Exclusive Piece, Black One, Valued at Nearly Half a Million Euros for Avid Collectors.
Since November 1, 1849, Germany has been using postage stamps, with Bavaria's King Maximilian II ordering their implementation and including the "Black One," worth one kreuzer. Recently, a letter bearing this initial German stamp from its first day of validity went under the hammer in Wiesbaden, fetching an impressive 440,000 euros. As revealed by auction house Heinrich Köhler, this is believed to be the only completely intact first-day-use "Black One" from Bavaria, and its starting bid of 250,000 euros was comfortably surpassed. The buyer opted to remain anonymous, preferring to keep their identity hidden.
The "Black One," being the first German postage stamp, made its debut in Bavaria on November 1, 1849, under the influence of King Maximilian II. Alongside the "One" there were denominations of three and six kreuzers, all presented in distinctive colors. These stamps were released on the same day, with the "One" being recognized as the oldest by the auction house. The globally recognized title of the oldest postage stamp belongs to the British "One Penny Black," which was issued a full nine years earlier.
Sent around 175 years ago in Lower Bavaria, the letter traveled from Wegscheid, close to the Austrian border, to Hengersberg near Deggendorf. Its purpose was to share news of an upcoming visit to a local merchant.
Dieter Michelson, the managing partner of the auction house, expressed his delight at the impressive response from the collecting community at the auction. "Today's sale serves as a testament to the historical significance of this remarkable item for philately," he stated, emphasizing that this first-day-use letter is more than just a collector's item, as it is a piece of history.
The Europeans, being interested in philately, closely followed the auction of the first-day-use "Black One" stamp in Wiesbaden. The European Union, with its extensive stamp collections, could potentially consider acquiring such historical pieces to preserve and exhibit.
