What is the most valuable US stamp?

The worlds most valuable rare stamps

This article is updated on 17 August 2021

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  World

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  USA

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  China

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  Great Britain

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  Germany

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  Japan

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  Russia and USSR

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  Canada

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  Australia

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  Italy

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  France

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  India

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  Sweden

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  Spain

Since the appearance of Penny Black in the 19th century, stamps have become one of the most desired objects of collectors' passion. 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. If you are a lucky owner of a rare stamp, we will be glad to help you calculate its precise value. Below, you can see the list of rarest and most valuable stamps issued in the U.S. and all over the world.

We present you the rarest and most expensive stamps, but this is not an all-encompassing set. Various nuances, such as a secret mark or a curl, not obvious and not evident at first sight, can make an ordinary stamp expensive.

So not every stamp that looks like a stamp that appears on this page can be that expensive. 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).

World's most valuable stamps

$9,480,000

British Guiana 1-Cent 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. In 1856, the former colony of British Guiana urgently required an extra supply of stamps and couldn’t wait for a fresh stock of new stamps to arrive from England where they were normally produced. The postmaster of British Guiana asked the publishers of the Official Gazette newspaper in Georgetown to print an emergency issue for local use. Rather crude-looking designs were printed in one-cent and four-cent denominations. One-cent stamps were meant for newspapers, while their four-cent counterparts were intended for postal correspondence.

This valuable item was included in our ranking as it was produced in British Guiana that was one of the British colonies at the time. It became independent of the United Kingdom only in May 1966.

The local designs were printed in black ink on low-quality magenta-colored paper. 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"). The stamp had a rectangular shape with its corners snipped off, which made it look more like an octagon. Each sample was initialed by a post office employee as a security measure against possible forgeries. However, the production of the stamps was soon discontinued. In 1873, a 12-year-old Guaianian boy discovered an octagon-shaped one cent "Black on Magenta", postmarked April 4, 1856, and bearing the initials "E.D.W" in his family's attic. He later sold the stamp to N. R. McKinnon, a local collector, for a very small sum. Over the years, the uniqueness of this stamp created an uproar in the philatelic circles, as no other copy was ever discovered. In 1980, it was auctioned to John Dupont at a huge price of $935,000. British Guiana 1-Cent Magenta, 1856 stamp was sold in New York for $9.48 million at Sotheby's in June 2014.

On June 8, 2021, Sotheby’s conducted the Three Treasures sale where the famous British Guiana One-Cent Magenta was offered. The auction house estimated that the lot would fetch $10-15 million. However, the previous record was not broken, and this thought-after collectible realized $8.3 million. This is the first time when British Guiana One-Cent Magenta has realized less than its previous hammer price.

$2,600,000

Treskilling Yellow stamp, 1855

Treskilling Yellow is the most famous Swedish stamp that was issued in 1855. The rarity of this item is explained by the printing error that resulted in yellow being used instead of the usual green color. The only known example of Treskilling Yellow exists today. 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 to a dealer for the lowly price of seven Kroner in 1886. There are several great auctions, where Treskilling Yellow stared. 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 other sale was held by David Feldman in May 2010. During this auction, Treskilling Yellow was acquired by an anonymous bidder in a telephone auction. The exact price was not disclosed, but it was believed to be around £1.7 million (or roughly $2.6 million). 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). Nowadays this rare stamp is kept in the collection of this famous person.

$2,600,000

The Sicilian Error of Colour, 1859

Sicily error of color is considered to be the most expensive Italian stamp. It is so valuable because of several reasons. It was meant to be produced in yellow colour, but for some reason there was also a blue stamp, released in 1859. Today, only 2 such stamps are known to exist. They were exhibited first at the Manchester Philatelic Exposition in 1899. Then the stamps were separated sometime before the private treaty sale in Switzerland of a portion of the Ferrary collection. The second reason that explains its rarity is that the stamp is very old and it is a real wonder that it was preserved in such a fine condition. Sicily error of color made 1.8 million euros (that is, for about 2.6 million dollars) at Dreyfus sale on June 10, 2011. The auction house said the stamp was sold to an on-line bidder in the United States, who was described by a spokesman as “based in France”.

