By Michael Baadke

NobleSpirit, a top stamp seller on the eBay online commerce platform, reports that it has achieved “the two highest world record prices” for two panes of six of the rare upright variety of the United States 2013 $2 Jenny Invert stamp (Scott 4806d).

One pane sold at $78,000 on Sept. 26, 2015, and a second sold at $84,000 on Dec. 14, 2015, according to information provided by the NobleSpirit firm and published on its website.

The sales were also announced in NobleSpirit’s Feb. 17 online newsletter. 

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In the 2016 Scott Specialized Catalogue of United States Stamps and Covers, the pane of six with the airplane flying right side up is listed with a value of $60,000 in italics, indicating an item that trades infrequently and can be difficult to value accurately.

Joe Cortese, who heads up NobleSpirit and who also founded the Professional eBay Sellers Alliance, told Linn’s Stamp News his firm sells “millions of dollars worth” on consignment for larger clients, exclusively on eBay.

“Buyers range from investors who know nothing about stamps to advanced collectors,” said Coretese. “It’s the value proposition of the global marketplace and a confirmation of the strength of the stamp industry on eBay.”

Only 100 panes of the upright variety were intentionally printed and issued for sale by the U.S. Postal Service as a promotional scheme. 

The stamps showing the upright airplane are hidden inside blind packaging and distributed along with the normal issue, which shows the plane flying upside down.