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The most expensive and rare postage stamps in history. The most expensive and rare stamps of the USSR Philately expensive stamps

The most expensive stamp was issued in the 19th century and is not only a postal sign that confirms payment for delivery services, but also a collector's item. Since then it has been changed several times appearance, and all stamps put into circulation are systematized in catalogues.

The auction valuation and sale of the most expensive brand was carried out in 2008, and the amount was 700 thousand US dollars. Its seal was made in 1857 for the post office of the city of Tiflis. It depicts the city's coat of arms - a double-headed eagle, and the nominal value of the sign was 6 kopecks. It was in circulation for 10 years, but only three copies survived before the First World War.

Stamps began to be used to pay for services for the delivery of postal messages in 1832, and since then they have been a security with the denomination of the cost of postage printed on it. The history of its serial production and use was preceded by several projects. One of them belonged to Lieutenant K. Treffenberg in 1832, and two years later the publisher D. Chalmers printed a trial batch. They began to stick them on an envelope, the cost of sending which depended on the weight, and not the distance of delivery to the addressee.

The idea of gluing a special sign confirming payment for postage belongs to the English postmaster, Sir Rowland Hill. In fact, he developed a sketch of the world's first postage stamp, which was printed in England and went into circulation in May 1840. The details and insignia of the issuing country were established much later by the Universal Postal Union.

According to the standards, letters with the name of the country printing it are written on the stamp in Latin letters. Due to the fact that Great Britain is the first in issuing postage marks, it was exempted from applying a distinctive sign to the document.

Stamps are not only an indispensable attribute of sending messages, but also collectibles, and the science of studying the history of postal circulation, communications, and payment marks for forwarding services is called philately. Its history begins with the “black penny” stamp, with a face value of 1 penny with the image of Queen Victoria. It is made in black, which determined the name.

The first postage stamps of Tsarist Russia

Following Great Britain, postal signs began to be used in other countries. The first postage stamp with a face value of 10 kopecks. with smooth edges was printed in Russia at the end of 1857. It came into use early next year. It depicted the state emblem and mantle. The price of a canceled stamp today is 275-700 US dollars, and a clean one - 12.5-20 thousand dollars.

The first stamps of the USSR

The first postage stamp of the Soviet state was printed in November 1918. Its name was determined by the image “Hand with a sword cutting a chain.” The author of the sketch belongs to R. G. Zarins. The stamp was in circulation for 4 years. The auction price for perforated samples with denominations of 1 and 2 kopecks was 71,875 US dollars.

The souvenir block with 4 stamps printed on it was published in a limited edition on a sheet of thick paper. Hence the name "Cardboard". It was dedicated to the opening of the first philatelist exhibition in Moscow, which took place in 1932. They were printed in only 525 copies, 25 of which contained the inscription “To the best drummer of the All-Union Society of Philatelists.” The only surviving copy with a personal overprint was sold at the Cherystone auction for $776,250. The cost of the stamp without overprint is 35 thousand dollars.

Rare USSR postage stamps are of great interest to collectors. On the specialized market, their number is limited and is replenished in most cases from private collections. As a result, the price of rare specimens increases. Collectible stamps are a means of reliable investment. Rare stamps of the USSR are no exception to obtaining financial benefits.

Stamp Blue Gymnast

In honor of the 40th anniversary of the founding of the Union Circus, a stamp called “Blue Gymnast” was issued. Uncertainty regarding the date led to the cancellation of its release. Many years later, in 1979, the stamp was printed for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the circus. The unissued “Blue Gymnast” stamp is a philatelic rarity. It was sold under the hammer in 2008 at auction for 13.8 thousand US dollars.

Mark Limonka

"Limonka" is the most valuable stamp of the USSR. It belongs to the “Gold Standard” series. She was released in 1925. In its unextinguished form it is the rarest. As a result of a technical malfunction of the perforation machine, the 15-kopeck stamp was not printed. The insufficient circulation determined its modern value, which ranges from 15 to 20 thousand dollars.

