Inverted jenny rare

The Inverted Jenny stamp is one of the most iconic rarities in world philately, known for its printing error that created one of the most valuable collectibles.

About this subject

The Inverted Jenny stamp, officially cataloged as C3a in the US Scott catalogue, is a 1918 issue of the United States Postal Service for airmail service. Its fame comes from a printing error: the Curtiss JN-4 Jenny airplane, which should be upright, was printed upside down in the center of the stamp. This flaw occurred because a sheet of 100 stamps was inserted backwards into the press during the second pass through the printing machine, a mistake that went unnoticed until the lot reached the sales counter in Washington D.C.

Only one sheet of 100 inverted stamps was discovered, bought by collector William T. Robey on May 14, 1918. Robey paid the face value of 24 cents per stamp. News quickly spread, and the US Postal Service tried to reclaim the sheet, but Robey refused to return it. He sold the entire sheet to a dealer, who broke it up for individual sale. About half of the original stamps have survived over the decades, many in private collections and some in museums.

The most famous example is the "Inverted Jenny Plate Block," a block of four stamps from the upper right corner of the sheet, which sold for over 4 million dollars at auction. Other single stamps have fetched over 1 million dollars. The rarity and the story behind the error have made the stamp a symbol of philatelic collecting, reproduced on commemorative stamps and even coins. To this day, the Inverted Jenny remains one of the most sought-after and valuable stamps in the world.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Inverted Jenny stamps exist?

Only 100 stamps were produced with the error, of which about half have survived to the present day.

Why is the Inverted Jenny stamp so valuable?

Its rarity is extreme, as only one sheet was issued, and the story of the printing error captured collectors' imagination. Stamps in good condition can be worth hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.

Where can I see an Inverted Jenny?

Some examples are in museums, such as the National Postal Museum in Washington D.C., and others in private collections that are occasionally displayed at philatelic exhibitions.