The stamps that anchor philately
These ten stamps are the most-cited rarities in world philately — each tells a story about an error, a tiny issue, or a documented one-of-a-kind survivor.
- British Guiana 1c Magenta (1856) — the unique single-known example.
- Inverted Jenny (US 1918) — the famous airmail error.
- Treskilling Yellow (Sweden 1855) — colour-error 3-skilling stamp.
- Penny Black (Britain 1840) — the world’s first adhesive postage stamp.
- Mauritius Post Office (1847) — the legendary “Post Office” issue.
- Hawaiian Missionaries (1851) — the earliest Hawaiian stamps.
- Inverted Swan (Western Australia 1855) — the first inverted-frame error.
- 2c Hawaiian Missionary on cover — only two known on cover.
- Tiflis Stamp (Russia 1857) — first Russian stamp, fewer than five known.
- Baden 9 Kreuzer Error (1851) — colour-error German State stamp.