Collecting stamps is a wonderful hobby. Not only do you get a look into history with the designs, dates, and story behind each stamp, but it’s also a worthwhile investment. If you’re looking to broaden your horizons on more collections, then check out some of the most rare German stamps.
These stamps have a lot of history, whether they were unissued or were released with errors, and are worth thousands of dollars, some even millions. If you want to start collecting the best, most rare German stamps, then these are your best options.
6. 1980 Olympic Games Semi Postal Stamp
One of the most rare German stamps goes to the stamp for the Olympic games in 1980. The Games of the XXII Olympiad, officially branded as Moscow 1980, was located in Moscow, Soviet Union. Because of this, Germany created a unique and rare stamp that has gone through time as one of the best German stamps.
The games were the first to be staged in an Eastern Bloc country, as well as the first Olympic Games and only Summer Olympics to be held in a Slavic language-speaking country. These stamps were printed by immediately removed before issuance day, and were later accidently used, letting the public grab a few. Back in 2017, one was sold by Gaertner for a large amount of $22,460.
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5. 1850 Sachen 3 Pfennige Red Stamp
If you want to collect rare German stamps, then you have to learn about the Sachen 1850 red stamp. Issued all the way back in 1850, this is regarded as one of the most impressive classical European stamps from the mid 19th century.
Interestingly enough, only a few copies of this stamp were issued for use in the mail, creating for a hot commodity in the stamp collecting community. It’s so rare that in 2015, one sold for over $30,000 but can reach a high value of around $220,000 for a block.
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4. 1905 Kaiser Wilhelm II Invert Error Stamp
This rare German stamp was released in 1905, and while it might look like any old stamp, it has a unique error that only heightens the value and rarity. The stamp features a scarce inverted-center error with the face value of 5-mark issued during the time of the first World War, depicting Kaiser Wilhelm II speaking to a crowd.
As of today, only 27 are known to exist in the town of Stralsund, and two from Hamburg. They’re so rare that in 2016, one sold at a Felzmann auction for just over $60,000. If you want to check it out yourself, you can head to the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, the best spot to visit for stamp collectors.
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3. 2016 Kerstfest Error Stamp
Many of the most rare German stamps are actually from decades to even centuries ago, but this one is the unique exception. The 2016 “Kerstfest” error stamp is one of the most rare German stamps and has sold for crazy amounts. That’s because there were some typos. For instance, “fest” was spelled wrong, and “Kerstfest” had an upper case ‘k’ when it should have been lower case.
Germany only issues 1 value a year, not the usual 3 or 4 stamps like other countries, so not only were they quickly unissued, but very few are around, even though it was very recent, making the value go up. Only a dozen or so are recorded actually after months from the release. Some were sold in 2019 for a staggering $112,000.
2. 2001 Audrey Hepburn Stamp
One of the most rare German stamps actually has the fact of a British actress, Audrey Hepburn, and sold for an astounding amount at an auction in Berlin. The actress was incredibly successful and was recognized as a fashion icon as well. She was so well-known that she was rated as the third-greatest female screen legends by the American Film Institute.
The rare 10 stamp sheet showing Hepburn smoking reached a grand total of $606,000 back in 2010. The German Postal Service printed 14 million of the stamps in 2001 depicting the actress in Breakfast at Tiffany’s and is a highly sought after stamp for many collectors. The proceeds went to amazing cause, with two-thirds going towards Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund to help educate children in sub-Saharan Africa, while a third will go to UNICEF.
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1. 1851 Baden 9 Kreuzer Error Stamp
The number one most expensive, and most rare German stamp goes to the 1851 Baden error stamp that was sold at an auction in 2019. the error stamp from the old German state of Baden was auctioned for a whopping $1.73 million.
The stamp was printed on blue-green paper instead of the intended rose paper and was listed for only $888,000. The cover was mailed in 1851 from Ettenheim to Karlsruhe and was previously owned by three figures in philately: Philipp la Renotiere von Ferrary, Alfred Caspary, and John R. Boker Jr. The auction sale is the new German Record, causing quite a stir for many stamp collectors everywhere.
