The world's most valuable stamps

Sweden Three Skilling Banco, Yellow Color Error, 1855

This three skilling stamp was issued in Sweden with a printing error. Yellow paper  is used for eight skilling stamp & green is used for three skilling stamp. One copy of the yellow error variety of this stamp was found in 1885 by a young Swedish boy in his grandfather’s collection named George William Beckman.

It is one of a kind till date. The stamp has changed hands numerous times since then. In 2010, While the exact figure is unknown, auctioneer David Feldman–who sold the stamp in 1984 and oversaw this most recent sale–revealed that it at least maintained the $2.3 million price achieved in 1996.

Post Office Mauritius, 1847

In 1847, the Governor of the Mauritius Island, a British colony located in the Indian Ocean, decided to issue the colony’s first postal stamps. A local watchmaker from the capital city of Port Louis was awarded a contract to produce two stamps – a one penny stamp and a two pence stamp. In the course preparing to print the stamps, the watchmaker erroneously engraved the words “Post Office” instead of the correct words “Post Paid” on the stamps. It is estimated that fewer than 30 individual copies of these stamps have survived. . In 1993 a cover bearing 2 of these stamps sold for $3.8 million.

U.S. Franklin Z-Grill, 1867

The 1 Cent stamp was fitted with an embossed Z. Reason was so that ink could be absorbed by the paper and thus deter people from trying to wash out cancellation ink stamped on the stamp. There are 2 known copies of this stamp. The last one sold in 1988 for USD$ 930.000.

Hawaiian Missionaries

In 1851 Hawaii issued its first stamps. These stamps 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. Most of these stamps have been lost because of the bad paper quality. The 2 Cent stamp is the rarest with 16 copies left in existence.

British Guiana One Cent Black on Magenta, 1856

For a very long time, the 1856 one-cent “Black on Magenta” of British Guiana was considered to be the world’s rarest and most expensive stamp. The British colony of Guiana ran out of stamps in 1856. Awaiting a new supply from London, the governor asked the local newspaper to print a batch of 1 cent and 4 cent stamps. The stamps were printed on a rough paper in an unusual rectangular shape. In 1973 a boy discovered this stamp in his attic. It was last sold to the Dupont family in 1980 for just under USD$ 1m.

Andi Herzog Lenticular Stamp – $8.42

This revolutionary stamp isn’t any ordinary stamp, of course. It’s a lenticular stamp featuring approximately three minutes of footage of Austria’s legendary football player, Andi Herzog. The footage shows the goal that allowed Austria to compete in the World Championships in 1998. It’s even shown from three different angles. The most expensive stamp in print is also the largest one. It measures in at 6.5 by 4.7 cm (or around 2.5 by 1.8 inches). It can be purchased for €5.45 (around $8.42).