Like stamp collectors from around the world Australian philatelists thoroughly enjoy finding the most rare and valuable Australian stamps to add to their collection. These are generally older stamps with distinctive or memorable designs although having said that, age is not the only factor in determining a stamps value. If a stamp was produced in large quantities and many copies still remain, this will of course drive the price down. Scarcity is the most important factor in determining the value of a stamp. Here are a few examples.

Inverted swan stamp 1855: this stamp is extremely rare and was one of the first to ever feature an inverted frame error. The Black Swan on the stamp was inadvertently printed upside down. With only 15 of these stamps remaining in existence they are currently valued at US$60,000 each.

King George V head stamps: many stamps depict King George V, but these are not all valuable. King George V stamps which include a dull green seahorse issue stamp 1913 and a turquoise royal cipher stamp 1912 with an inverted watermark are examples of some of the rarer issues.

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith 1931: Sir Charles Kingsford Smith was the first living Australian to be shown on an Australian stamp. A set that was presented to Sir Charles by the Australian postmaster general is one of the rarest of these.

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