Paul Fraser Collectibles is in the rare position today where it can offer you the chance to own a genuine 1935 2½d Prussian blue for only $24,899. It is one of the most iconic stamps in the world and is considered one of the great philatelic errors of the 20th century. The story behind the discovery of the 1935 2½d “Prussian Blue” is one of the most well known in GB philately. And it goes as follows…
King George V was a passionate stamp collector. So, on June 6th 1934, when he was asked for his permission for a commemorative stamp issue to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of his Accession to the Throne, he immediately agreed. The design of Mr Barnett Freeman was accepted. On January 7th 1935, the King approved the final design. Just one question remained… what colour did he want the stamp to be? Given the choice of “Prussian blue” or “blue”, the King opted for the latter.
The printers, Harrison & Son, printed some sheets in the “Prussian blue” colour in error. They realized their mistake and quickly destroyed the erroneous sheets, except for six sheets sent to the Post Office Stores for inspection. As a result, we know that only 480 of these stamps were ever issued. To this day, the 2½d Prussian blue remains one of the rarest and most famous stamps from Great Britain. Quite simply, it should not have been printed. Due to its rarity and desirability, the value of this stamp as an investment is well proven.
