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description: Dubbed the rarest stamp in the world, the 1856 British Guiana one-cent magenta stamp is now also the world’s most expensive stamp. It sold at auction Tuesday night for a record $9.5 million.
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# British Guiana Stamp Sets Record, Sells For $9.5 Million

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/i7ACNS4j.m3u8" -->
## Video: British Guiana Stamp Sets Record, Sells For $9.5 Million

[Watch (HLS stream): British Guiana Stamp Sets Record, Sells For $9.5 Million](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/i7ACNS4j.m3u8) (1:20)

![British Guiana Stamp Sets Record, Sells For $9.5 Million](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/i7ACNS4j/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2014-06-18. Dubbed the rarest stamp in the world, the 1856 British Guiana one-cent magenta stamp is now also the world’s most expensive stamp. It sold at auction Tuesday night for a record $9.5 million._


---

Jul 27, 2023 4:51 PM UTC

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## Transcript

Once again, the rare 1856 British Guiana Stamp has set a world record. The stamp was auctioned off at Sotheby's Tuesday night for $ 9. 5 million. Nearly a billion times its original worth. The 19th century stamp was bought in New York by an anonymous bidder on the phone. It is the fourth time the stamp's auction price set a record. It cost a penny when it was first issued. The BBC reports the stamp sold just two minutes after bidding began. According to the Washington Post, the stamp was anticipated to sell for as much as $ 20 million. Although the stamp sold for less than the estimated price, the $ 9.

5 million tag is still impressive. The last stamp to break an auction record was the Swedish Treskilling Yellow stamp in 1996, which sold for 2. 2 million. Auctioneer David N Redden told the New York Times, when you compare it to the record for stamps in recent history, this is a real leap beyond prior levels. The historic stamp has a rich history. According to Sotheby's, the stamp originated in Georgetown, British Guiana and has had several owners. The last owner was the late John DuPont, a multimillionaire who was infamously charged and convicted of murdering Olympian wrestler Dave Schultz. DuPont died while serving his sentence in 2010.

DuPont's estate sold the stamp, and according to The Independent, a portion of the proceeds will go to Wildlife Conservation Foundation he supported. Thanks for watching, I'm Lauren Gores.

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