€2,400,000

Post Office Mauritius, 1847

According to philatelic experts, less than 30 individual copies of Post Office Mauritius have survived until today. They are valued at $600,000 or more depending on the condition of the particular stamp being sold. 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. This was a famous 'Bordeaux' cover of Mauritius that contains both a Mauritius one penny orange-red and a two pence deep blue. 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.  This impressive rarity was sold for $1,344,180. In 2016 David Feldman auctioned a notable 'Bombay Cover' for €2,400,000 (around £2.12 million). The envelope features two of the finest examples of the rare Mauritius Post Office One Penny stamps.

Christoph Gärtner 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 impressive item was sold for €8.1 million that is equivalent to almost $12 million. This is the highest price ever paid for a single philatelic item. In the end, we should claim that both deep blue and red-orange Mauritius stamps are extremely rare and worth a fortune. 

$2,000,000

The Whole Country is Red stamp, 1968

The Whole Country is Red is a valuable Chinese stamp issued in 1968. The item has such a name due to the slogan that it contains. It represents Mao’s enormous political revolution that imposed China’s commitment to Communism. The stamp strengthened that notion by declaring the phrase: ‘the whole country is red’. It features an army of smiling Chinese citizens holding Mao’s ‘Little Red Book’, a symbol of communism. Although the overall design of this philatelic item was made in red color, the small island of Taiwan, to the right, was left in white. That is why this stamp is so valuable, as it contains a design mistake! Once the error was detected, the stamp was quickly withdrawn from the market. It is not known how many copies with such a mistake are left, but they are definitely extremely rare. One of the finest specimens of Chinese Whole Country is Red stamp was sold for $445,103 at InterAsia auction on  July 20, 2015. 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. One more copy of the stamp, in great condition, unmounted mint with full original white gum, managed to fetch $1,155.637 at InterAsia auction in December 2018. 

$1,545,000

Baden 9 Kreuzer error stamp, 1851

Baden 9 Kreuzer error is the most valuable German stamp with only 4 specimens left in existence. 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. As the Postal Service explained, the printer had unintentionally used the wrong plate for the green paper: instead of a "9" he had read a "6". This adds to the history and rarity of these stamps. 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. A famous Baden 9 Kreuzer was sold for $1,545,000 by David Feldman on April 3, 2008. A rare cover franked with this vintage stamp from the old German state of Baden was auctioned by Heinrich Koehler in June 2019. The lot was part of a famous and valuable collection of German-born businessman Erivan Haub. Listed with an opening bid of €800,000, the lot was hammered down at €1,524,601 (with buyer’s premium), or approximately $1.73 million in U.S. dollars.

$933,300

10¢-on-9-candareen dark green stamp, 1897

1897 10¢-on-9-candareen dark green Dragons and Shou stamp with the 10¢ surcharge inverted, from China’s Empress Dowager issue, is one of the most expensive stamps in Chinese philately. Experts assert that only three examples of this stamp have been recorded and are available to collectors nowadays. The only unused copy of this rare collectible was offered during January 18-20 at Spink auction in Hong Kong in 2019. The stamp described by the auction house as “centred towards one corner but still exhibiting exceptional margins, large to enormous. There is a pulled perforation at the foot of the stamp, otherwise a very fresh stamp with bright colour and on white paper”. Previously this old stamp was part of the collection formed by Sir Percival David. At Spink sale 10¢-on-9-candareen dark green Dragons and Shou stamp with the surcharge inverted fetched a record price of HK$6,100,000, or approximately $933,300. 