Unissued rare stamps

Due to political considerations, in 1959 a stamp was not released into circulation for the 250th anniversary of the historical Poltava victory of 1709. The circulation was completely withdrawn from circulation and destroyed. The cost of the preserved 40 stamps ranges from 10-20 thousand dollars per copy. For the same reason, the “Flight of Peace and Friendship” stamp was not issued. auction price which is 28,750 thousand dollars.

Each USSR stamp is included in a special catalog, which contains them detailed description, history and photographs.

Overprinted stamps

Among them are valuable pieces with a history that makes them special. The “Levanevsky with overprint” stamp belongs to the “Salvation of Chelyuskinites” series. Issued in 1935, copies contain a portrait of the pilot S. A. Levanevsky and the overprint “Flight Moscow - San Francisco via North. pole 1935". Typographical errors on the stamp in the form of an inverted overprint and a small “f” determined their super value as a rarity on two stamp sheets (50 pieces each).

The “Consular Fifty Kopeck” stamps were intended for sending official mail by order of the RSFSR Embassy in Germany. The stamp has a red text overprint - “R.S.F.S.R. Air Mail.” Due to disagreement with management, it was withdrawn from circulation. In this series, the most expensive stamp is the one with a face value of 50 kopecks and the overprint “1200 Herm. stamps." Consular stamps of the RSFSR 1922 are rare due to an error in the inscription. One of the sheets contains the inscription “24 German. marks" instead of "brand", which determines the high value.

For air mail in 1923, the first series of 4 multi-colored stamps was produced, which depicted the Fokker F-111 aircraft. The value of these stamps lies in the “thick” number “5” printed on one sheet from the total circulation. It sold in September 2008 for $86,250. A USSR stamp entitled "2nd International Polar Year" was printed in 1932. They were intended to send airmail from Franz Josef Land to Arkhangelsk. The difference in perforation of a small part of the circulation from the main issue determines the high cost of the stamp.

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On October 1, 1869, the world's first postcard with a stamp was issued in Vienna.

Stamp collecting is one of the most exciting hobbies. Passionate people meet regularly, discuss the latest finds, make exchanges and in every possible way find a way to replenish their collection. Although such an activity seems simple and useless, it can become a significant investment in the future, because prices for rare specimens are rising every year.

In most cases, the high price of an old relic, so desired by philatelists, is caused by a defect in its printing.

website brings you an overview of rare postage stamps, whose value is thousands of times more than the postcard itself.

Holy Grail

Cost $2.97 million.

The Holy Grail (Z-Grill) is a 1-cent postage stamp featuring the first United States Postmaster, Benjamin Franklin, produced in 1868. Today it has been established that there are only two copies of this brand in the world. The first is in the New York Public Library, and the second belongs to the famous American collector Bill Gross, who exchanged for it a quart block of “Inverted Jenny” worth $2.97 million.

Sicilian color bug

Cost - $2.72 million.

From the name it becomes clear that the brand has a disturbed color scheme, because... Initially it was yellow, but for some reason a blue one appeared, which was released in 1859. To date, only 2 such specimens are known.

Yellow three-skilling

Cost - $2.3 million.

Another brand where the colors are off. Instead of the original Swedish green stamp, of which there were only 7, a yellow one was printed.

Baden color error

Cost - $2 million.

Another rarity that is rarely found in such ratings, but certainly has a great value. It belongs to the first stamp issue in the Grand Duchy of Baden and dates from 1851.

Blue Mauritius

Cost - $1.15 million.

One of the few postage stamps issued on the island of Mauritius. The date of its creation is 1847, and only 6 such copies with a denomination of 2 cents are known. In 1993, it was acquired by a consortium of Mauritian banks and businesses for $1.15 million. Today, 20 years later, its price has increased significantly, but it is quite difficult to judge exactly.

The whole country is red

Cost - $1.15 million.

A relatively “young” 1968 postage stamp from China was never issued and was sold in May 2012 at the China Guardian auction for 7.3 million yuan (about $1,150,000)

The development of postal communication between cities and countries was a real breakthrough in its time. Today the Internet allows you to send a message in a second; before, letters took a long time. People interested in the history of postal services know the value of not only documents, but also tokens of payment - postage stamps.

