Penny Black, Red Mercury and Blue Mauritius: rare stamps and postal artefacts worth 50 million crowns on display in Prague
For six days, starting on November 12th, a unique exhibition of rare stamps and other extraordinary historical objects has opened in central Prague. For the first time in history, the public has the opportunity to see the best-preserved specimen of the famous Red Mercury, a newspaper stamp from the nineteenth century, as well as a famous ‘facing slip’ saved from the Titanic.
With strict security measures in place, the Point Gallery on Prague's Franz Kafka Square is this week hosting an exhibition of rare (and therefore extremely expensive) stamps and related postal artefacts. The exhibition is organised by the Czech Professional Society of Philatelic Studies, and founder David Kopřiva described the significance of the assembled objects:
"It is extraordinary not only because we are exhibiting rarities that only exist in a few copies worldwide, but because we also bring their interesting stories and historical context. Most are being shown to the public for the very first time.”
The rarities include a Red Mercury (Zinnoberrote Merkur in German, literally a ‘vermilion Mercury’). Bearing the face of the Roman god Mercury, the stamp was produced in Austria in 1856 and was used for posting newspapers. Few were ever made, and fewer still have survived. The stamp’s new owner, businessman Zdeněk Matějovský, was present at the exhibition’s opening:
“This stamp has never been part of any world exhibition, so it is actually a world premiere … It's an exceptional situation that I could bring it to the show, and afterwards it will travel back to the bank.”
The estimated price of the Red Mercury now on display at the Point Gallery is 10 million CZK, while the exhibits altogether total at 50 million. Its other philatelic treasures include test prints of the world’s first stamp, the British Penny Black, and four letters bearing the legendary Blue Mauritius stamp, highly prized by collectors. A Red Mauritius was sold at auction in Germany in 2021 for $12 million.
Also on display is a facing slip (an address label for a parcel) salvaged from the body of a victim of the 1912 Titanic disaster. The slip belonged to postal clerk Oscar Scott Woody, who died in the tragedy on his 41st birthday, and a bundle of the slips were later found among his belongings. The slip currently available to view in Prague was bought by David Kopřiva earlier this year, and is the only one of its kind in Europe.
The exhibition at the Point Gallery runs from Tuesday 12th November to Sunday 17th, and is open every day from 11 AM to 9 PM.
