the British Empire. Stamps by Country. The Hawaiian Missionaries were the first stamps to be produced in Hawaii and were predominantly used in correspondence between missionaries, hence their name. As noted by Cheryl Ganz, curator emerita of the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, Gross’s collection of American stamps is unrivaled in the history of private stamp collecting. Just as fun as collecting stamps, though, can be learning how much they are worth—determining if a stamp is rare, valuable or unique. The Basel Dove is a stamp … Since the appearance of Penny Black in the 19th century, stamps have become one of the most desired objects of collectors' passion. Two covers from his mailbag, which was recovered two years later, survive to this day and bear the handwritten words: “Recovered from a mail stolen by the Indians in 1860.”. These stamps are held in high regard by the collectors and are estimated to be worth millions. Treskilling Yellow is the most famous Swedish stamp that was issued in 1855. Adding to the value of the stamp is the fact that only one hundred were printed. Negligence in merging the two processes led to the appearance of rare inverts. Spelled out in red letters, the denomination number flows over into the blue-framed flags through the red shield. Following severe critical attacks on the previous ornate issue, the Post Office Department released a series of stamps with a simple and cleaner design in 1908-1909. In February 2008 a 27 parale stamp was auctioned for 135,000 sFr = about 90,000 Euro or 135,000 US$. Like other stamps of the issue, the Declaration of Independence is printed in two colors, green and violet, and can be rightfully called a miniature masterpiece. © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. —even playing cards. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. His profile crowned the 1867 stamp series and was available in several variations. During the printing process, the watchmaker erroneously engraved the words "Post Office" instead of the correct words "Post Paid" on the stamps. A local watchmaker from the capital city of Port Louis was awarded a contract to produce two nominations: one penny and two pence. It is also important to realise that stamp collecting goes well beyond stamps and other factors may influence the value of a stamp. In fact, the very first U.S. Post Office Department airmail flight on May 15, 1918 ended in disaster. This is also a great way to get an idea of how rare or unique your stamp might be. 1851 Benjamin Franklin is one of the oldest U.S. stamps. These are examples of the very first U.S. Federal stamps. The 1c Benjamin Franklin stamp issued in 1868 features a rare Z-grill with horizontal ridges, just like two other designs from the series depicting Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. Another popular stamp associated with the Civil War issue is devoted to Benjamin Franklin, a famous political theorist, diplomat, author, scientist and the president of Pennsylvania. In the b variation, though, the balls under the bottom label look more blurred. Old postage stamps, especially the rare stamps, are worth more than the newer stamps. 1924 10k on 5r green type II, basic stamp wide "5", complete pane of 25, unique PR: $805,000.00. If not for that, the U.S. wouldn’t have existed at all. Transportation was the key theme of the six commemorative stamps—featuring the bridge at Niagara Falls and a steam engine, among others—issued in 1901 to commemorate the Pan American Exhibition held in Buffalo, NY. They can be used for first-class mail and are referred to as "Forever stamps" due to the fact that they will not depreciate in value as rates for postage stamps increase. For example, the St. Louis provisional stamps display the image of two bears holding the United States coat of arms between them. Four agents returned their stamps, four quit or were terminated, and one agent claimed they had lost theirs and kept their job. We look at rare collectible stamps to collect. Surrounded by a green border with red numerals, the inverted images include one scene of modern traders, depicted standing beneath a hub of monitors on the stock exchange, and an exterior view of the exchange’s neoclassical facade, at 11 Wall Street. Why do we get a thrill from seeing Wonder Woman, astronauts, presidents and Americana on these small pieces of affixable paper? A printing error caused the blue vignette—the airplane and the air around it—to be printed upside down, while the red border framing the scene was printed correctly. GB Stamps 1840 to Date. Let’s look at the pair of stamps depicting Benjamin Franklin in blue and green colors with a one cent denomination. This is particularly true of stamps on cover (envelopes). A single British Guiana Cottonreel stamp has a rare stamp worth of 4, 000 - 20, 000 pounds sterling depending on the condition. Due to the oddly placed denomination and the confusing arrangement of colors, the stamp was often criticized as an example of a bad design. Identify the Stamp Our online Stamp catalogue is a great first place to start. Another example is two blocks of Chinese stamps, dated from 1897. Mob violence and intimidation followed, forcing stamp tax collectors to resign their positions and driving away ships carrying stamp papers at seaports. These stamps are different from previous designs because they are printed on double line paper covered with the USPS (U.S. Dubbed “the First American” for his extensive political campaign in support of colonial unity, Franklin played a key part in shaping the American mentality as the union of practical values and social tolerance. How to Identify If Your Stamps are Worth Money 1. Here is a list of 10 of the most valuable and rarest postage stamps in history. While the money demanded by the act was quite low and the act was repealed the following year, the damage was done. In 1986, nine CIA agents who noticed the error, purchased the sheet with the 95 remaining stamps at the post office in Mclean, Virginia (the post office had unknowingly sold the other five to be used as everyday postage). #3 – Landing of Columbus Stamp 1869. The Stamp Act, passed by British Parliament in 1765, often cited as one of the immediate causes of the American Revolution, was, in fact, a tax. Mint and Used Great British Stamps. It was found by a schoolboy and philatelist named Georg Wilhelm Baeckman who rescued it from his grandmother's rubbish bin in 1885 and sold it onto a dealer for the lowly price of seven Kroner in 1886. In the real world, most stamp dealers discount their prices heavily from Scott values. Age: Modern stamps have very limited value, usually just a small percentage of face value. Those using these stamps had to buy additional units in order to raise the value of their postage to the current postage rate. Study the Quality of the Stamp GB Stamps 1840 to Date. This means that the rarer your old postage stamp … Collectible US Stamps. For more information please see our “Blue Boy” stamp (courtesy of Siegel Auction Gallery); The Blue Boy by Thomas Gainsborough, 1770. The ‘60s issue added two new political leaders – Andrew Jackson and Abraham Lincoln. Jared Nicoll 19:23, Mar 17 2017. The agents replaced the rare stamps with regular $1 issues, then sold a sheet with 85 of the inverted rush lamp stamps (plus one damaged stamp) to a collector for $25,000. Robert A Siegel Sold the stamp 1c Benjamin Franklin stamp as part of the Robert Zoellner collection at its sale that took place in October, 1998. 