Penny blacks worth HK$11m among rare stamp sets up for sale

You can take a look but just don't sneeze on them.

Three rare sets of stamps are on show and up for sale in Hong Kong this weekend, including penny blacks last up for grabs in 1908 and selling for more than HK$11 million.

Several million penny black stamps were printed, but most were used on letters and obliterated by heavy postmarks, and are generally in poor condition.

'There are many penny blacks,' said Michael Hall, chief executive of Stanley Gibbons, the London-based company selling the sets that has been specialising in stamps for more than 150 years. 'You probably can buy one on eBay for GBP10 [HK$154], but it is worth nothing.'

And then there is the unused block of eight penny blacks on show here with original gum, dating to 1840 - yours for a mere HK$11.25 million. The block was originally owned by British stamp dealer Charles Nissen in 1908, who was philatelic adviser to King George V, the current British queen's grandfather.

Issued on May 6, 1840, the penny black and the twopenny blue were the first postage stamps. The penny black remains the most famous stamp in the world.

'Actually the twopenny blue is a lot rarer,' Mr Hall said. 'Since the penny black and the twopenny blue were the world's first postage stamps, it is every collector's dream to own them.'