Talk about appreciating with value. A stamp that was purchased for a mere cent during the 19th century just sold for a whopping $9.5 million.
According to Gothamist, the One-Cent Magenta was sold way back in 1870 by a 12-year-old Scottish boy, all so he could buy more stamps. By 1980, it wound up in the hands of du Pont heir John E. du Pont, who parted with $935,000 in exchange for it. Du Pont, who struggled with mentall illness, was convicted in 1997 for the murder of Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz a year prior. He died at a Pennsylvania prison in 2010.
The New York Times reports that yesterday, an anonymous buyer with plenty of money to blow became its newest owner after buying it at a Soethby's auction. Imagine how much it'll sell for in the future. Actually, don't depress yourself like that.
[via Gothamist and New York Times]
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