Collecting has always been a fashionable trend. Regardless of income, people were interested in history and wanted to become a part of it. Let's talk about philately and find out which stamps are the most expensive.

The most expensive brands in the world

All issued postal signs in the world are listed in a catalog called "Scott". The publishing house is located in the USA, its founder is John W. Scott. Each copy entered in the book has its own number. Collectors most often search the right brand according to this numbering. If a postal sign is not issued for circulation, it is not included in the list by the publisher.

Philatelist's catalog

Owning a rare postage sign can bring the owner a lot of money. The most expensive brands have nothing to do with mass production. The value is represented by copies that were once put into circulation in honor of a holiday or memorable date. Today they also release limited editions dedicated to prominent personalities or public holidays.

People who are far from philately do not know how much a small bright piece of paper with jagged edges can cost. In fact, when selling a rarity, the owner will receive a fortune. Below are the rarest and most interesting specimens.

Stamp "Mauritius"

The first stamps of this tiny island state were issued in 1847, and today they are classified as rarities. The value of stamps is influenced not only by the date of issue, but also by two other factors:

these are the first British signs issued for mail outside the main territory, in fact - on colonial soil;
the first issue was marked by a spelling error.

A unique Bordese letter with two different “Mauritians” was sold at auction for an amount equal to $4 million

Regarding the second factor, there are several legends in the world about an old watchmaker who made a mistake in writing due to blindness. None of the legends have been confirmed. "Mauritius" may have an image of the Queen on a blue background (Blue Mauritius) or on an orange background (Pink Mauritius). Both types are equally valuable, especially if they contain the inscription in English "Post Office" instead of "Post Paid". Only the very first series of issued signs contained an error; today there are 26 of them in the world. Almost everything is kept private expensive collections. You can see the Mauritius stamp:

at the Communications Museum in The Hague;
at the Communications Museum in Berlin;
at the Blue Mauritius Museum;
in the London British Library.

Costs vary depending on circumstances. According to experts, you can earn from 600,000 to 15 million dollars.

It is noteworthy that the rear admiral of the Russian Imperial Navy, commander of the legendary cruiser Varyag, owned the Blue Mauritius, but the fate of the collection is not known.

"Holy Grail"

Rare US stamp depicting the profile of Benjamin Franklin. He was not only a politician, but also the head of the postal service. So his portrait ended up on the sign in 1868. The design was developed seven years earlier.

Stamp “Holy Grail”

Only two copies have survived in the world; in the USA, the name “Z-grill” is more common, based on the type of waffling that was used during the first two weeks of release. This method made it possible to prevent the reuse of the sign, which was common in those days.

It is interesting that in the Scott catalog this brand does not have an original number, since at the time of inclusion in the list the publishers did not distinguish between the types of wafer. Cost estimate: $3,000,000 (data up to 2010).

You can see the “Holy Grail” by visiting the New York Public Library, to which a famous collector donated his collection. The second copy is owned by Bill Gross, a philatelist from the United States, who managed to collect absolutely all the postal signs of his country issued in the century before last.

"Tiflis brand or unique"

According to most experts, this sign with a face value of 6 kopecks is the first in the Russian Empire; earlier postage stamps have not been seen. That is why each copy is considered extremely expensive. Five pieces are known to exist, all of them uncanceled.

Commemorative medal with the image of the Tiflis Unique

Externally, the stamp has a clear design with the coat of arms of Tiflis (modern Tbilisi) and the coat of arms of the Russian Empire on top. It has no teeth on the edges, the paper has a yellow tint and is embossed.

The stamps were issued in 1857, were in circulation for no more than a year, and were used for local shipments. Now they are recognized as very expensive, their name even appears in the novel “The Ferris Wheel” by M. Gigolashvili.

It is impossible to see stamps in museums. All five expensive brands are in private collections in Europe and the USA. Until 2011, four signs were known, but the fifth was found in Washington among samples from the collection of G. Kaestlin.

Each of the Tiflis unique items found is valued at $500,000 or more.

The name of the expensive brand has nothing to do with lemon, however, the sign is bright yellow. The front side depicts a portrait of a peasant by Ivan Shadr (based on a sculptural image). Denomination: 15 kopecks. The badge was issued in the USSR in 1925.

