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Offered languages
- German
- English
A journey into the colonial history of Guyana and the story of the 1 cent Magenta, the world's rarest and most expensive postage stamp.
The One-Cent Magenta Stamp was first discovered by a 12-year-old schoolboy, L. Vernon Vaughan, amongst some family papers in the 1856 edition of The Royal Gazette, Georgetown, in 1873.
He sold it for six shillings, apparently convinced he could find a better stamp example, but no one ever has.
It was no longer an ordinary stamp, a disposable element on a newspaper that was itself disposable. From the 1870s, the one-cent magenta was prized, tucked away in closely watched storage cabinets in palaces or vaults in banks. It fits the definition of collected objects prescribed by the cultural historian Philipp Blom in 2011. Such things "are like holy relics," he wrote. "They have shed their original function and become totems."
This tour will bring you close to the home of the world's rarest stamp.
What's Included
Meeting and pickup
Itinerary
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1Guyana National Park
Our first stop is a visit to the Manatee Pond in the National Park . Manatee’s were depicted on Guyanese stamps in 1993.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
2Walter Rodney Archives
Visit the Walter Rodney Archive and see an original copy of the Royal Gazette newspaper which the 1 cent magenta was found on
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
3High Street
Visit the original site of the Royal Gazette newspaper who were commissioned to print the 1 cent Magenta in 1856.
15 minutes • Admission ticket free -
4Guyana National Museum
Visit the Guyana Museum and see the original printing press that the 1 Cent Magenta Stamp was printed on. View the range of stamps that form part of the exhibition.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
5Parliament Building of Guyana
We then journey to the Parliament Building , the site of the first Post office in Guyana and view the original post box This was the Post Office where the 1 cent Magenta Stamp was sold
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
6Guyana Post Office Corporation Headquarters
Then go to the Philatelic shop in the Georgetown Post Office and view and maybe purchase the Guyanese Stamps and First Day Covers .
45 minutes • Admission ticket free -
7Foreshaw Street
Visit the Tortoise Protective Haven where 12 giant yellow and red footed tortoises roam. The tortoises featured on the 2012 Reptiles of South America Stamp edition.
30 minutes • Admission ticket free -
8Foreshaw Street
Then its off to the Secret Garden with the coconut palm and bamboo gazebo where Eon John will prepare a sumptuous meal of traditional British fare with a Guyanese twist which the young finder of the stamp and his uncle the original owner of the 1 cent magenta would have enjoyed This will consist of Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding ,Roast Potatoes ,Baked Pumpkin, Callaloo and Gravy . After which a delightful fresh fruit salad with coconut patisserie and coconut jelly See the original Donald Duck comic that Walt Disney created in 1952 to chart Donald Ducks adventures into British Guinea to find the world’s rarest stamp and see photos of President Ali with the 1 cent Magenta in London
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Additional info
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Tags
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Cancellation Policy
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
Rating
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
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