Release & The Error

Sweden issued its first postage stamps in 1855, with denominations ranging from 3 to 24 skillings, each in different color schemes.
The three-skilling stamp was supposed to be printed in a blue-green color. The eight-skilling version was printed in yellowish-orange.
The error: somehow, one of the three-skilling stamps was printed in the wrong color (the yellowish tone meant for the eight-skilling) by mistake, creating the “Treskilling Yellow.” Only one used example is known to exist.

Discovery, Ownership & Rarity

The stamp was cancelled in Nya Kopparberget (Kopparberg) on 13 July 1857.
It was discovered by chance in 1885 by a schoolboy, Georg Wilhelm Backman, among letters in his grandmother’s attic. He sold it for 7 Swedish kroner.
Over time, it passed through the hands of many famous collectors, including Count Philipp von Ferrary (1894), King Carol II of Romania, and others.

Price & Auction Records

In 1984, it sold for 977,500 Swiss francs.
In 1990, over US$1 million was reported.
The big record came in 1996, when it fetched 2,880,000 Swiss francs (≈ US$2.3 million) at auction.
In 2010, it was sold in a private sale to Count Gustaf Douglas. The exact figure wasn’t fully disclosed, but reports suggested it traded for more than any other single stamp at the time.

(Source: Museum of Philately)

What Makes It So Famous

Color Error & Uniqueness: The reason there is only one known “Treskilling Yellow” is because the color printing mistake was caught quickly, and virtually no others survived, or perhaps were never made in large numbers.
Historical Significance: It's part of Sweden’s first series of stamps. The error turns an otherwise routine postage design into legend.
Mystique & Provenance: Its story, ownership by famous collectors, and disputes over authenticity (including past claims it was a forgery) add layers of intrigue.

*The “real” treskilling stamp and what it is supposed to look like.*

(Source: Wikipedia)

Lettre Reflection

At Lettre, we see the Treskilling Yellow as a testament to how small mistakes become icons. Something as humble as a postage stamp, misprinted in color, became a treasure that connects generations of collectors, historians, and lovers of stories.

It reminds us: rarity isn’t just about quantity: it’s about story, about what escapes notice until someone finds it.

Final Thoughts

The Treskilling Yellow remains not only a philatelic holy grail but also a symbol of the unpredictable beauty of human error.

From its pallet swap to attic discovery, from record auctions to secret private collections, it has transcended what a stamp usually means.

A tiny yellow postage slip, the only one of its kind

yet it speaks loudly through time.

Treskilling Yellow: The One That Made History