PUT A STAMP ON IT
What do Queen Elizabeth II, Jacques Cousteau, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt have in common? They were all philatelists! Philately, or stamp collecting, is a fun and educational pastime and has been popular since the design of the first stamp. Anyone can collect them, and as you just discovered, several important people throughout history have been avid stamp enthusiasts!
Historians believe the first stamp was printed in Britain in 1840. Featuring a young Queen Victoria, the stamp was nicknamed the Penny Black, and people immediately began collecting it. Philately is one of the most common hobbies around the world because it can be done by anyone, no matter the person’s age, location, wealth, or status.
Collecting stamps has many benefits. While many collectors hope to find a rare and expensive stamp to add to their treasury, most people do it for the relaxation and enjoyment of collecting small pieces of history. Each stamp is a miniature piece of artwork that tells a tale about its country of origin. And while finding a rare and unique stamp is always pleasant, the real fun comes from creating a small collection of history.
THE WORLD’S RAREST STAMP
One stamp is at the heart of every collector: The 1856 British Guiana One-Cent Magenta. The stamp itself isn’t much to look at. In fact, its appearance is rather
unremarkable. But the origin story of this stamp, and the fact that it is the only one of its kind in the world, make it an exceptional and precious find.
When a shipment of stamps went missing in British Guiana in 1856 (now the nation of Guyana), the postmaster had the local newspaper print a limited run of stamps to hold the colony over until new stamps arrived. The one-cent-stamp was mostly used for newspapers, so most people tossed them away, thinking nothing of it. The supply quickly depleted, and only a few remained in circulation. The Magenta didn’t resurface until 1873 when a Scottish boy living in Guyana found one odd stamp in a stack of his grandfather’s old newspapers. The boy sold the rare find for six shillings, the equivalent of $10 US.
The stamp rose in value over time since it is the only known One-Cent Magenta. It last sold at auction for a whopping $9.5 million. The stamp is currently owned by a famous shoe designer and was on loan and on display at the National Postal Museum for several years starting in 2015.