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British Guiana One-Cent Magenta
The World's Most Famous Stamp
The stamp you are about to see is the only one of its kind in the world.
In January 1856, British Guiana issued a small number of one-cent and four-cent stamps for provisional use while the postmaster waited on a shipment of postage from England. Multiple copies of the four-cent stamp have survived, but this is the only known one-cent.
Every time is has sold, it has generated headlines and broken records. Perhaps we are drawn to its history of wealthy, secretive, and sometimes troubled owners. Maybe its origins in the far-flung holdings of the British Empire lend it an irresistible air of romance. On the other hand, the stamp's mystique may stem from its own elusiveness. It has spent most of its 160-plus years behind bank vault bars, appearing only on rare occasions. This display is the One-Cent Magenta's longest and most publicly accessible exhibition ever. |