r/lists • Posted by Arthur Jenkins🎨 Art
Most Jaw-Dropping Stamp Errors and Misprints for Collectors
14 items0 reactions0 followers
Thread
- 1
Inverted Jenny (United States, 1918)
en.wikipedia.orgThis 24-cent airmail stamp is perhaps the most famous error in U.S. philately, featuring the Curtiss JN-4 'Jenny' biplane printed upside down. Only one sheet of 100 stamps ever made it into circulation, making each one a highly coveted rarity. - 2
Dag Hammarskjöld Invert (United States, 1962)
mysticstamp.comA 4-cent stamp commemorating Dag Hammarskjöld, the UN Secretary-General, was issued with an inverted yellow background. What makes this unique is that Postmaster General J. Edward Day controversially ordered millions of reprints to intentionally flood the market, diminishing the rarity of the original error. - 3
The Whole Country is Red (China, 1968)
en.wikipedia.orgThis stamp, issued during the Cultural Revolution, features a map of China that accidentally omitted Taiwan from being colored red. It was quickly recalled, making the few surviving examples exceptionally valuable due to their geopolitical blunder. - 4
Treskilling Yellow (Sweden, 1855)
en.wikipedia.orgConsidered one of the world's most valuable stamps, this 3-skilling stamp was mistakenly printed in yellow instead of its intended blue-green color. Only one example is known to exist, a truly unique error. - 5
British Guiana 1c Magenta (1856)
en.wikipedia.orgWhile not a typical printing error, this unique stamp was produced locally in British Guiana due to a stamp shortage. Its rarity, being the only known example, has made it one of the most famous and expensive stamps ever. - 6
Penny Black 'VR Official' (Great Britain, 1840)
en.wikipedia.orgAn intriguing variation of the world's first adhesive postage stamp, intended for official government use with 'V' and 'R' in the upper corners. The idea was abandoned, and nearly all sheets were destroyed, making survivors incredibly scarce. - 7
Alexandria 'Blue Boy' Postmaster's Provisional (United States, 1847)
en.wikipedia.orgThis extremely rare 5-cent provisional stamp from Alexandria, Virginia, is unique because it's the only known example printed on blue paper, with other surviving provisionals from that issue being on buff paper. It carries a fascinating romantic backstory as well! - 8
Pan-American Inverts (United States, 1901)
en.wikipedia.orgA series of three stamps (1-cent, 2-cent, and 4-cent) from the Pan-American Exposition issue that feature their central vignettes printed upside down. These are some truly spectacular inverted errors, highly prized by collectors. - 9
French Classic Issues Tête-bêche Pairs (1849-1875)
museumofphilately.comThese captivating 'head-to-tail' pairs, where one stamp is inverted relative to its neighbor, are a classic example of errors (and sometimes intentional arrangements) found in early French philately. They offer a unique visual appeal. - 10
Great Britain 1967 Discoveries 1/9d Missing Gold (Queen's Head)
regalstamps.co.ukAn incredibly striking missing color error from Great Britain, where the gold printing, including the Queen's head and the denomination, is completely absent. It's a very noticeable and desirable omission. - 11
Legends of the West (United States, 1993) - Bill Pickett Error
postalmuseum.si.eduA modern design error where the stamp intended to depict cowboy Bill Pickett actually featured an image of his brother, Ben Pickett. The USPS recalled the sheets and reissued them, later selling the erroneous stamps by lottery. - 12
Penang 1965-68 15c 'Orchids' Missing Green
justcollecting.comThis beautiful Malaysian stamp features an orchid design, but a rare error resulted in the complete omission of the green color, meaning the value and the orchid's leaves are missing. Only a handful of these vibrant errors are known. - 13
1869 Pictorials Inverted Centers (United States)
mysticstamp.comAnother noteworthy series of inverted center errors in early U.S. stamps, particularly on the 15-cent, 30-cent, and 90-cent denominations. These pictorials show their central designs printed upside down, a true collector's prize. - 14
Canada 2000 46c 'The Calling of an Engineer' Inverted Watermark
postagestampguide.comWhile not as visually dramatic as an inverted center, an inverted watermark is still a significant error to keen-eyed philatelists. This particular Canadian stamp from 2000 is known to exist with its watermark accidentally printed upside down.
Comments (0)
Log in to join the discussion