List of most expensive philatelic items
This is a list of the highest known prices paid for philatelic items , including stamps and covers . The current record price for a single stamp is US$ 9,480,000 paid for the British Guiana 1c magenta .[ 1] [ 2]
This list is ordered by consumer price index inflation-adjusted value (in bold) in millions of United States dollars in 2023.[ note 1] Where necessary, the price is first converted to dollars using the exchange rate at the time the item was sold. The inflation adjustment may change as recent inflation rates are often revised. A list in another currency may be in a slightly different order due to exchange-rate fluctuations. Individual items are listed only once, i.e. for the highest price sold.
Adjusted price
Original price
Item(s)
Example image(s)
Country
Year
No. in existence
Date of sale
Seller
Buyer
Auction house
Refs
$24,100,000
$17,400,000
Red Revenue block of four and sheet of 25 5-candarin Large Dragon stamps
Qing China
1878 (Large Dragons) 1897 (Red Revenues)
Unknown (Large Dragons) 1 known (Red Revenues block of four) 32 known (Individual Red Revenues)
2009
Lam Manyin
Ding Jingsong
Unknown
[ 3]
$12,600,000
$11,200,000*
"Ball Cover" with Mauritius 1d red (XX)
British Mauritius
1847
3 known
June 26, 2021
Anonymous
Anonymous
Christoph Gärtner
[ 4] [ 5] [ 6]
$12,201,000
$9,480,000*
British Guiana 1c magenta
British Guiana
1856
1 known
June 17, 2014
Estate of John du Pont
Stuart Weitzman
Sotheby's, New York
[ 1] [ 2] [ 7]
$8,437,000
$4,000,000
"Bordeaux Cover" with Mauritius 2d blue (XXII) and Mauritius 1d red (XXI)
British Mauritius
1847
Unique
1993
Anonymous
Anonymous
David Feldman SA, Geneva
[ 8]
$6,200,000
$4,800,000
Inverted Jenny block of four
United States
1918
1 (as block of four) 100 (as individual stamps)
October 4, 2014
Donald Sundman
Anonymous
Private sale
[ 9]
$5,570,760
$5,570,760
500 mon Inverted Centre
Empire of Japan
1871
1 known
June 3, 2023
Yuji Yamada
Anonymous
David Feldman SA, Geneva
[ 10] [ 11]
$4,630,000
$2,970,000[ note 2]
Z Grill
United States
1868
2
2005
Donald Sundman
Bill H. Gross
Private exchange
[ 12]
$4,468,000
$2,300,000[ note 3]
Treskilling Yellow
Sweden
1855
1 known
1996
Anonymous
The Box AB
David Feldman SA, Geneva
[ 13] [ 14] [ 15]
$3,799,000
$1,900,000
"Missionary cover" with Hawaiian 2c Blue, 5c Blue and two United States 3c Brownish Carmine
Hawaii and United States
1852
Unique
November 7, 1995
The Honolulu Advertiser Collection
Anonymous
Robert A. Siegel, New York
[ 16]
$3,430,000
$2,690,000
"Bombay Cover" with two Mauritius 1d red (XVIII & XIX)
British Mauritius
1847
Unique
2016
Anonymous
Anonymous
David Feldman SA, Geneva
[ 17] [ 18]
$2,970,000
$2,190,000
1 ⁄2 grano blue "error of colour"
Two Sicilies
1859
2
June 10, 2011
Anonymous
Anonymous
Galerie Dreyfus, Basel
[ 19]
$2,870,000
$1,900,000
"Rush 1847 Cover" with strip of six 10c black stamps
United States
1847
Unique
May 13, 2006
Anonymous
Anonymous
Robert A. Siegel, New York
[ 20]
$2,690,000
$1,900,000
"Xiphopagus Triplet" with two 30r and one 60r stamps
Brazil
1843
Unknown
June 5, 2008
The Islander Collection of South America
Anonymous
Robert A. Siegel, New York
[ 21]
$2,426,000
$1,150,000
Mauritius 2d blue (III)
British Mauritius
1847
12 known
1993
Anonymous
Mauritian private consortium
David Feldman SA, Geneva
[ 22]
$2,300,000
$1,680,000
"Champion" letter with two 5-centime Strubels in blue misprint and brown 5-centime Strubel
Switzerland
1855
Unique
June 10, 2011
Anonymous
Anonymous
Galerie Dreyfus, Basel
[ 23]
$2,271,000
