The world’s rarest stamp returns to Britain for the first time in almost 150 years.
British Guiana 1c Magenta (1856), nicknamed the “Mona Lisa of the Stamp World”, is considered the most valuable man-made object.
Gram for gram, it’s worth around 2.5 million times more than 24-karat gold, said senior dealer Stanley Gibbons – who bought the stamp for $ 8.3million (£ 6.2million) at auction in June.
The stamp will be locked in a safe before being displayed in a specially designed, oxygen-free frame.
The “one of a kind” octagonal stamp will be on display in the Stanley Gibbons store in central London after being held in collections in the United States for 143 years.
The highly prized item will be protected by strict security and greeted by an armored truck when on its way to Heathrow.
It will then be locked in a safe before being displayed in a specially designed, oxygen-free frame.
Graham Shircore, Managing Director of Stanley Gibbons, said: “British Guiana 1c Magenta is truly the holy grail of stamp collecting.
“It is truly one of a kind, and we are delighted to welcome him back to UK soil where we hope he stays.”
The stamp is the only survivor of a small batch printed on the former British colony, British Guiana – now known as Guyana
Measuring 29mm by 26mm, the stamp is printed in black on magenta paper and features a three-masted ship and the motto: “Damus Petimus Que Vicissim” which translates to “we give and expect in return”.
It is the only survivor of a small batch printed on the former British colony, British Guiana – now known as Guyana – in 1856, after a ship from England, supposedly carrying 50,000 stamps, was arrived with only 5,000.
Stanley Gibbons said he hopes to make the stamp available to collectors through a shared ownership scheme, with stakes in major paintings selling for as low as £ 20.
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Source: news.sky.com
This notice was published: 2021-07-15 06:08:00
