World's most valuable postage stamp is for sale again

[jtbell]

Back in 2014, I posted about the sale of the unique British Guiana one-cent magenta postage stamp of 1856, which made it (again) the world's most valuable stamp at $9.5 million:

https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/postage-stamp-sells-for-9-5-million.758515/

The stamp's new owner (unknown when I posted) turned out to be Stuart Weitzman, the shoe designer. He has now decided to put it up for auction at Sotheby's on June 8, along with two other "blue chip" philatelic and numismatic items that he also owns:

• the unique block of four with plate number, of the 24-cent US airmail stamp of 1918 with inverted center (the "Inverted Jenny plate block")
• the unique 1933 US Double Eagle $20 gold coin

https://www.sothebys.com/en/digital-catalogues/three-treasures-collected-by-stuart-weitzman

https://www.linns.com/news/us-stamp...agenta-and-jenny-invert-plate-block-on-june-8

According to the New York Times, Weitzman, age 79, is selling his collection because his kids don't want to inherit it and don't want to have to deal with selling it.

I originally posted:

I’ve seen it [the British Guiana] on probably two occasions: the big international stamp shows in Philadelphia in 1976, and in Chicago in 1986. During the shows in San Francisco in 1997 and Washington DC in 2006, du Pont was in prison; maybe the new owner will show it in New York in 2016.

Weitzman did show the British Guiana and the Inverted Jenny at the New York show. Unfortunately I had to abandon my plans to go to New York because stuff happened at work. The next big international stamp show in the US will be in Boston in 2026. Hopefully the new owner(s) will display the goodies there. I'll be there unless Covid-19 or something else gets to me first.

 

[epenguin]

Mnyah mnyah I think I remember when I collected stamps this world's most prized stamp was worth a mind-boggling £5,600, is that possible?
Just as mind-boggling, just as unaffordable.

 

[Klystron]

While not a philatelist nor numismatist, I used to relax assembling themed jigsaw puzzles. My favorite puzzle contained a collage of "rare stamps of the World". The British Guiana one-cent magenta formed the centerpiece within an unusual hexagonal frame along with other unique and colorful stamps.

 

[jtbell]

Update: the sale last week was somewhat disappointing. The stamp sold for "only" $8.3 million, versus the $9.5 million that the previous owner paid for it, and the $10-$15 million that people were expecting.

World's Most Valuable Postage Stamp Falls Short Of Anticipated Auction Record (npr.org)

 

[Office_Shredder]

They should have recorded a video of them burning the stamp, and made an nft of it. That would have gone for at least 20 million dollars.