Put one of the rarest stamps in existence on high-quality merch. Here are just two examples of merch available.
The Artwork on the Stamp
The Inverted Jenny is the 1918 U.S. 24-cent airmail stamp (Scott C3a) issued for the first scheduled airmail flights. Its engraved center vignette depicts the Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny” biplane in blue, framed in red with “U.S. POSTAGE” and “24 CENTS.” On the error version, that blue airplane was printed upside down, a mistake that made it world famous.
Why It Is So Rare
The stamp required two printing passes: a red frame, then a blue center. On one sheet of 100, the blue vignette was fed upside down, inverting the airplane. Collector William T. Robey bought the sheet in May 1918, and it was later sold to a dealer and then broken into singles and blocks. No other error sheet ever reached the public.
Prices and Other Rarities
Sound, well-centered Inverted Jennys typically sell for mid-six figures, with top examples exceeding $1 million. Multiples and blocks have reached near $2 million. The stamp ranks among legendary rarities like the 1856 British Guiana 1-cent Magenta (about $8.3 million), the 1868 1-cent “Z” Grill (roughly $4.4 million), Sweden’s Treskilling Yellow, and the 1847 Mauritius “Post Office” stamps, all proof that tiny printing errors can create enormous value.
