5. 1856 British Guiana 1-cent magenta stamp
When it was discovered in a stamp collection belonging to a schoolboy’s uncle in Scotland in 1873, no one would ever imagine that this rare stamp, which originally cost around $0.01, would be worth around $9.5 million today.
The stamp was sold through various hands and has increased in value over the years. It is the only known stamp of its kind to exist nowadays.
It comes from British Guiana, which is now Guyana, and was issued in 1856. Each time it has been sold, it has broken the record for how much someone has paid for a single stamp. The last time this stamp was sold, it went for an eye-watering $9.5 million to Stuart Weitzman, an American shoe designer.
Many people can’t grasp why stamps are such collectible items, but they are one of the biggest niches for collectors, and stamp collectors often pay staggering amounts to get hold of the rarest items.