$878,908

Red revenue large figures surcharge $1 on 3c stamp, 1897

Red revenue large figures surcharge $1 on 3c stamp is one of the most attractive Chinese issues. As philatelists assert, only 32 items were released and all of them have been preserved till today. The stamps were printed at a historically meaningful span of time. They were produced under the Qing dynasty when it switched China’s currency to dollars. Red revenue stamp was made with a dollar imprint to commemorate this reform. Due to some mistake, the dollar was printed too small and lately, it was replaced with a larger image. The stamp with a smaller imprint is very valuable today. It was sold at InterAsia auction that took place in June 2013. The stamp (illustrated here) featuring exquisitely bright colour, unused with much original gum, was sold for $878,908. In January 2016 Spink auction house sold a great example of this rare stamp featuring fresh, bright colour on white paper, for $669,934. 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.

$700,000

Tiflis stamp, 1857

Tiflis Unique is an outstanding postage stamp that was issued in the Russian Empire (now it is the Georgia Republic). It appeared in 1857 and is considered to be the first Russian postage stamp. According to the official website of the National Academy of Philately of Russia, only five specimens have been preserved. One of these unique stamps (illustrated here) was sold for €480,000 (or above $700,000) at David Feldman auction in 2008. A recently discovered Tiflis Unique, which had been kept in an old Oppens album in New Zealand for the last century, was offered by Spink in the Philatelic Collector’s Series sale of 25-26 October 2017. In an unused condition, the stamp without gum, featuring margins all around was estimated at £70,000-£100,000 but was knocked down with a hammer price of £165,000, or roughly $228,761 (in 2021).

$575,000

Buenos Aires 1p "In Ps" tete-beche pair, 1859

Buenos Aires 1859 1p "In Ps" tete-beche pair is an exceptional set of stamps. 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. Only one copy of this pair left. Originally it cost only 1 peso. This unique philatelic rarity was sold for $575,000 at Robert A Siegel sale that took place in June, 2008. The auction house described this lot as “The only surviving tete-beche pair of the Barquitos issue. One of the world's great philatelic rarities"

Most valuable U.S. stamps

Inverted Jenny stamp, 1918

Inverted Jenny is one of the most famous error stamps. Issued on 10 May 1918, this is the USA stamp that has a face value of 24 cents. The mistake that occurred during the process of printing made this philatelic item so unique. The stamp features the image of the Curtiss JN-4 that was accidentally printed upside-down. 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. Almost all stamps with the error were destroyed; however, it is widely considered that those one hundred items with the error managed to survive. 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.

Unseen for the last 100 years, Jenny Invert Position 49 was rediscovered by the philatelists in September 2018. This lot in pristine condition was sold for $1,350,000 ($1,593,000 with buyer's premium) at Siegel auction on November 15, 2018. In 2019 Spink traded the unique center line block of four Inverted Jenny stamps in sound condition, with the disturbed gum for $ 1,740,000. 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.

24c Declaration of Independence stamp with inverted center, 1869

This impressive stamp commemorates the historic proclamation of independence of the United States. 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. 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. 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. Artist John Smillie made an exquisite and highly precise copy of the similarly named painting by John Trumbull, having engraved 42 persons with six principal figures recognizable only through a magnifying glass. The 24 cent stamp uses a G grill and comes with split grill, double grill or basic gum. An unused sample with an inverted center is currently valued at $275,000.

1869 24-cent specimen with an inverted center, #120b, unused, no gum, certified fine, was sold for a record $1.2 million at Philip Weiss Auctions on February 9, 2008. Whereas the unique block of 24c Declaration of Independence stamp with the inverted center was offered by Robert A Siegel at its auction of William Gross’ collection in October, 2018. The lot fetched $625,000. The single error stamp in an unused condition (illustrated here) fetched $525,000 at Siegel's sale of “The David Wingate Collection of United States Stamps” collection in April, 2018. 

$1,180,000

Alexandria “Blue Boy” stamp, 1947

Alexandria “Blue Boy” is widely regarded as an icon of American philately and one of the most desirable provisional stamps. Experts assert that only seven such stamps were preserved, but almost all of them are “buff” or brownish-yellow. And only one specimen is designed in bright blue. 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. The sender was James Hoof, who wrote to Janette Brown against the wishes of her family. But the cover survived and was revealed 50 years later in Janette’s sewing box. It was part of many famous collections and fetched incredible prices every time it appeared at an auction. A vintage Blue Boy stamp on the envelope was sold for $1,000,000 at David Feldman SA rarity auction in 1981. A cover franked with a unique blue Alexandria stamp was sold for $1.18 million by H.R. Harmer on June 22, 2019.

