4- 1968 China 8 fen “The Whole Country is Red” – $1.1 million
One of the greatest treasures in People’s Republic philately-iconic and one of the most expensive post stamps ever sold.
When Mao decided that stamp collecting was too much of waste, the Chinese market for stamps didn’t take off until very recently.
It is now booming and, ironically, stamps issued under Mao Zedong are some of the most valuable in the country.
A stamp like that is “The Whole Country is Red”, which was issued in 1969 at the height of Mao’s Cultural Revolution.
It features a map of China in red, and the island of Taiwan that was supposed to match has been left white which was a mistake made during the design stage.
The Whole Country is Red was auctioned and made $1.1m at China Guardian auction house in Beijing.