$1,605,000
"Trondheim" block of 39 4-skilling stamps
Norway
1855
Unique
April 2008
Anonymous
Anonymous
David Feldman SA, Geneva
[ 24]
$2,400,000
$2,000,000
The Whole Country is Red
People's Republic of China
1968
Unknown
November 23, 2018
Anonymous
Anonymous
China Guardian, Beijing
[ 25]
$2,082,400
$1,471,500
Baden 9 Kreuzer error
Baden
1851
4
April 3, 2008
Anonymous
Anonymous
David Feldman SA, Geneva
[ 26]
$1,933,000
$1,593,000*
Inverted Jenny
United States
1918
100
November 15, 2018
Anonymous
Anonymous
Robert A. Siegel, New York
[ 27]
$1,820,610
$1,344,180
Mauritius 2d blue (XIII)
British Mauritius
1847
12 known
June 28, 2011
The Chartwell Collection of Humphrey Cripps
Anonymous
Spink, London
[ 28] [ 29]
$1,453,770
$1,073,340
Mauritius 1d red (X)
British Mauritius
1847
15 known
1993
Anonymous
Mauritian private consortium
David Feldman SA, Geneva
[ 30]
$1,410,000
$1,180,000
Alexandria "Blue Boy" cover
United States
1847
Unique
June 22, 2019
Anonymous
Anonymous
H.R. Harmer, New York
[ 7]
$1,274,000
$900,000
B Grill
United States
1867-8
4 known
October 28, 2008
The Perry Hansen Collection of U.S. Stamps and Covers
Anonymous
Robert A. Siegel, New York
[ 31]
$1,269,000
$970,000
Red Revenue
Qing China
1897
32 known
2013
Anonymous
Anonymous
Interasia Auctions, Hong Kong
[ 32]
$1,200,000
$600,000
2-cent unused Hawaii "Missionaries" stamp
Hawaii
1851
1 (unused) 15 (total)
November 7, 1995
The Honolulu Advertiser Collection
Anonymous
Robert A. Siegel, New York
[ 33]
* Buyer's premium included
See also
Notes
^ The Wikipedia template uses a yearly average inflation. Using monthly averages gives slightly different numbers, most significantly for items sold early or late in a year with significant inflation.
^ Value derived from exchange with Inverted Jenny block of four, bought in the same year (2005) for $2,970,000.[ 12]
^ The stamp was sold on May 22, 2010 for an undisclosed price higher than the 1996 price of $2.3 million USD, to Armand Rousso .[ 13] [ 14]
References
^ a b "The British Guiana 1-Cent Magenta Stamp" . Sotheby's . 2013-09-14. Archived from the original on 2020-05-11. Retrieved 2020-07-04 .
^ a b Brown, Robin (2014-06-18). "Du Pont stamp sells for $9.5 million" . delawareonline . Archived from the original on 2018-08-29. Retrieved 2020-07-04 .
^ "BIG SPENDER:百年郵蹤" [Big Spender: Hundred-Year Trail of Philately]. Apple Daily 蘋果日報 (in Chinese). 2013-08-22. Archived from the original on 2019-12-28. Retrieved 2020-07-05 .
^ "Record result for the Mauritius Ball Cover" . 2021-06-21. Archived from the original on 2022-11-28. Retrieved 2023-01-17 .
^ Healey, Matthew (2021-06-30). "Mauritius Ball cover sells for almost $12 million, an all-time record price" . Linns Stamp News . Archived from the original on 2022-09-26. Retrieved 2023-01-17 .
^ Morgan, Helen. "Post Office Mauritius (20), one penny, used (XX) (1847)" . Research Companion . Archived from the original on 2021-08-07. Retrieved 2022-01-17 .
^ a b Baadke, Michael (2019-06-25). "Alexandria 'Blue Boy' cover auctioned for $1.18 million" . Linns Stamp News . Archived from the original on 2019-10-27. Retrieved 2020-07-05 .
^ Morgan, Helen (2006-03-14). "Post Office Mauritius (21/22), one penny, used (XXI) + two pence, used (XXII) - Stamp - Blue Mauritius" . Research Companion . Archived from the original on 2018-05-29. Retrieved 2020-07-05 .
^ "Mystic sells Inverted Jenny plate block; purchase price 'north of $4.8 million' " . Linns Stamp News . 2014-10-10. Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-07-06 .
