List of most expensive philatelic items


This is a list of the highest known prices paid for philatelic items, including stamps and covers. The current record price for a single stamp is US$9,480,000 paid for the British Guiana 1c magenta.
This list is ordered by consumer price index inflation-adjusted value in millions of United States dollars in. Where necessary, the price is first converted to dollars using the exchange rate at the time the item was sold. The inflation adjustment may change as recent inflation rates are often revised. A list in another currency may be in a slightly different order due to exchange-rate fluctuations. Individual items are listed only once, i.e. for the highest price sold.
Adjusted priceOriginal priceItemExample
image		CountryYearNo. in existenceDate of saleSellerBuyerAuction houseRefs
$$Red Revenue block of four and sheet of 25 5-candarin Large Dragon stamps
Qing China1878
1897 		Unknown
1 known
32 known 		Lam ManyinDing JingsongUnknown
$$"Ball Cover" with Mauritius 1d red British Mauritius18473 knownAnonymousAnonymousChristoph Gärtner
$$9,480,000British Guiana 1c magentaBritish Guiana18561 knownEstate of John du PontStuart WeitzmanSotheby's, New York
$$4,000,000"Bordeaux Cover" with Mauritius 2d blue and Mauritius 1d red British Mauritius1847UniqueAnonymousAnonymousDavid Feldman SA, Geneva
$$4,800,000Inverted Jenny block of fourUnited States19181
100 		Donald SundmanAnonymousPrivate sale
$5,570,760$5,570,760500 mon Inverted CentreEmpire of Japan18711 knownJune 3, 2023Yuji YamadaAnonymousDavid Feldman SA, Geneva
$$2,970,000Z GrillUnited States18682Donald SundmanBill H. GrossPrivate exchange
$$2,300,000Treskilling YellowSweden18551 knownAnonymousThe Box ABDavid Feldman SA, Geneva
$$1,900,000"Missionary cover" with Hawaiian 2c Blue, 5c Blue and two United States 3c Brownish CarmineHawaii and United States1852UniqueThe Honolulu Advertiser CollectionAnonymousRobert A. Siegel, New York
$$"Bombay Cover" with two Mauritius 1d red British Mauritius1847UniqueAnonymousAnonymousDavid Feldman SA, Geneva
$$grano blue "error of colour"Two Sicilies18592AnonymousAnonymousGalerie Dreyfus, Basel
$$1,900,000"Rush 1847 Cover" with strip of six 10c black stampsUnited States1847UniqueAnonymousAnonymousRobert A. Siegel, New York
$$1,900,000"Xiphopagus Triplet" with two 30r and one 60r stampsBrazil1843UnknownThe Islander Collection of South AmericaAnonymousRobert A. Siegel, New York
$$1,150,000Mauritius 2d blue British Mauritius184712 knownAnonymousMauritian private consortiumDavid Feldman SA, Geneva
$$"Champion" letter with two 5-centime Strubels in blue misprint and brown 5-centime StrubelSwitzerland1855UniqueAnonymousAnonymousGalerie Dreyfus, Basel
$$"Trondheim" block of 39 4-skilling stampsNorway1855UniqueAnonymousAnonymousDavid Feldman SA, Geneva
$$2,000,000The Whole Country is RedPeople's Republic of China1968UnknownAnonymousAnonymousChina Guardian, Beijing
$$Baden 9 Kreuzer errorBaden18514AnonymousAnonymousDavid Feldman SA, Geneva
$$1,593,000*Inverted JennyUnited States1918100AnonymousAnonymousRobert A. Siegel, New York
$$Mauritius 2d blue British Mauritius184712 knownThe Chartwell Collection of Humphrey CrippsAnonymousSpink, London
$$1,073,340Mauritius 1d red British Mauritius184715 knownAnonymousMauritian private consortiumDavid Feldman SA, Geneva
$$1,180,000Alexandria "Blue Boy" coverUnited States1847UniqueAnonymousAnonymousH.R. Harmer, New York
$$900,000B GrillUnited States1867-84 knownThe Perry Hansen Collection of U.S. Stamps and CoversAnonymousRobert A. Siegel, New York
$$970,000Red RevenueQing China189732 knownAnonymousAnonymousInterasia Auctions, Hong Kong
$$600,0002-cent unused Hawaii "Missionaries" stampHawaii18511
15 		The Honolulu Advertiser CollectionAnonymousRobert A. Siegel, New York

Buyer's premium included