$1,000,000

10с green Z. Grill stamp, 1867

10с green Z. 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. The example illustrated here has not been seen since a Laurence & Stryker auction in November 1958. And only in July 2019, it reappeared at Siegel auction of the “The New Amsterdam Collection of United States Rarities”. The lot with “segmented cork cancel, well centered on crisp white paper, completely sound, ex-Laurence and Stryker, with 1958 and 2019 Philatelic Foundation certificates” was hammered down at $1,000,000. The stamp is definitely one of the greatest rarities of the United States philately and one of the key items for any collection of US stamps. 

3c George Washington stamp, 1867

The first president of the U.S., or rather his portrait, was extensively involved in the history of American postal printing. George Washington is one of the key figures in the history of the United States. He practically carried the nation on his shoulders through the Revolutionary War and oversaw the creation of the first American Constitution. Without him, the U.S. would have never become the strong, prosperous and influential country it is now. His profile crowned the 1867 stamp series and was available in several variations. However, our main interest lies with the three-cent B grill stamp in rose printing. One of the finest specimens of this impressive issue (shown here) was sold for $900,000 by Robert A Siegel in October 2008. In 2016 Siegel offered the example of this rarity centered to the upper left, with fancy cork cancel of Mason Tex. and part of red cancel at the bottom, for $575,000. Cherrystone auctioned 1867 B. Grill1867 3c rose with black grid cancel for $661,250 on July 10, 2019. This was one of the starring lots of “The New Amsterdam Collection of United States Rarities”. 

1c Benjamin Franklin stamp, 1868

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. 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. The Post Office Department used his profile taken from Houdon’s bust for multiple stamp designs starting from 1847.

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. At present, there are only two existing samples that are very high priced. 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. The lot fetched $850,000. In October 2005, Bill Gross traded his block of four “Inverted Jenny” airmail stamps purchased for $2.97 million for a 1c Z-grill that belonged to Donald Sundman who bought it in 1988 for $930,000. It is the only Z-grill in private hands, and the only other copy is kept in the New York Public Library.

15c Landing of Columbus Center Inverted, 1869

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. Columbus and his crew reached the previously unknown land in 1492 and thus put America on the map for the entire Europe. If not for that, the U.S. wouldn’t have existed at all.

Designed in blue and brown, 15c Landing of Columbus stamp features an unusual double-printed vignette, with both normal and inverted printing applied. This interesting item has a G grill common for the 1869 pictorial issue and is available with double or split grill. Over a century ago, people could buy it for just 15 cents. Nowadays, an unused inverted sample goes for $275,000. 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 copy of the stamp with the inverted center, in an unused, very fine condition, considered as the only specimen with original gum,  was auctioned by Robert A Siegel in October 2013. The lot fetched an incredible price of $800,000.

$700,000

2c carmine vertical coil pair, 1908

2c carmine vertical coil pair is widely regarded as one of the most important rarities of the United States philatelic history. The experts assert that only five pairs exist nowadays. One of the examples is in the Miller Collection that is kept at the New York Public Library). Of the all certified mint pairs, the pair illustrated here and one other are the only ones whose centering grades at least very fine. This example appeared at Cherrystone auction in July 2019. The lot described as “bottom stamp centered to top, pencil signed G.B. Sloane, top stamp well centered, beautiful color, fine-v.f., with 1985 and 2019 Philatelic Foundation Certificates” was hammered down at $700,000. Previously this item was auctioned for $325,000 at Spink auction in 2002.  

30¢ Shield, Eagle & Flags Inverted, 1869

The Shield, Eagle and Flags stamp belongs to the 1869 pictorial issue that included ten items worth between 1 and 90 cents. The series was the first to feature something other than national leader portraits. It also marked the first use of bicolor printing. Spelled out in red letters, the denomination number flows over into the blue-framed flags through the red shield. Due to the oddly placed denomination and the confusing arrangement of colors, the stamp was often criticized as an example of a bad design. The new technique required double-pressing: to print the center design also known as vignette and to print the frame. Negligence in merging the two processes led to the appearance of rare inverts. 