Postage stamps of this type would not have become expensive and rare, like others from the same series (issued in denominations from one kopeck to five rubles), if not for chance. During the printing process, the machine broke down, and the circulation of 15 kopecks in gold was incomplete. Goznak was in charge of affairs at that moment. After analyzing the situation, it was decided to send the incomplete batch on time. In regions remote from the center of Russia, almost all stamps were used and destroyed naturally. They started talking about rarity and high cost later.

Perforated series “Gold Standard of the USSR”. “Limonka” is the first in the third row

“Limonka” is part of the “Gold Standard” series of stamps. This means that it was one of the first printed according to the new USSR standard. It is noteworthy that the following versions exist:

toothed;
toothless.

The first one is considered expensive. If the stamp is not canceled, it is very expensive; at auction you can get up to 1 million rubles. Cancelled ones are 100 times cheaper.

"Inverted Jenny"

A postage stamp from American philately depicting the JN-4 Curtiss series aircraft, which was called “Jenny” behind the scenes. This is one of the most expensive postage stamps in the world because the edition contained an error. It is estimated that 100 stamps were printed with the plane upside down because that is the number of Jenny postage stamps found in the world.

The same “inverted Jenny”

Printing sheets usually contained 400 copies of one type, but in the case of “Inverted Jenny” it was decided to produce 100 pieces each. The cause of the error is said to be haste. The stamp is painted in two colors: the border is red, the plane is blue, so each sheet went through the machine twice. It's not surprising that the error occurred.

The expensive postal sign is valued at up to $1 million.

"Audrey Hepburn"

In 2001, Germany is preparing to issue a charity edition of postage stamps dedicated to great actors and actresses. Among them was Audrey Hepburn. It was planned to print copies with scenes from famous films. It just so happened that the release was overshadowed by a series of scandals:

Ingrid Bergman's family did not allow stamps with a still from Casablanca to be printed and only agreed to the film image;
Audrey Hepburn's son did not allow the use of his mother's photo from the film Breakfast at Tiffany's because the photo showed her smoking.

A surviving sheet of Audrey

The stamps were confiscated and destroyed. Of these, only 35 pieces have survived, 5 of which were redeemed. The rest have been preserved as entire stamp sheets. The price can reach 100,000 euros, but every year they become more expensive.

"Yellow Triskilling"

The postage stamp was printed in Sweden in 1855, one of the first in the country, and is of the standard serrated type. The printing was done in a printing house. Denomination – 3 skills.

This brand is a real treasure

Until 2014, it was the most expensive postage stamp in the world. It belongs to an unknown collector and has not appeared at auction since 1998. The circulation is unknown, but one copy has been found in the world. There were hundreds of fakes, all of them were exposed.

The uniqueness of the expensive postage stamp is that it was printed in green, while the denomination of 8 skills was printed in yellow. The confusion was discovered by accident years later. Theoretically, there may be other unique editions in the world, but they have not yet been found. The minimum price today will be $3 million.

The first standard stamps of the Kingdom of Hawaii, issued in 1851. Expensive and rare, valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are about 200 copies in the world.

Dawson's envelope, valued at $3 million

Characteristic feature: primitive printing and brittle paper. This did not allow the majority to survive to this day.

The most expensive thing for a philatelist is an envelope that has not been burned in the oven. It was shipped to New York from Honolulu and is currently worth at least $3,000,000.

An unreleased rare and expensive Soviet stamp. It is also called "Blue Gymnastics". It was supposed to mark the 40th anniversary of the circus, but experts did not decide what date to determine as the year the circus was founded.

Otherwise the brand is called “Blue Gymnastics”

The stamp was released 20 years later, but with a different image. Copies dating back to 1959 can be found. One of them is valued at $50,000.

The value of this expensive stamp lies in the fact that it is the first standard postage mark in the world. It has no teeth, the background is black, and Queen Victoria is depicted in the picture. The denomination is equal to one penny, issued by the British Empire.

The first postage stamp in the world

Payment for postal items was carried out differently around the world, prices were high and did not have a standard. The Englishman R. Hill proposed reforming the post office and introducing stamps into circulation. This is how the Black Penny appeared in 1840.

