Rare Canadian stamp gets top dollar at auction!

1851-Queen Victoria 12 pence stamp
1851-Queen Victoria 12 pence stamp

A rare Canadian stamp is now in the illustrious company of other top selling stamp rarities of the philatelic world. At a recent auction of some stamps from billionaire William Gross’ collection, a Canadian 1851 12p black on laid paper with original gum (Scott #3) sold for a record breaking $273, 000 CAD. That is the most money that has ever been paid for a single Canadian stamp, and well over the hoped for asking price of $116, 000 CAD! What makes this stamp so rare is the fact that only 1,450 copies were issued back in 1851.

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What was the Stamp Act of 1765?

Stamp Act stamp
Stamp Act stamp

The Stamp Act of 1765 was one of the defining moments in the history of North America and the history of stamps. The history of these stamps goes back further than that of postage stamps in the United States. The first postage stamps of the US were issued in 1847, whereas the stamps of the Stamp Acts were issued in the late 1700’s. Why were these stamps, the predecessors of revenue stamps, needed?

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