Netherlands Antilles 2003 Butterfly block of 12 selling well above Scott catalog value

By Henry Gitner and Rick Miller

Netherlands Antilles was a former Dutch colony comprising the Caribbean islands of St. Maarten, Saba, St. Eustatius, Aruba, Bonaire, and Curacao.

In 1954, it became a constituent country in the Kingdom of Netherlands. The island of Aruba became a separate country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Jan. 1, 1986.

On Oct. 10, 2010, Netherlands Antilles became a dead country. Its constituent islands were reorganized as Caribbean Netherlands, Curacao and St. Maarten.

On April 23, 2003, Netherlands Antilles issued a set of 12 se-tenant Butterfly stamps (Scott 1005). The stamps were printed in sheets of 24, as two blocks of 12 separated by a central gutter.

The 2016 Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue values a block of 12 se-tenant Butterfly stamps at $13.50 in mint never-hinged condition.

There is strong and steady demand for this block of 12 stamps, because butterflies are one of the most popular topics in stamp collecting.

Mint never-hinged blocks of 12 are selling in the $40-to-$50 price range. If you find a pane selling for anywhere close to Scott catalog value, it would be a real steal.