Opinionwhich Country Has The Most Valuable Premodern Stamps?

What do you all think?

Early British Guiana is pricey.

There are approximately 470 pre-1920 United States stamps pictured in my album, with a Dealer Catalog Value of over $470,000.

Perhaps Great Britain's stamps might be relatively more expensive ...
certainly if you include their early colonies.

Early GB are certainly highly priced in SG, but those prices are based on pristine examples used and "mint." Most all countries have expensive early issues (small numbers printed) but most all of the catalogue prices come down quickly as the postal service develops and more stamps are made. Some specialist WW1 occupation issues (German colonies such as Togo, Marshall Islands etc.) have sustainably hefty price tags.

Australia has a lot of high priced stamps, especially in roos, KGV and missing colours.

With the $10 million 1 cent stamp, British Guiana is probably tops (there are other stamps in the $30-70 thousand dollar range).
Early Sweden might come in second with the treskilling yellow.

There was a very interesting website created by Michel Bégin on the most affordable classic stamps to collect which you can only see via the Wayback machine:

http://web.archive.org/web/20040107220941/http://www.vipxlnet.com/mbegin/Clas...Classics.htm

But as part of his compilation, he listed his estimation of the 20 most expensive Classic Era countries to complete:

"The 20 worst to collect for the stamp budget: Hawaii, Mauritius (1 penny orange at $1,100,000), Italian State-Tuscany, Italian State-Two Sicilies, Italian State-Sardinia, Niger Coast Protectorate, United States of America, Switzerland, British Guiana, British Columbia, Ceylon, Tahiti, Great Britain, France, Kiauchau, Nova Scotia, Straits Settlements, Hong Kong, Kenya-Unganda-Tanzania, New Brunswick."

I'll add Portuguese India. A complete collection of early, pre-1883, Portuguese India is probably impossible due to only 3 or 4 known copies of Scott #7A. And, there are 173 major numbers through 1883, not to mention all the minor varieties.

Zambezia is an interesting quandary. There are 108 major numbers and a few minor varieties, all of which are obtainable, except one. In the 2014 Scott Classic catalog, Zambezia #72 catalogs $4,000 unused and $1,200 used. While I don't check every auction site, I've seen #72 offered just once, in an ISPP (Intl. Society Portuguese Phil.) auction maybe 15 years ago. Getting a certificate of authenticity is virtually required due to the Republica overprint on a surcharged stamp.

Kenya/Uganda/Tanganyika is expensive due to all the high value pound issues in the 1922-27 set. An additional challenge is to also try to collect the predecessor countries: British East Africa and East Africa/Uganda Protectorate.

1840to1940 thank you for that link. it was very interesting!

The Canada / provinces early and engravings are without parallel.

I've tried clicking on the link three times. I get a message that Wayback Machine does not have the page archived. ????

I believe there are few counties where the question is not money but that the needed stamps only come up for auction once in a life time .The problem is you can spend vast amounts of money to get 99% but that last 1% becomes a waiting game .

This might be workable link:

http://web.archive.org/web/20040107220941/http://www.vipxlnet.com/mbegin/Clas...Classics.htm

If you get the link to work, then the other links on the page will take you to additional information Michel Begin compiled.

oldguy: thanks for the link and the PM. Still can't access the Wayback page, but I did bookmark the link itself for future reference.

It appears the Wayback link I posted is being truncated. And I can't use tinyurl to shorten. So my suggestion is to paste the first url into your browser which will take you to the Waybackmachine site. Once you are on the Waybackmachine, paste the second url into the text box provided. Sorry for the inconvenience.

http://archive.org/web/

http://www.vipxlnet.com/mbegin/Clas...Classics.htm

I agree with "Canada Stamp"; the early issues of Canadian Provinces, in mint or VF used condition are very pricey (ignoring abnomalies like the British Guiana or the Swedish 3 skilling, the U.S, Provisionals, the Jenny invert, etc.). Try finding a New Brunswick or Nova Scotia 1/ mint with 4 margins - or the 1857 Newfoundland series - or covers of any of these.