Going Postal: World's Most Expensive Stamp Valued at $7.4 Million

by McLean Robbins (RSS feed)
May 17th 2010 at 6:01AM

It seems like every time we visit the post office, the price of stamps rises - but what if your postage in question was valued at a cool $5 million pounds ($7.4 USD) with its own $14 million (USD) insurance policy?

A Swedish "Treskilling" stamp circa 1855 recently surpassed a $331,000 stamp from the Chinese Quing Dynasty as the world's most expensive stamp. Interestingly, the stamp isn't even a perfect example of its kind - the value stems partly from its yellow color, and the fact that this is the only example of its kind ever found, says Paul Nelson, vice chair of the Postal History Foundation in Tucson, Arizona. The Treskilling, or Tre Skilling, as it is also known, should be green. It was last sold for $2.3 million in 1996.

At just 0.02675 grams, the Treskilling stamp is also considered the world's most valuable item by weight. This week, you can find the stamp in Islington, London, where it is on display at the Festival of Stamps. It is expected to fetch more than $7.4 million at auction on May 22 in Switzerland.

Tags: auction, festival of stamps, most expensive stamp, philately, stamps, Treskilling

Filed under: Auctions

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

James May 17th 2010 5:10PM

Simply put - you're an idiot! Postal Workers work their A$$es off all the time - The first group is the Maintenance Department - who are schooled in Hazardious Waste Containment - Equipment Repair, they are Scheduled 24 hours per day 7 Days per week. Next is the Truckers who move the mail, did you know that a single penny in gas price increase, cost the USPS 8 million dollars? Next is the Mail Handlers and Clerks - They also are working 24/7 in the USPS. And next is the Carriers bringing your mail to your house, on their feet walking the beat, finally is the window clerks "WHERE NO ONE WORKS" who have had their hours and staffing cut to the bone, expected to do more with less - take care of a customer? of skip a lunch? miss breaks?? And Please don't start that over paid Crapola - as a kid I made the Minimum Wage Princly Sum of $1.35 per hour - as an example I could walk into a 7/11 and walk out with 10 full sized Cokes and 7 full sized candy bars for my measley $1.35 - yesterday I compared the prices for fun - I would take $28.00 to buy the same items from the same store - so basically Postal Workers are making less than minumum wage and its their benifits that brings them up to the 1968 Standard of living - now remember it's the Congress and Senate on both sides who have Screwed the American Workers NOT UNIONS - both Parties have allowed both our jobs and businesses to flee over-seas and allowed the cheep child labor/sweatshop to flood our markets with undervalued goods and LOWER YOUR WAGES and or CLOSE YOUR COMPANY. Got a problem?? Blame your Govt. they are 100% to blame - not the Unions - NO UNION WANTS TO EVER SEE THEIR JOB GO AWAY and work actively to prevent it.

Kalvin May 17th 2010 3:04PM

This is insane. Some people have more money then sense.

tomcat1974 May 18th 2010 12:48PM

id roll it into the world's most valuable joint

Igau May 17th 2010 3:09PM

I'm pretty sure the most valuable "item" by weight is antimatter. Each atom of that costs more than this stamp, IIRC. Just food for thought...look up antimatter and learn something new for today. =)

stephen May 17th 2010 3:53PM

I agree with Kalvin. And when was the last time antimatter was sold at a auction and what's it good for unless you have an interstellar spacecraft. A DeLorean is more eco-friendly, runs on trash and leftovers.

Capwhan May 17th 2010 4:33PM

I had one of those last week but threw it away. I didn't like it because the glue was all dried out.

Dwayne W. Mauk May 17th 2010 4:52PM

Can't imagine the stress over losing something so small, and apparently so valueable. Of course it makes me wonder who has enough money to throw around like that. Wow! and you can't even use it.

dsherline May 17th 2010 5:52PM

In Reply To: James
May 17th 2010 5:10PM

Are you sure you posted to the correct page? I don't see anything in the story or in anyone's comments that would elicit a response like the one you wrote. It appears that you're replying to: Kalvin
May 17th 2010 3:04PM
"This is insane. Some people have more money then sense." I really don't see how that comment would or should get a response like yours. Again, are you sure you're posting to the correct page?

sdlong329 May 22nd 2010 10:37AM

Brett - You are assuming that the owner / buyer of the stamp would have given away millions of dollars if they did not own / buy the stamp? Not likely!

Brett May 18th 2010 9:12AM

Crazy kids go hungry when there is so much money to throw away on a stupid stamp.

eld8831 May 18th 2010 11:48AM

All of you nerds, "get a life!" There are numerous things out there of great value and beauty. You have no appreciation for collectibles. I'm proud to be a philatelist(if you know what that means).

Eddie May 18th 2010 12:23PM

if you give me this shit, i will not even touch it. goes directly to trash.. stupid rich people putting money on trashes.. pass $$$ome here, cause i need and i know lots of other people who needs. "Money is like a love" when you have it, you dont care and when you don't . you wanted badly.. God give me $$ome..

Think AboutIt May 18th 2010 12:32PM

We can all think of better ways to spend millions.
Off the top of my head I like what BikeFree.org is doing; raising money by crossing the country to buy bikes for the children of our troops.
When it comes to stamps this is the only known copy. Suppy and demand. I am sure that many collectors, world-wide, have been waiting for this to come up for auction. They either achieve "bragging," rights and/or a very good investment.
As I recall, a Picasso recently sold for 75 Million and he painted a lot more than just one.

ABN20SF May 18th 2010 1:59PM

Just think folka dont know how much items are worth. People always think stamp collecting in not a real hobby. I am 66 years old and have collected stamps since i was 4 years old and have lots of stamps from the 1800s and they are worth lots of moeny to me even if no one else sees that they are. Just a Hobby folks Chill out.. There are a lot of stamps out there , that are very valuable to us collectors. So Chill out get youa life and stop to smell God'S roses on your through life. You might find something that makes you feel great and appreciate what God has given you to enjoy. God Bless You all ~A~ Airborne~A~ All The Way

iicamerica May 18th 2010 4:41PM

The entire world is crazy, the value of this Swedish stamp could feed the entire population of Haiti. actually is it a valued stamp valued by ehom
merchants of course and the insane willing to buy it and then take it to his grave
hard to believe, one would think that Wall Street is behind this operation

theiastlniine May 23rd 2010 3:38AM

Only an idiot would spend that much money on something so worthless, and the bigger idiot goes to the person who appraised it for that much, Don't you morons have anything else better to do with your time and or money.