300-Won Stamp Sold at Auction for 2.6 Billion Won... Highest Price Ever in US History

Rare Stamp 'Upside-Down Jenny' Sold for 2.6 Billion Won
Popular Enough to Appear in 'The Simpsons'

A US postage stamp that was issued 105 years ago for just 24 cents was recently sold at an auction in New York for about 2.6 billion won.

According to the BBC and others on the 13th (local time), the 'Inverted Jenny,' one of the world's rarest stamps, was sold at auction for about 2 million dollars (approximately 2.657 billion won). This is the most expensive record for a single US stamp.

A rare stamp with an inverted airplane print. [Image source=Inverted Jenny official website]

The stamp was issued in the US in 1918 with a face value of 24 cents, exclusively for airmail delivery. The reason this stamp became a target for stamp collectors worldwide is because of the upside-down airplane image.

Looking at the stamp, the airplane in the center is printed upside down. At the time, this stamp was mistakenly printed incorrectly during production, but this rather increased the stamp's rarity.

Additionally, only 100 of these stamps were circulated, making it even more famous. As the popularity of this stamp gradually increased, it even appeared in the then-popular TV animation 'The Simpsons.'

'Inverted Jenny' Stamp's New Owner is a Collector in His 70s

Scott Trepel, Chairman of Siegel Auction Gallery, is holding up the 'Inverted Jenny' stamp. [Image source=Siegel Auction Gallery]

The stamp auctioned this time is considered to be in the best condition among the 100 circulated at the time. According to the BBC, the original owner purchased the stamp in 1918, and until it was sold to the current owner in 2018, the descendants kept it in a bank vault for 100 years.

The Siegel Auction Gallery, which hosted the auction, explained, "This stamp is excellent because it has been exposed to almost no light," adding, "The colors of the stamp are rich, and the paper is bright."

The new owner of the stamp is stamp collector Charles Haek (76). In an interview with The Washington Post, he said, "Since I was young, I have regarded this stamp as the 'Holy Grail of philately' and kept an eye on it." He added, "I intend to continue the 100-year tradition of protecting this stamp from light," and said, "This stamp is a part of American history."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.