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British Guiana 1 Cent Magenta |
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Issue Date |
1856 |
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Issuer |
British Guiana (now Guyana) |
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Known For |
Limited Issue British Guiana stamp. Only 1 copy known. |
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Approximate Value |
$935,000 US Dollars | ||||
History |
In 1856, there was an insufficient supply of stamps in British Guiana. The postmaster could not wait for the delivery of stamps from England and hence, asked the local newspaper to print some 1 and 4 cent stamps. Because of the simplicity of these stamps, each stamp had to be initialed by a post office employee before they could be used. This was to prevent against forgery of the stamp. The only copy of the British Guiana 1c Magenta was discovered by Vernon Vaughan, a 12 year old Scottish schoolboy while looking through his uncle's letters. |
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