The 30-cent worth Shield and Flag piece with inverted flags is considered to be the rarest of the 1869 error stamp. Incredibly popular nowadays, the 1869 pictorial series was ignored by the 19th-century public and soon withdrawn from production. Since the stamps were only in use for a year, they are almost impossible to find. The Shield and Flag design features the G grill and is available in several variations, including split grill, double grill, and gum only. While an unused sample with inverted flags is valued at $210,000, a used example costs $65,000. The finest of the unused specimens and the only example known with original gum (illustrated in the article) was sold for $600,000 at Siegel auction in October 2013. In 2014 the same auction house sold the other unused example of the error stamp with deep rich colors and proof-like impressions for $290,000. One more specimen of the 30¢ Shield, Eagle and Flags with flags inverted from the 1869 pictorial series fetched a record price of $310,500 at Siegel auction that took place in April 2016. Whereas Cherrystone offered one of only three known sound copies of this premier rarity for $250,000 at its “The New Amsterdam Collection of United States Rarities” sale on July 10, 2019. 

$600,000

Hawaiian Missionaries 2-cent stamp, 1851

The first Hawaiian stamps appeared in 1851. 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. The new stamps were released in Honolulu in three denominations (2-cent, 5-cent, and 13-cent). Because the first "Hawaiian Missionaries" were crudely engraved and printed on thin and poor quality paper, very few of these items have survived and are considered to be extreme rarities.

The lowest denomination, the 1851 two-cent version, is the most interesting of the set, with only about 16 copies known to exist today. One of the finest copies of Hawaiian Missionaries 2-cent, 1851 was sold for $600,000 at Siegel’s sale of “The Honolulu Advertiser Collection” in November 1995. The same sample that was part of a famous “United States Stamp Treasures: The William H. Gross Collection” was sold by Siegel in October 2018. 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). 

1c Benjamin Franklin stamp, 1851

1851 Benjamin Franklin is one of the oldest U.S. stamps. It is designed in blue color and features an imperforate frame. 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. The item we are talking about relates to the Ib type. 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. In the b variation, though, the balls under the bottom label look more blurred. Today, only two mint samples and 100 used Benjamin Franklin stamps are believed to exist. Once denominated in one cent, the design now costs $5,000 to $12,000 apiece, with a huge price of $120,000 offered for used first-day cover examples. A rare sound four-margin example of 1c Benjamin Franklin stamp, position 7R1E,  fetched $375,000 at Siegel auction that took place in October, 2007. In 2019 Siegel traded this specimen for $120,000. 

$340,000

5c Brown A Grill stamp, 1867

5c Brown A Grill stamp, 1867 is a stunning US item that is widely considered by philatelists as a gem of the United States philatelic history. Experts claim that only four specimens (all of which are cancelled) can be found on the market today. Two are in shades of Brown, and two are in the true Dark Brown shade. The USA was the first country to release grilled stamps and was the only state to so until the mid-1870-s. The letters in the name of the stamp classify different grill types. For example, the “A” grill covers the entire stamp. The example of 5c Grill stamp in a perfect condition, featuring deep rich color, and very fine perforations, appeared at Siegel auction on December 12, 2018. The lot fetched an incredible price of $340,000.

1c Benjamin Franklin vertical pair, 1908

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. It is widely known as the Washington-Franklin issue, since it mainly focused on these two politicians. All stamps came with identical frames, which minimized production expenses and allowed for more effective use of steel printing plates. Let’s look at the pair of stamps depicting Benjamin Franklin in blue and green colors with a one-cent denomination. These stamps are different from previous designs because they are printed on double line paper covered with the USPS (U.S. Postal Service) watermark. 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. That’s why there is no universal rule as to the placement of the watermark on the item and each individual variation is eligible for sale. 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. 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. 

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