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Stamp Identifier

Stamp values

US stamp values: what your American stamps are worth

Most American stamps found in albums and shoeboxes were printed in the hundreds of millions. They are worth little on their own. The value sits in a small group of classic issues, printing errors and varieties that look almost the same as common stamps.

Short answer

Most used US stamps from after 1930 are worth 5 to 25 cents each. Unused stamps from after 1940 usually sell at or below face value as postage. Stamps from 1847 to 1900 in good condition, and varieties with grills, inverted centers or rare perforations, can be worth hundreds to millions of dollars.

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What most US stamps are worth

Commemoratives and definitives from the 1930s onward survive in huge numbers. Dealers buy mint sheets of them for less than face value and sell used copies by the pound. Condition still matters: a well-centered, never-hinged stamp can be worth several times a poorly centered one of the same issue.

Valuable stamps to look for

  • Inverted Jenny stamp — 1918 US airmail error stamp with upside-down biplane

    Inverted Jenny (1918)

    The 24-cent airmail with the biplane printed upside down. One sheet of 100 was found.

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  • Benjamin Franklin 1-cent blue Z Grill stamp

    1c Benjamin Franklin Z Grill (1868)

    Only two copies are known. The grill is a pattern of tiny embossed dots on the back.

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  • Hawaiian Missionary stamps — 1851 Kingdom of Hawaii first stamps

    Hawaiian Missionaries (1851)

    The first stamps of the Kingdom of Hawaii, printed on thin paper. Few survive.

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  • CIA Invert 1979 US Error Stamp 1 dollar

    CIA Invert (1979)

    A $1 Rush Lamp stamp with the candle flame printed upside down. About 95 copies exist.

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What to check before you price a stamp

  1. 1

    Look at the back of 1867–1871 stamps for a grill (a square of tiny pressed dots). Grills change the catalog number and the value.

  2. 2

    Measure the perforations on 1908–1922 Washington-Franklin stamps. The same design comes in many perforation and watermark varieties with very different prices.

  3. 3

    Check centering: a design that sits evenly between the perforations earns a premium on every issue before 1940.

  4. 4

    Keep plate blocks, coil pairs and stamps on original covers together. Splitting them can lower the value.

Questions about United States stamps

Are old US stamps worth anything?

Some are. Stamps from before 1900 in good condition usually have real value. Most 20th-century stamps are common and sell for cents. The exceptions are errors and varieties, which is why identifying the exact issue matters.

Are unused Forever stamps or old mint stamps valuable?

Mostly for postage only. Mint US stamps issued after about 1940 can still be used on mail at face value, and that is roughly what they sell for.

What is the most valuable US stamp?

The 1868 1c Z Grill and the Inverted Jenny are the best known. A single Inverted Jenny sold for $2,000,000 in 2023.

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