We present you the rarest and most expensive stamps, but this is not an all-encompassing set. Various nuances, such as a secret mark or a curl, not obvious and not evident at first sight, can make an ordinary stamp expensive.
So not every stamp that looks like a stamp that appears on this page can be that expensive. If you want to identify your stamp that looks like one of the stamps on this list, you need to check all of its varieties (this information is available to our subscribers on our website).
This article is updated on 17 August 2021
Most valuable German stamps
It is widely known that Germans are among the most devoted stamp collectors. Today Germany owns ten largest stamp auction houses that make approx. over $300 million in annual business. Many rare and precious German items were destroyed in the multitude of wars and strife from the early and middle of the 20th century. But many of the stamps have been preserved and are very popular among collectors nowadays.
Baden 9 Kreuzer error stamp, 1851
Baden 9 Kreuzer error is the most expensive stamp ever issued by the German Postal Service. Philatelists estimate that only four copies of this valuable item can be found on the market nowadays. The stamps are so expensive because they were printed in the wrong color: in green, instead of pink. German Post explained that the plates for 6 and 9 values were accidentally mixed up, and the plate for the green paper was used for Baden 9 Kreuzer stamps. Other experts assume that the error occurred because the plate was accidentally inverted. Such a hypothesis cannot be true as this issue was created in a single printing. A fine copy of this famous rarity appeared at David Feldman auction that took place in April 2008. The lot was hammered down at an incredible price of $1,545,000. In June 2019, the rare cover with Baden 9 Kreuzer error was offered by Heinrich Koehler as one of the starring lots of Erivan Haub’s extensive collection. The approximate value of the item was estimated at €800,000, but the lot fetched €1,524,601 (with buyer’s premium), or roughly $1.73 million.
Oldenburg 1/3 Gr. black on a green paper stamp, 1859
Oldenburg 1/3 Gr. black on a green paper issued in 1859 is a valuable German stamp that is imperforate and lithographed on colored paper. The item features a crown over the Arms of Oldenburg in the center, while the name of the duchy and the denominations are inscribed on ribbons at the top and bottom of the stamps. Experts assert that only one block of four of 1/3 groschen stamps and a few pairs were preserved in unused condition. The unique block of twelve vintage stamps, previously owned by Arthur Hind and Maurice Burrus, appeared at Heinrich Koehler's auction of the renowned Erivan Collection in June 2019. Considered as one of the greatest rarities in the philatelic world, this impressive lot in a completely flawless and incredibly fresh condition was sold for 320.000€, or roughly $389,183.
Audrey Hepburn stamp, 2001
Audrey Hepburn stamp is a quite scarce modern German philatelic issue. More than 14 million copies of these interesting stamps were released but only two sheets of 30 specimens survived. The other items were destroyed in connection with the fact that the son of the actress took the rights to publish it. He decided to do so because his mother appeared on the stamp with a cigarette in her mouth. However, several copies of the stamp appeared on the envelopes - at least five such items are believed to exist today. Nobody knows how exactly these items appeared. The used sample of Audrey Hepburn stamp with a cancel from the “Briefzentrum 13” sorting centre was sold to an anonymous bidder for $72,995 at Felzmann auction in 2009. A rare sheet of 10 stamps depicting Audrey Hepburn fetched 430,000 euros ($606,000 U.S.) at a charity auction in Berlin in Oct, 2010; whereas in 2017 the single stamp (shown here) featuring the actress’s name in the selvage, realized $176,000 during the June 20-23 Christoph Gaertner sale in Stuttgart, Germany.
"Kerstfest" error stamp, 2016
German 2016 "Kerstfest" stamp error is one more German philatelic rarity. Just before being issued, this item was noticed to have a serious mistake. The Dutch word "Kerstfest" was spelled totally wrong - it should have been "Vrolijk kerstfeest". Due to this spelling error in the Dutch sentence the entire printing run was rejected and the stamps were reprinted with the correct spelling. A mint sheet of 10 “Kerferst” error stamps was sold for 33,000 Euro ($37,090) by Felzmann auction house in June 2017. Another sheet of 10 reportedly sold to a dealer there at the show for 100,000 Euro ($112,394). In November 2019, Felzmann auctioned the third sheet of ten unused vintage error stamps for $21,890.
2-mark Germania stamp with quatrefoil watermark, 1920
2-mark Germania stamp with quatrefoil watermark is a rare variety of this unique collectible that is quite expensive nowadays. Philatelists assume that only a few specimens of the stamps (approximately three) were printed (perhaps by mistake) on paper with a watermark of repeating quatrefoils, which look like little diamond-shaped clouds. This type of paper was used for producing revenue stamps, but because of unknown reasons, it served for issuing postage items. The unused copy of the scarce stamp, which was discovered by a German collector in 2014, was offered at Aix-Phila auction in November 2015. The starting price for this impressive collectible was €20,000 (about $21,800), but the lot managed to fetch €60,000 ($65,500), including the 20 percent buyer’s commission.