^ Leclere, Estelle (2023-06-03). "Japan stamp sells for world record price of 5.4 million Euros" . David Feldman SA . Retrieved 2023-07-15 .
^ "Lot 30070 - 1871, 500 mon, greyish yellow-green, earliest printing, plate 1, pos. 8 center inverted | 2023 June 1st-3rd Latin America, Egypt and Japan | David Feldman SA David Feldman SA" . David Feldman SA . Retrieved 2023-07-15 .
^ a b Schmid, Randolph E. (2006-05-25). "Rare and Costly Stamps to Go on Display" . Washington Post . Archived from the original on 2018-10-03. Retrieved 2020-07-05 .
^ a b "Rare stamp fetches record price" . BBC News . 2010-05-22. Archived from the original on 2019-02-15. Retrieved 2020-07-04 .
^ a b Lee, Julia (2019-02-16). "Treskilling Yellow is back in the hands of a philatelist - World" . Stamp Magazine . Archived from the original on 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2020-07-04 .
^ "World's 'rarest' stamp 'to break record' " . The Telegraph . 2010-05-21. Archived from the original on 2017-11-15. Retrieved 2020-07-04 .
^ "The Honolulu Advertiser Collection" . Siegel Auction Galleries . 1954-05-03. Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-07-06 .
^ "The Bombay Cover" . davidfeldman.com . Archived from the original on 2022-12-03. Retrieved 2022-01-17 .
^ Morgan, Helen. "Post Office Mauritius (18/19), one penny, used (XVIII) + one penny, used (XIX) (1847)" . Research Companion . Archived from the original on 2017-02-25. Retrieved 2022-01-17 .
^ swissinfo.ch (2015-04-23). "Rare stamps fetch big money" . SWI swissinfo.ch . Archived from the original on 2019-12-19. Retrieved 2020-07-05 .
^ "Auction: 10c Black (2)" . Siegel Auction Galleries . 2006-05-13. Retrieved 2020-07-06 .
^ "Auction: 1843, 30r/30r/60r Black, Se-Tenant Strip of Three (1d)" . Siegel Auction Galleries . 2008-06-05. Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-07-06 .
^ Morgan, Helen (2006-03-14). "Post Office Mauritius (03), two pence, unused (III) - Stamp - Blue Mauritius" . Research Companion . Archived from the original on 2017-02-24. Retrieved 2020-07-05 .
^ "1.8 million euros for a postage stamp at Galerie Dreyfus Investor Basle" . Business Wire . 2011-06-09. Archived from the original on 2011-08-20. Retrieved 2020-07-05 .
^ "Stamp News" . sammler.com . 2011-06-25. Archived from the original on 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2020-07-06 .
^ " "The Whole Country is Red" fetched $2 million at China Guardian auction – World Stamp News" . Find your stamps value online . 2018-11-28. Archived from the original on 2020-07-05. Retrieved 2020-07-05 .
^ "David Feldman Spring Auctions, April 1–5, 2008, Feature Great Results for Rarities" . David Feldman . Archived from the original on 2008-06-13. Retrieved 2008-04-07 .
^ Healey, Matthew (2018-11-15). "Nov. 15 Jenny Invert sale sets record" . Linns Stamp News . Archived from the original on 2019-12-25. Retrieved 2020-07-05 .
^ "Stamp Sells for £1 Million at Auction" . Archived from the original on 2011-07-03. Retrieved 2011-07-01 .
^ "Mauritius 2d Post Office sells for £900,000 - World" . Stamp Magazine . 2019-02-16. Archived from the original on 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2020-07-05 .
^ Morgan, Helen (2006-03-14). "Post Office Mauritius (10), one penny, unused (X) - Stamp - Blue Mauritius" . Research Companion . Archived from the original on 2017-02-25. Retrieved 2020-07-05 .
^ "Auction: 3c Rose, B. Grill (82)" . Siegel Auction Galleries . 2008-10-28. Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-07-06 .
^ " "1897 Red Revenue Small One Dollar" stamp sells for $970,000 at auction" . NewsComAu . 2013-07-03. Archived from the original on 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2020-07-05 .
^ "The Honolulu Advertiser Collection" . Siegel Auction Galleries . 1921-06-23. Archived from the original on 2020-07-06. Retrieved 2020-07-06 .
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