A sufficient number of canceled and uncanceled variants have been preserved, the demand for each is increasing due to the increase in the number of philatelists. The historical significance of the brand is enormous, so collectors dream of getting at least one piece. Price – from 10 to 500 thousand $.

One of the most expensive stamps in history, only one canceled stamp has survived to this day. Issued in 1856 with a denomination of 1 cent, it had a limited circulation. Previously, in the colonies of the Empire, stamps arrived by sea and were not printed locally. A transportation error forced local authorities in Guiana to print a series of three stamps. The red octagonal "British Guiana" was intended for newspapers.

Only 1 piece has been found in the world; a collector bought the value from a boy on the island for $2, and currently it is the most expensive stamp in the world. Considered priceless. In 2014, the brand was purchased at an auction in New York by Stuart Weitzman, paying $9.5 million.

Our list has a place for the most expensive Soviet brands. The presented expensive brand is one of them. It would have been published in 1959, but the establishment of relations with the Swedes prevented the process. The stamp was withdrawn, but a few were preserved thanks to collectors.

The Soviet government treated any statements and signs with caution. According to the approved sketch, the stamp depicts a scene where Swedish troops surrendered to Peter I as prisoners. The price of 1 uncanceled copy is $20,000-50,000. Every year the brand becomes even more expensive.

The rare and expensive stamp was planned for release in 1964, timed to coincide with the visit of USSR Secretary General Khrushchev to the Scandinavian countries. The trip did not take place, and it was decided to destroy the circulation. Denomination: 4 kopecks. On the front side there is an image of the motor ship “Bashkiria” and the flags of “friendly” countries:

Denmark;
Sweden;
Norway.

Estimated at three to four tens of thousands of euros.

Rare expensive brands are inextricably linked with interesting stories origin. Perhaps someone will be interested in collecting, and someone will want to write a letter by hand and send it by mail.

Philatelists do not just collect stamps as such, but research, within the framework of their chosen direction, a set of postal payment marks, study the history and development of mail.

From early childhood, enthusiastic people search for and collect stamps, ranging from the most common to the rare and expensive. Sometimes, philatelists can pay a fortune for one copy. This hobby can be a good investment.

A postage stamp is a special sign that is issued by postal departments to facilitate the collection for sending letters: the stamp indicates the fact of payment for the service. When collectors began to buy these small pieces of paper with ribbed edges, the stamps even began to be issued in separate series. For example, in honor of holidays or historical events and famous people.

Many stamps appear in limited editions. We present to your attention the most expensive postage stamps in the world. Many of them are equivalent to buying an apartment or a car, some can only be found in private collections. The price of stamps is determined by its condition: if it has already been used (it has a postage stamp on it) or has been damaged for other reasons, its value is reduced several times. Whole and pure stamps are valued more than others.

Mauritius

One of the most expensive brands is Mauritius. It was printed on the island of Mauritius back in 1847. But a mistake was made during printing, so the stamp became very rare.

The experts made a mistake in the inscription. They printed Post Office instead of Post Paid. Only 28 such marriages are known. Today, such a stamp can fetch about 20 million US dollars at auction.

Holy Grail

This rare stamp features the image of American politician, diplomat and inventor Benjamin Franklin. There are only two such stamps in the world: one is kept in the New York public library, the other is in the private collection of a person whose name is not disclosed. According to conservative estimates by experts, the price of one postal copy can reach up to $30 million.

Yellow Swedish stamp

The yellow Swedish stamp, printed in 1855, is one of the most expensive in the world. The stamp was supposed to be green, but by mistake the series was painted yellow and released into circulation.

In 1996, the yellow Swedish mark or "Yellow Treskilling" was purchased for $2.3 million.

Jenny

There is a block of four stamps. They depict a Curtis-Jenny airplane. But the value of a brand is in its typo. The airplane in the lot turned out to be upside down, so such copies are valued higher than the originals.

In 1954, all stamps were purchased for 18.2 thousand dollars. In 2017, their price is $3 million.

Tiflis stamp

Original and expensive brands have been around since time Russian Empire. For example, Tiflis stamp. It was printed in 1857.

