View source for Stamp collecting

== Rare stamps ==
{{Main|List of notable postage stamps|List of most expensive philatelic items}}

 [[File:A Sharp Eye on collecting US Classics.pdf|thumb|upright|Publication on the US Classics]]
Rare stamps are often old and many have interesting stories attached to them. Some include:
*[[British Guiana 1c magenta]] is the world's most famous and valuable rare stamp.
*[[Canada 12d black|Canada 12d Penny Black]]
*[[Canada 2c Large Queen on laid paper]]
*[[Hawaiian Missionaries (stamps)|Hawaiian Missionary Issue]]
*United States "[[Inverted Jenny]]" (which is actually a printing error)
*United States "[[Z Grill|1-cent Z grill]]"
*United States One Dollar Trans-Mississippi Issue "[[Western Cattle in Storm|Cattle in the Storm]]" – widely considered to be America's Most Beautiful Stamp
*[[Treskilling Yellow|The Three-Skilling Yellow]] of Sweden was sold for [[Swiss franc|CHF]] 2.88 million (then about $2,300,000) in 1996 and again for an undisclosed amount in 2010.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |date=22 May 2010 |title=Rare stamp sells for record price in Geneva auction |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10142014 |access-date=24 May 2010 |newspaper=[[BBC News]]}}</ref>
*[[Mauritius "Post Office"]] issue. [[David Feldman (philatelist)|David Feldman]] sold a [[Mauritius "Post Office"|Blue Mauritius]] stamp for [[Swiss franc|CHF]] 1,610,000 (approx. $1.1 million) in 1993.<ref name="DF prices realised 11-1993">{{Citation |last=Feldman |first=David |title=Prices Realised for Public Auction November 1-6 November 1993 |page=1 |year=1993 |series=Prces Realised |place=Zurich |publisher=[[David Feldman (philatelist)|David Feldman]] |author-link=David Feldman (philatelist)}}</ref> An orange stamp was sold for [[Swiss franc|CHF]] 1,725,000 (approx $1.2 million) in 1993.<ref name="DF prices realised 11-1993" />
*British [[Penny Red]] plate 77

Early stamps of the [[Postage stamps and postal history of the United States|United States]] are known as classics. Collectors are able to establish the exact position of a stamp on the original sheet of 200 stamps. Rare stamps are often [[Philatelic expertisation|expertized]].<ref name="US Classics">''A Sharp Eye on collecting US Classics'' (Sharp Photography Publications, 2021) {{ASIN|B091MBTGJ7}} [[:File:A Sharp Eye on collecting US Classics.pdf|(read online)]]</ref>
<gallery class="center" widths="100px">
File:Gul tre skilling banco.jpg|[[Treskilling Yellow|Three-Skilling Yellow]] 
File:Modry mauritius.jpg|Blue [[Mauritius "Post Office" stamps|Mauritius "Post Office" stamp]]
File:Mauritius stamp.jpg|Orange [[Mauritius "Post Office" stamps|Mauritius "Post Office" stamp]] 
</gallery>