Articles

The land of breathtaking lakes, magnificent mountains, and scenic countryside. The country that has never participated in war (you won’t find many war-related stamps here!). The homeland of the world's best cheese, watches, and chocolate. Have you already guessed where we are inviting you today? Right – Switzerland!

Grab a map and keep going south. As the temperature keeps dropping, you will eventually find yourself in the southernmost land mass of the Earth – Antarctica. Read on to find out more about the most famous stamps of Antarctica, as well as some valuable stamps sold during the world’s renowned stamp auctions!

Basically, stamp collectors are more after stamps that have never been in use – or mint stamps, if you want. However, when there are too many mint/unused copies of the same stamp and only few used ones (rarely the case but still), the situation with value turns the other way around. Here are some examples of when used stamps are more elusive – and thus more wanted.

Cherrystone auction is one of the world’s leading philatelic auctions of rare stamps, where one can buy stamps and other philatelic items. The latest Cherrystone auction took place on March 3-4, 2020, and featured the Fred Blau Collection, as well as stamps from the United States

The history of Iceland's post and postage stamps includes an early period corresponding to the Danish postal system (Iceland was part of it) and periods of use of Danish postage stamps and times when the country developed its own independent issuing policies (starting from 1873).

The history of the establishment of the postal service of this country includes several periods when the state was part of earlier state entities (such as the Austrian Empire, Austria-Hungary, Czechoslovakia, the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia) and the modern period (since 1993), which corresponds to the organization of an independent postal service of this state.

Since 1855, Sweden has been issuing its own postage stamps, and in 1875 it has become a member of the Universal Postal Union. By the 18th century, the postal service was already operating throughout the country.

The history of postal service and postage stamps of this country dates back to the Middle Ages. This beautiful state is located in southwestern Europe (the Iberian Peninsula), which has affected its history quite dramatically and was reflected in the postal affairs as well.

The history of the Israeli post dates back to the centuries-old development of postal service in Palestine, beginning with the Bronze Age. Israel began to issue its own postage stamps since the declaration of independence of the country on May 14, 1948.

After the Princess of Philately was sold for 9.5 million dollars, David Feldman decided not to waste time and auctioned the famous collection of postage stamps and envelopes of British Guiana owned by John du Pont. The philatelic auction was held in June 2014 and its results exceeded all expectations.

It is worth noting that there are many reviews of the most expensive postage stamps, but almost all of them provide either outdated or unverified information. Nevertheless, in this review, we will indicate the actual prices formed In the course of real deals during the stamp auctions.

During World War I, the small island "Mafia" at the mouth of the Rufiji River leased by Zanzibar in Germany, was part of the German territory of East Africa. It was occupied by British troops as a base against the Allied raiders.

This review will not cover a wide variety of stamps belonging to different epochs or series. In fact, our readers will get a chance to see how greatly prices may vary for the same types of stamps. All these stamps of Brazil are extremely rare and valuable.

This review is an overview of some of the most interesting lots belonging to the category of colonial stamps. Some of them are extremely rare stamps while other lots have an interesting provenance. All of these stamps were sold at stamp auctions and are now kept in private collections.

Canada is one of the largest countries in the world in terms of territory and among the ten most developed countries in the world. Before the formation of the Confederation, each colony issued its postage stamps. In this review, you will find the most valuable stamps of this country from different periods.

It is curious that not so many collectors hunt for Australian postage stamps, and this means that they miss quite a few interesting pieces. In this review, you will find ten beautiful and valuable lots that were sold at various online stamp auctions and regular philatelic events.

Stamps of Japan can often be observed at different stamp auctions all around the globe. Interestingly, this country has a variety of rare and valuable stamps; however, they do not always get high realization prices at philatelic events. This article will reveal the most expensive postal items of Japan sold at stamp auctions during the past years.

In this review, our readers will find the rarest stamps ever issued in Italy. Please note that, with the time, this list may require an update since stamps of this country are popular among collectors and new varieties are found quite often.

Stamps of France are valued by philatelists from various countries. In this article, you will find information about 10 rare stamps that have an interesting history of creation and will definitely be appreciated by any experienced collector.

In the south of the Arabian Peninsula, there is a federation of seven Arab states, which is currently called the United Arab Emirates (UAE). At the turn of the seventies of the 19th century, these small Arab principalities became the most famous countries in the world of philately.