Discover the Most Valuable US Stamps

This article appeared in simplyurbans.com and has been published here with permission.

The Inverted Jenny

You know a stamp is rare when only a hundred of them have been issued. Issued way back in 1918, this stamp had a face value of 24 cents . However, it's the printing error that made this stamp so valuable and unique. The plane depicted on the stamp is the JN-4HM, built by the Curtiss company in the middle of World War I.

Even though almost all the faulty stamps were destroyed, only a few of these rare philatelic items managed to survive. One of them was sold for a whopping $1.35 million at the Robert A. Siegel auction on May 31st, 2016.

A Nod to Benjamin Franklin

1847 has to be the year of stamps in US history. It was also the year when the United States government started selling stamps for purchase for the very first time.

As a nod to the deputy postmaster and one of the Founding Fathers of the USA - Benjamin Franklin - some stamps with his pictures on them were issued in 1847. A block of 16 pieces of these stamps with a fascinating history was allegedly sold at $220,000 .

Almanac Stamp of 1765 or 1766

Even though there's still debate going around about whether this stamp is from 1765 or 1766, we know one thing for sure - this is one of the rarest and most important stamps of the US.

This slightly torn piece of paper is basically the testimony of "The Stamp Act" that ignited the American Revolution. As of now, the Almanac stamp is carefully preserved at the Siegel Auction Gallery.

"Blue Boy" Alexandria Postmaster’s Provisional

The "Blue Boy" is one of the very few surviving stamps from the Postmaster's Provisionals in Alexandria. It does justice to its name as it was printed on a sky blue paper.

Considered to be one of the most popular philatelic objects of America, it was sold for $1.18 million at an auction by H.R. Harmer, which took place on June 22nd, 2019 at the Collectors Club in NYC.

1869 Pictorials With Inverted Center Errors

Stamp collectors root for stamps with errors, rarities, and historical importance. Luckily, this stamp has all three. It was the first-ever US stamp to be printed in two colors.

Apart from a highly controversial historical context, it's not only the first bicolor stamp issued by America, but it's also the first stamp that was classified as "erred" by the Post Office Department. Issued in 1869, it was discontinued after one year after the impeachment of Andrew Johnson.