About philately

To this day, only three copies have survived - all of them belonged to the jeweler and philatelist Faberge. Now they are in private collections and it’s not so easy to even look at them.

Hawaiian missionaries

This is the first stamp to be issued in Hawaii. They appeared in 1851 and were called "Hawaiian Missionaries". Their peculiarity is that they are poorly printed.

Due to poor and too thin paper, today they are considered the most expensive postage stamps in the world. Only 16 copies have survived to this day. Each one costs a fortune - about half a million dollars.

Benjamin Franklin Z Grill

The rarest postage stamp in the USA. There are only two of them in the world. In 1988, the Benjamin Franklin Z Grill, with a face value of just one cent, was sold in the United States for a record amount of $1.5 million.

Penny Black

Penny Black or “Penny Black” is the first official postage stamp on reverse side which glue was applied. She was released in 1840.

She made a real revolution in the world of postage stamps. The stamp is not considered rare, but its value is $2 million.

British Guyana One Cent Black on Magenta

The world saw this brand in 1856. It is printed on purple bond paper with black ink.

Audrey Hepburn

Good money can also be earned from postage stamps of our time. For example, the most expensive modern stamp is a German postal and charity stamp depicting actress Audrey Hepburn with a cigarette in her mouth and wearing a wide-brimmed hat. It appeared in 2001, but was not officially released into postal circulation.

This stamp was supposed to be part of a series that was dedicated to the actors: Marilyn Monroe, Charlie Chaplin, Jean Gabin, Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman. 14 million Audrey Hepburn stamps were originally printed. However, the publication was canceled because the actress’s son took away the publishing rights. He didn't like the fact that his mother was smoking a cigarette. The circulation was destroyed, except for 30 copies. They were sold to museums and archives, and their value is about 94 thousand dollars.

Louis Armstrong

The stamp of the legendary trumpeter and composer Louis Armstrong was released in 1995 as part of the “Legends of American Music: Jazz Musicians” series. The musician was also a pioneer of jazz singing in the scat style - improvising with his voice as musical instrument. In addition to Armstrong, this series included vocalist Ella Fitzgerald.

Philatelists also replenish their collections with Soviet stamps, the most expensive of which we will tell you about in the material below.

“The Blue Gymnast” was released for the 40th anniversary of the Soviet circus. But it did not go into circulation due to disagreements about which year should be considered the year the circus was founded: 1920, 1921 or 1934.

Many years later, they decided to set the date to 1919, so the stamp was released only for the 60th anniversary of the circus in 1979. After which she ended up with philatelists. At an auction in 2008, it went under the hammer for 13 million 800 thousand dollars.

Limonka

Almost the most expensive brand in the USSR. Limonka was released in 1925, becoming the first of the standard “Gold Standard” issue. Only 100 copies are known. While printing the stamp, the perforation machine broke down, but the remaining denominations had already been produced.

Gosznak released the batch on time, but the 15-kopeck stamps remained unprinted. They were later used only to send letters to remote regions of the Soviet Union. In 2017, the cost of Limonka is estimated at 15-20 thousand dollars.

250 years of the historical Poltava victory of 1709

Rare and expensive Soviet stamp from 1959. It is dedicated to the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Poltava. The stamp was not released, since Khrushchev’s visit to Sweden was scheduled for that time.

It was decided not to offend the Swedes. Officially, the postage stamp was not sold for long, after which the circulation was confiscated and destroyed. 40 stamps worth approximately 10-20 thousand dollars have survived.

Flight of peace and friendship

This stamp was not released for the same reason as the previous one. However, although the visit was planned, it did not take place. At an auction, such a stamp was bought for 28 million 750 thousand dollars.

In addition to stamps, rare monetary units are of high value to collectors of rarities. The editors of the site invite you to get acquainted with the list of the most expensive coins and learn more about the most expensive ancient and modern coins of Russia.
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How else can we explain the statement that wanders from one site to another that it is among the most expensive brands in the world with a price of 2 million dollars! With all due respect to the first postage stamp, its price has never reached such heights and even the best copies cost almost a hundred times less.

