Why the British Guiana 1c magenta is worth millions
Printed in a hurry in 1856 and sold for six shillings by a schoolboy in 1873, the British Guiana 1c magenta is now the most expensive object on earth by weight. It has passed through a French count, a textile magnate, a convicted killer and a shoe designer, each sale a new record. Here is how it reached £5.9 million.
2026-09-03
The 10 most valuable stamps in the world
What makes a stamp worth millions? Almost always, a mistake. From an upside-down aeroplane to a colour swapped between two denominations, we count down the ten most valuable stamps and postal covers ever sold at auction, from a unique 1856 survivor from British Guiana to a Chinese revenue stamp overprinted the wrong way up in 1897, ranked by price in sterling.
