6. Two-Cent Blue Hawaiian Missionary
In 1963, Life magazine said this stamp “Pound for pound, is the most valuable substance on earth.” The stamp dates back to 1851, when Hawaii was a sovereign nation and a popular destination for American missionaries spreading the gospel. Yet the Kingdom of Hawaii’s postmaster was American, and Honolulu’s and San Francisco’s post offices were well-connected. Collectors love these stamps for both the rarity of their survival, as well as their fanciful numerals.
Interestingly, the 2-cent stamp didn’t serve much of a purpose—the only use was for a newspaper or the captain’s fee (ship captains received 2 cents for every letter they carried). Audrey Hepburn fans will recognize a stamp similar to this one from her 1963 picture with Cary Grant, Charade, but there’s a catch. In that film, where a Hawaiian Missionary stamp plays a key part in the intrigue, its value is 3 cents, but there was no such thing as a 3-cent Missionary, only 2-cent, 5-cent and 13-cent.
