Rare misprinted stamps may fetch thousands at auction

A pair of exceptionally rare British postage stamps from 1985, known for a printing error, are set to go under the hammer in Jersey this week — and could sell for tens of thousands of pounds.

The 22p Royal Mail Postbus stamps, which together have a face value of just 44p, are missing their perforations — a production mistake that should have led to their destruction. Instead, the pair somehow survived and are now considered among the most sought-after modern British “error stamps.”

The stamps last sold for £22,000 in 2014, and auctioneers at JC Auctions believe they could match or even exceed that figure when bidding opens on Thursday.

“It’s extraordinary that a simple printing error can turn two small stamps into a £20,000 collectible,” said Mike Hall from JC Auctions. “That’s what makes philately so fascinating — the quirks of history and production turn accidents into treasures.”

According to the auction house, only one sheet of 100 unperforated Postbus stamps was ever printed. It was reportedly pulped once the error was discovered — but this single pair somehow escaped destruction.

The stamps were designed by illustrator Paul Hogarth as part of a set of four marking the 350th anniversary of King Charles I granting the public use of the Royal Mail.

The Royal Mail Postbus service, depicted on the stamp, operated from 1967 until 2017, carrying both passengers and post across rural routes in the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District, mid-Wales, and the Scottish Highlands. In its early days, passengers could even pay their fares with postage stamps.

Hall described the pair as “rare and desirable,” noting that even a small flaw like missing perforations can have a dramatic impact on value. “They’re beautiful, nostalgic, and incredibly scarce,” he said. “All it takes is two determined bidders to make the price soar.”