Every collector probably owns numerous stamps like this one. The red/crimson Germania from 1905 with watermark number 1, known as "Rauten," is very common, and many collectors have hundreds or even thousands of them at home. But among them, there is one stamp that is entirely unique—one with an horizontal watermark! To date, it appears that only one such specimen exists. Specifically, it is a stamp from the so-called "peace printing" (Friedensdruck) of 1905, in dark crimson red colour (dunkelkarminrot), cataloged under Michel number 86Iay.

In September 2024, this stamp was auctioned at the German auction house Heinrich Köhler for EUR 50,000 plus auction fees! In my opinion, this is a surprisingly low price, as this exact stamp was sold in 2019 at the Schlegel auction house in Berlin during the sale of an extensive collection owned by Austrian Peter Zgonc, the founder of the ZGONC DIY shops, for EUR 75,000. Personally, I believe this unique piece is worth considerably more. However, as is often the case, an auction needs two eager buyers, and this time, that didn’t happen—the stamp sold at its opening price.

So, are you going to check your collection right away to see if you might have one with a horizontal watermark?

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