When you do stamp collecting, you might be interested in knowing the value of German stamps. Do you know that these German stamps are worth much money and you can invest significantly in them? But with the vast production over the past year, the stamps are limited to a few valuable ones. So, what German stamps are worth a lot of money? Read this guide to the 12 most valuable stamps from Germany.
Over the past 50 years, Germany has produced stamps of different values. Because of the high number of these stamps, their value has been fluctuating. Depending on the date of production and materials used, the stamps have different values. However, some may be of suitable material but old and still of lower value. The stamp’s gum and the condition of its perforation also determine the value of these German stamps.
Most Valuable Stamps from Germany
Their unique features and rarity define the quality of these stamps. Some are also of good quality because of the materials used to print them. Here is a list of 12 of the most valuable stamps in Germany and their prices.
1. Baden 9 Kreuzer Error – $1,545, 000
The stamp goes for a high value because it satisfies the three conditions of an expensive stamp. It is old and has a rare stamp printing error. The Baden 9 Kreuzer Error is one of the most valuable German stamps because of its rarity.
It has about four copies of this stamp were produced. Its design is also very unique. While being printed, an error occurred with a mix-up on the sixth and the ninth plate numbers. It was in green instead of the standard pink stamp.
2. Oldenburg ⅓ GR Black –$ 395, 000
The Oldenburg 13 GR Black stamp is unique, just like the Biden 9 Kreuzer Error stamp. The Oldenburg stamp has green printing and an exciting design. It features a crown on the top of The Arms of Oldenburg symbol. There are also ribbons spiral underneath and denominations of the name of the duchy.
3. Audrey Hepburn Edition – $176, 000
Even though its high does not come from any printing error, Audrey Hepburn remains one of the rarest German stamps. Over 14 million of these cards were produced while printing was going on. However, they were later destroyed due to the rights of Audrey’s son. Only two of these stamps remained. The stamp became rare; no wonder it goes for a high value.
4. 2016 Kerstfest Error – $112, 000
Even though the value of a stamp depends on being old, this stamp is still highly valued. The 2016 Kerstfest is one of the rare German stamps. During printing, even before the issue, the stamp was discovered to have an interesting error.
The Dutch word “Kerstfest” was spelled wrong to “Vrolijk kerstfesr.” Due to the mistake, the stamp faced rejection, and later its other versions were printed. The veto made the stamp very rare hence its high value.
5. The Deutches Reich – $65, 500
The Deutsches Reich was produced in 1902. It has lettering on the bottom, and its color is yellowing-brown. There are also numerals three instead of ten, as typical German stamps. Some of its versions feature a quatrefoil watermark, making it a rare German stamp.
6. 2-mark Germania Stamp – $ 60, 750
Apart from being rare, the 2-mark Germania stamp is a unique collectible stamp with a quatrefoil watermark. Only about 3 of these stamps exist, making them very valuable. They had watermarks of repeating quatrefoils on paper that looked like little diamond-shaped clouds.
7. 1849 One Kreuzer Black – $45, 000
One Kreuzer was the first postage made in the Kingdom of Bavaria and the first in all the German territories. During printing in 1949, almost 832,500 copies were made on handmade paper.
The stamp is black and has large numerical denominations at the center. After their production in 1849, they were removed from sale in 1851 but remanded in use until 1864. Even though this card is not rare, it still goes for high value, especially when in good condition.
8. Sachsen 3 Pfennige – $38, 000
Sachsen 3 Pfennige is one of the earliest German stamps. The stamp was printed in 1850 and was in use until December 1867. It remains a unique stamp because it was the first postage stamp of the Kingdom of Saxony. Sachsen is also unique because of its red printing.
9. 5 m Kaiser Wilhelm II Invert Error Stamp – $ 44, 987
The Kaiser Wilhelm is a scarce stamp with unique features. The stamp has a scarce inverted-center error and a face value of 5 marks. The stamp features Kaiser Wilhelm II while addressing a crowd, and a slate-colored frame surrounds it. Over time, this stamp has become very rare, with only about 27 versions.
10. Olympic Games Semipostal Stamp – $ 19, 300
This postal stamp was for the 60-pfenning + 30-pfennig Olympic Games in 1980. After its issuance, it was later withdrawn from sale during the Summer Games in Moscow in a protest against Soviet military action in Afghanistan. West Germany joined the boycott, and the few unissued stamps in possession were accidentally used in the mail. An example of this stamp was $422,460 in 2017.
11. ½ Black on Pale Blue Paper Stamp
The pale blue stamp is one of the 1851 rarest German stamps. ½ black stamp had an error during printing where the paper color on 2 ng was printed instead of the gray color of the ½ ng. The stamp has features such as a profile of Fredrick Augustus, who served as Elector of Saxony. It also has full margins all around and original gum.
12. Imperforate Bade 3-Kreuzer Rose Stamp – $ 16100
Like its name, this stamp is an attractive, collectible, scarce stamp. It has a unique design of a pale rose shade and missing perforations. Only 23 samples of this stamp were in the post office of Stokach. This stamp's most well-known version has a double ring, Stockach/28 Dez, and a postmark.
Conclusion
Some of the most valuable lists from the above list are Baden 9 Kreuzer Error, Oldenburg ⅓ GR Black, and Deutsches Reich. When you own such cards, it means you can sell them off and draw a considerable income. You must know a card's specific features that define its value. Also, keep the stamp in good condition to maintain its value while auctioning.
