Rare defective stamps which survived shredder put up for auction again after previous £22,000 sale

Two defective British stamps are going under the hammer again after being sold for £22,000 at auction in 2014.

The rare pair from 1985 have a combined face value of just 44p and display the old Royal Mail Postbus, but were thought to have been shredded after a printer mistake produced 100 unperforated designs.

Somehow, these two stamps survived and are now attracting interest once more - albeit at a much lower estimate of £4,000 to £5,000.

However, Mike Hall of JC Auctions in St Helier where the lot is being sold, says that the valuation is "conservative" and it could fetch much more.

He adds: "I wouldn't be shocked to see it surpass the £22,000 it made in 2014. It's so rare and desirable. You just need two determined bidders.

"The missing perforations may seem like a small issue, but they're a huge deal in stamp collecting."

The stamps were originally designed to celebrate 350 years since King Charles I allowed the public to use the Royal Mail.

Lot 485 has already attracted bids and it will be auctioned off at 10am on Thursday 9 October in Jersey, with much online interest expected.

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