At first glance it could be an old scrap of paper that has had blackcurrant juice knocked over it. In reality it is, in terms of size, weight and material, arguably the most valuable object in the world. When it goes to auction in June it is expected to sell for between $10m and $15m – more than a billion times its original value. The scrap of paper is the British Guiana One-Cent Magenta, which was created in 1856 and is the most famous and valuable stamp in the world. “It is the Mona Lisa of philately,” said David Beech, a philatelic expert. “It is the one stamp that every philatelist and every collector would have heard about and seen an illustration of.”
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World’s most valuable stamp expected to sell for up $15m in New York
At first glance it could be an old scrap of paper that has had blackcurrant juice knocked over it. In reality it is, in terms of size, weight and material, arguably the most valuable object in the world. When it goes to auction in June it is expected to sell for between $10m and $15m – more than a billion times its original value. The scrap of paper is the British Guiana One-Cent Magenta, which was created in 1856 and is the most famous and valuable stamp in the world. “It is the Mona Lisa of philately,” said David Beech, a philatelic expert. “It is the one stamp that every philatelist and every collector would have heard about and seen an illustration of.”
Credit: PA
At an estimated £10.7 million, the world s most valuable stamp has gone on show in London ahead of its auction in the summer.
The British Guiana One-Cent Magenta stamp is thought to be the sole survivor of its kind, created as a contingency in 1856 during a stamp shortage.
The shortage threatened to disrupt the postal service in British Guiana (now Guyana).
British Guiana commissioned a contingency supply from Britain - the one-cent black on magenta coloured paper, a four-cent magenta, and a four-cent blue.
The £10 million stamp up for grabs is the sole-surviving example of the one-cent magenta.
The British Guiana One-Cent Magenta stamp, said to be the sole survivor of its kind. Credit: PA
Last modified on Wed 28 Apr 2021 11.56 EDT
At first glance it could be an old scrap of paper that has had blackcurrant juice knocked over it. In reality it is, in terms of size, weight and material, arguably the most valuable object in the world. When it goes to auction in June it is expected to sell for between $10m and $15m â more than a billion times its original value.
The scrap of paper is the British Guiana One-Cent Magenta, which was created in 1856 and is the most famous and valuable stamp in the world. âIt is the Mona Lisa of philately,â said David Beech, a philatelic expert. âIt is the one stamp that every philatelist and every collector would have heard about and seen an illustration of.â