Or what is the statement that the cost of the “Holy Grail” reaches 30 million dollars!

Finally, hardly anyone knew that the unissued USSR postage stamp “Blue Gymnast”, it turns out, was sold for as much as 13.8 million rubles.

All these fantasies prompted us to compile small review the most expensive postage stamps in the world, in which we will try to adhere to real auction prices as much as possible.

It should be noted right away that the prices indicated in the rating do not reflect the actual cost of rarities, since sometimes quite a significant amount of time has passed since the sales at which these prices were determined, during which the value of the stamps has undoubtedly increased.

For example, British Guiana was sold for $935,000 back in 1980. About how much this rarity may be worth today, after 32 years, one can only guess. For comparison, the Yellow Treskilling, sold in 1984 for 500 thousand, is now valued at 2.3 million dollars, that is, almost five times more expensive. The simplest extrapolation allows us to raise the price of British Guiana to $5,000,000 (upd: as shown by the June auction at Sotheby's, even this estimate turned out to be underestimated).

It goes without saying that this is nothing more than our speculation. Therefore, let’s not guess and focus on those prices (albeit antediluvian ones) that were formed as a result of real transactions with rare stamps.

So, the 10 most expensive postage stamps in the world...
________

1. British Guiana - $9.48 million

A philatelic rarity, sometimes called the "Princess of Philately", is an octagonal postage stamp of British Guiana (now Guyana) from 1856 with a face value of 1 cent.

This Postage Stamp without perforation, printed in black ink on red paper, with an image of a three-masted schooner in the center. The rarity has a postmark and the handwritten signature of Postmaster E. White.

The stamp was issued as part of a series of 3 stamps due to a delay in the UK order. The only known “”, carved in an octagonal shape, was discovered in 1873. As a result of several transactions, it came to the famous collector Philip von Ferrari for £150, after which it gained fame.

In 1980 (that is, more than 30 years ago), the rarity was sold to J.E. Dupont for $935,000, and in June of this year, at Sotheby’s auction, almost ten and a half million dollars were paid for it, taking it from ninth place in the ranking to the undisputed leader.
________

2. Holy Grail - $2.97 million

(Z-Grill) is an 1868 U.S. 1-cent postage stamp featuring one of the Founding Fathers and the first U.S. Postmaster, Benjamin Franklin. The stamp has a waffle pattern (that is, a depressed hash mark on the back), which is typical for issues of the 1860s. Grill just means “waffling”, and Z is a type of grate.

There are two known copies of this stamp, one of which is in the New York Public Library. The second "Holy Grail" was purchased in 1998 at an auction by Robert Siegel for $935,000.

And in 2005, it was exchanged for the Inverted Jenny apartment block worth $2.97 million, which at that time made it a leader among philatelic rarities. By the way, this also gave many reasons not to consider the Grail the most expensive postage stamp, since we are not talking about selling for money, but about exchange. But in any case, there was a transaction with a certain price, so we will not go into these nuances.
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3. Sicilian Color Mistake - $2.72 million

This rarity, almost completely ignored by the RuNet, opens up a line of the most expensive stamps with error colors, beating even another famous color mistake - Triskilling Yellow.

The Kingdom of Sicily managed to issue only one series of 7 stamps in 1859. The following year they were withdrawn from circulation due to the unification of Italy.

The lowest denomination stamp was issued in yellow. Even this “correct” color has several varieties, from bright yellow to orange, the prices for which vary tenfold and exceed 30 thousand euros.

But for some reason, in this row, a blue specimen appeared, corresponding to a different denomination. To date, two copies of this rare stamp are known, and both of them are from the same envelope.

One of the rarities on a cutting and sold in June 2011 at the Dreyfus auction in Basel (Switzerland) to an anonymous buyer from the USA for 1.86 million euros, which at the time of sale was about 2 million 720 thousand dollars and more than one and a half times exceeded the auctioneers' expectations.
________

4. Yellow three-skilling - $2.3 million.

This is a stamp from the first issue of Swedish postage stamps in 1855. The interest in it is due to a color error. “Correct” three-skilling stamps were printed in green. But somehow a rarity in yellow appeared, attracting the attention of philatelists.