5m Kaiser Wilhelm II invert error stamp, 1905
Kaiser Wilhelm invert is a scarce inverted-center error with the face value of 5-mark that was issued during World War I. It features a red vignette of Kaiser Wilhelm II speaking before a crowd, surrounded by a fancy slate-colored frame. Nowadays there are only 27 inverted centers stamps are known and they were found in the town of Stralsund. Some other items appeared in Hamburg and only two used examples from Hamburg are thought to have survived. A very fine copy of Kaiser Wilhelm invert described by auction house as “one of the greatest rarities in German philately” was sold for about $40,200 at Wurttembergisches Auktionhaus sale in October 2015. Another copy of this valuable collectible (illustrated here) featuring fresh colors and two dated bridge cancels (HAMBURG 02/24/20) appeared at Felzmann auction in March 2016. The lot realized 50.000 EUR or roughly $60,790.
One kreuzer black stamp, 1849
The One kreuzer black, or Schwarzer Einser, was the first postage stamp issued in the Kingdom of Bavaria. The item was designed by Johann Peter Haseney and issued on 1 November 1849. Although around 832,500 copies were printed, almost all items were removed from the postal circle in October 1851. Some of the stamps remained valid for postage until 31 August 1864.
Schwarzer Einser is designed in black and in the center is a large numeric denomination, but lately the other varieties of these unique philatelic items emerged due to the damage to the engraving press and engraving itself, such as color dots and damaged angles. One Kreuzer black stamp in a very fine condition with a faint corner crease was auctioned by Heinrich Koehler in May, 2015. The lot fetched 40,000 Euro (or roughly $44,957).
Sachen 3 pfennige red stamp, 1850
Issued in 1850, Sachsen 3 Pfennige red is one of the most impressive of classical European stamps. Commonly known as Sachendreier this stamp is a real philatelic gem. Only few copies of this great item were issued for mail. Many of them were destroyed, as a result of being used to seal newspaper wrappers. As it is widely thought no more than 4,000 copies exist today. This is also one of the most forged of the classical European stamps, most notably by Fournier. In 2015 a strip of three of Saxony’s first stamp, a philatelic gem from 1850, was sold for about $30,300 at Christoph Gaertner’s October auction in Stuttgart, Germany. A horizontal strip of four stamps with nice fresh colors, tied by double circle "CHEMNITZ 31 DEC. 50 " cancel, realized $109,423 at Heinrich Koehler auction that took place in June 2019. The same auction house sold a block of rare Sachsen 3 Pfennige red stamps, in a fine condition and with circle "CHEMNITZ 31 DEC. 50 " cancels, for $218,846 in April 2021.
Olympic Games semipostal stamp, 1980
A 60-pfennig+30-pfennig Olympic Games semipostal stamp was printed in 1980, but it was immediately withdrawn before the issuance day. The reason for this is the boycott that happened during the Summer Games in Moscow to protest Soviet military action in Afghanistan. The boycott was joined by West Germany. Few unissued stamps in the possession of a German postal official were accidentally used on mail and later recovered by collectors. A neatly postmarked example of this impressive stamp was offered for $22,460 by Gaertner in June, 2017.
Imperforate Baden 3-kreuzer rose stamp, 1850
1/2ng black on pale blue paper stamp, 1851
1/2ng black on pale blue paper stamp, 1851 is one of the rarest German stamps. The most interesting thing about this stamp is that it is printed in error (paper color on 2ng, rather than the gray color of the 1/2ng). The stamp features a profile of Frederick Augustus who reigned as Elector of Saxony from 1763 to 1806 (as Frederick Augustus III) and as King of Saxony from 1806 to 1827. He also served as Duke of Warsaw from 1807 to 1813. 1/2ng black on pale blue paper stamp (illustrated here) was sold by Cherrystone in July 2007. The lot featuring full margins all around, original gum, a fresh and very fine example of this scarce stamp, fetched $16,100. The unique multiple of 1/2ng black on pale blue paper stamps, a block of ten rare items, appeared at the sale of the fourth part of Erivan Haub’s "German States" collection. The lot was sold for $115,532.
50 million mark stamp, 1937-38
German 50000000 mark stamp is not only rare but also historically important. This is a great example of the hyperinflation of the Weimar Republic of Germany from about 1915-1924. The stamp was bought by Ross Baker for 50000000 marks – and it was one of the most expensive stamps at that period of time. Although nowadays the value of this item is quite low, that price that it was bought for and the historical importance makes it one of the most interesting stamps ever issued by German Post.
