06/22/2026
📜 On this day in history – June 22, 1945
Mrs. Ann Leeta Hind Scala of Utica, New York, died after becoming connected to one of the world's greatest philatelic treasures: the legendary British Guiana 1-Cent Magenta stamp.
The tiny black-and-magenta stamp was printed in 1856 as an emergency issue in British Guiana when regular stamps from England failed to arrive. Only one example is known to exist.
Its remarkable journey began in 1873 when 12-year-old Vernon Vaughan discovered it among old family papers and sold it for just six shillings. The stamp eventually became part of the famed collection of Count Philippe von Ferrary, who never sold it during his lifetime.
After Ferrary's death in 1917, his collection was seized and auctioned as war reparations. In 1922, Ann Hind's husband, wealthy American collector Arthur Hind, won the bidding and became the owner of what many consider the world's most famous stamp.
Following Arthur's death, Ann inherited the unique treasure. In 1941, Macy's Department Store quietly purchased the stamp from her for an undisclosed sum—proof that Macy's once dealt in far more than clothing and housewares!
At the time, the stamp was reportedly valued at $50,000, an astonishing amount during the Great Depression era. Today, the British Guiana 1-Cent Magenta remains one of the most valuable collectibles in the world. It's last known location was in a secure vault in Philadelphia.
Who would have guessed that a stamp found by a schoolboy and sold for six shillings would become a global legend?