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. At Apfelbaum Inc, we have many rare United States stamps for collectors available. These stamps were produced in 1978 and due to an error, the 13p postage price failed to get printed on the stamp. Like the Declaration of Independence, the Landing of Columbus is a copy of a famous painting by John Vanderlyn that depicts the historical arrival of the Spanish expedition to the shores of the New World. The Jennies—military biplanes—were modified for government airmail service with extra fuel tanks, a different engine, and a hopper for mail. Since the appearance of Penny Black in the 19th century, stamps have become one of the most desired objects of collectors' passion. It is widely known as the Washington-Franklin issue, since it mainly focused on these two politicians. Mint and Used Great British Stamps. All stamps came with identical frames, which minimized production expenses and allowed for more effective use of steel printing plates. SCB caters over 500 articles, thousand of collector opinions, stamp … $10.30 : Limited Edition Miniature Sheet with one 60 cent, one $1.60, one $2.50, one $3.60 and one $2 stamp (2,000 numbered copies) 769k : UHM : $243.00 Each sample was initialed by a post office employee as a security measure against possible forgeries. Without him, the U.S. would have never become the strong, prosperous and influential country it is now. What draws people to stamps? The pictorials are also the first example of a printing error by the Post Office Department. Some people have the uncontrollable desire to remove stamps from postcards and envelopes (collectors call them covers), but this is not always wise. In 1775, upon his return from England, Franklin was named postmaster general of the independent colonies by the Continental Congress. There are also numerous online catalogs specializing in various categories, such as country of origin or time period, that can be accessed free to help save collectors time and money. What are stamps worth? Hobbizine stamp value guides list prices in new and used condition. Numerous nations all over the world followed the example of the U.S. by creating their own independence declarations, which laid the foundations of global democracy and fair international relationship. He died from his injuries eight days later (his vice president, Teddy Roosevelt, had been so confident of the president’s recovery, he went camping in the Adirondacks). The mistake that occurred during the process of printing made this philatelic item so unique. The “Inverted Jenny” is a Curtiss JN-4 biplane which erroneously is printed with its wheels up. The error that makes this stamp so valuable consists in the following: it was supposed to be printed in pink but few sheets were printed in green. Interestingly, the 2-cent stamp didn’t serve much of a purpose—the only use was for a newspaper or the captain’s fee (ship captains received 2 cents for every letter they carried). Compare your stamps to other collectors’ stamps to get an idea of how much they might be worth. Baden 9 Kreuzer error is the most valuable German stamp with only 4 specimens left in existence. It is also one of the most famous printing errors and this is the only one "tete-beche" pair of postage stamps produced on the territory of the State of Buenos Aires. The values that are assigned to stamps by catalogues such as the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue are wildly optimistic. It also marked the first use of bicolor printing. Between 1975 and 1981, the Post Office released a series of Americana stamps, four of which depicted light sources. The first one took place in 1996 and Treskilling Yellow stamp was sold for 2.8 million Swiss francs (or roughly $2.2 million at that time). The block of six 15c Landing of Columbus stamps that was part of a famous William Gross collection was sold for $150,000 by Robert A Siegel in October, 2018. The Plate 77 Penny Red is currently the most expensive stamp that trader Stanley Gibbons has ever sold, with a rare version going for £550,000 back in 2012. A stamp worth a few cents in catalogue value may be worth hundreds of dollars on cover because of the postmark, the postal rate, the destination or the route . It is so valuable because of several reasons. Therefore, the government added a $0.05 postage stamp showing the likeness of … Stamp Collecting Blog is the premiere source of philatelic information for all stamp collectors, philatelists and postage stamp lovers worldwide. (Credit: DEA/A. It is not always apparent, whether a stamp is expensive or not. June 2008 Russia 1935 San Francisco surcharge, small Cyrillic "f" in "San Francisco", surcharge inverted PR: $718,750.00. Feb 25, 2020 - Explore La Dolca Vita's board "100 Most Valuable Stamps", followed by 908 people on Pinterest. In 1993, a cover bearing two of these stamps was auctioned for a whopping $3.8 million, the highest price ever paid for any philatelic item, furthermore making these set of old stamps one of … The lot fetched $625,000. Cookie Policy, 24c Declaration of Independence stamp, 1869. Incredibly popular nowadays, the 1869 pictorial series was ignored by the 19th century public and soon withdrawn from production. The only known example of Treskilling Yellow exists today. The first Hawaiian stamps appeared in 1851. The pilot flew in the wrong direction and crashed in a farmer’s field, ironically next to a property owned by Otto Praeger, the postmaster official in charge of airmail. Mint condition specimens have appreciated by up to … The most valuable stamps of today are some of the worlds rarest old stamps worth money. 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