Rare Belgium stamps worth money

6 notable rare Belgian stamps

Listed roughly in date order, not ranked by price. Figures are only given where a named source records them.

1. 1

   Epaulettes, 10 centimes brown and 20 centimes blue

   1849 · COB 1–2

   Why it is rare

   Belgium's first stamps. 5,250,000 of each value were printed, so used copies are not rare. Mint copies with four wide margins are scarce, and the russet-brown shade of the 10 centimes commands the highest premium.

   What drives the value

   Mint or used, four clear margins, the shade and the cancellation.

   How to recognize it

   Leopold I in uniform with epaulettes, no country name, POSTES at the top. Imperforate, on paper watermarked with two interlaced cursive L letters.

   Sources: Wikipedia (French), Wikipedia

   Belgian Epaulettes value guide
2. 2

   Leopold I Medallions and the 1863 perforated issues

   1849–1865

   Why it is rare

   From 17 October 1849 the Medallion stamps replaced the Epaulettes. They were watermarked until July 1858 and unwatermarked after, and Belgium's first perforated stamps followed in 1863. Common values are plentiful used; mint copies and the higher values are the scarce part.

   What drives the value

   Watermarked or not, imperforate or perforated, shade, margins and mint condition.

   How to recognize it

   Leopold I in a medallion frame with values in centimes. Hold the stamp to the light for the LL watermark (used until July 1858) and check the edges for perforations (from 1863).

   Source: Wikipedia (French)

3. 3

   Tin Hat (Roi Casqué) 5 and 10 francs

   1919 · COB 165–178

   Why it is rare

   King Albert I in his helmet, engraved by Henry Cheffer and printed by Enschedé in Haarlem. The low values were printed in millions, but the 5 franc ran to 32,500 copies and the 10 franc to 33,225.

   What drives the value

   The two high values, never-hinged gum and centering, and the best-known variety, COB 178-V, the 10 franc 'cigarette at left'.

   How to recognize it

   Albert I in a steel helmet, perforated 11½ x 11. The 10 franc is wine-red (lie de vin).

   Documented figures

   The COB catalogue valued the complete mint set at €1,935 in 2009 (French Wikipedia). At Heinrich Köhler in March 2024 a never-hinged set sold for €370.

   Sources: Wikipedia (French), Heinrich Köhler (via Stamp Auction Network)

4. 4

   Inverted Dendermonde, 65 centimes

   1920 · COB 182A-Dr; Michel 124F; Scott 139a

   Why it is rare

   The town hall of Dendermonde was printed upside down on two sheets of the first printing. Seventeen copies are known, 15 mint and 2 used, and the only known postmark is Gand 13/8/1920. One sheet of the second printing also had the center inverted, but it was destroyed.

   What drives the value

   Mint or used, the position of the inverted center, and certification. With so few known, any newly offered copy needs expert examination.

   How to recognize it

   The 65 centimes with the Dendermonde (Termonde) town hall upside down. The design of the first printing measures 26.25 x 22.5 mm; the second printing measures 27 x 22 mm.

   Documented figures

   Dutch Wikipedia gives a 2022 catalogue value of €140,000, and English Wikipedia values the cancelled stamp at €75,000. Both are catalogue values, not sale prices.

   Sources: Wikipedia (Dutch), Wikipedia

5. 5

   1933 'Grande Orval' charity set

   1933 · Michel 354–365

   Why it is rare

   Belgium issued several surtaxed sets for the rebuilding of Orval Abbey. The 1933 set of 5 centimes to 10 francs is one Heinrich Köhler names among the better Belgian sets in its collection descriptions.

   What drives the value

   Complete never-hinged sets, centering and gum.

   How to recognize it

   Orval Abbey charity stamps of 1933, from 5 centimes to 10 francs, each with a surtax.

   Documented figures

   A very fine never-hinged set sold for €450 at Heinrich Köhler in March 2024.

   Sources: Heinrich Köhler (via Stamp Auction Network), Heinrich Köhler (via Stamp Auction Network)

6. 6

   Early souvenir sheets, 1924–1935

   1924–1935

   Why it is rare

   These are the sheets Belgian collectors look for first: the 1924 International Stamp Exhibition 5 franc sheet, the 1930 Antwerp Philatelic Exhibition sheet, the 1931 War Invalids sheet and the 1935 SITEB sheet.

   What drives the value

   Intact, untrimmed sheets, undisturbed gum and genuine cancels on used examples.

   How to recognize it

   Check the year and the exhibition or charity name, and make sure the sheet has its full margins.

   Documented figures

   A largely complete collection of Belgian souvenir sheets from 1930 to 1963 sold for €1,900 at Heinrich Köhler in September 2024.

   Sources: Heinrich Köhler (via Stamp Auction Network), Heinrich Köhler (via Stamp Auction Network)

What are most Belgian stamps worth?

Most Belgian stamps are common. Even the first issue ran to 5,250,000 copies of each value, and the 1 and 2 centimes Tin Hat stamps were printed in 5,002,200 and 10,272,700 copies.

The value in a Belgian album usually sits in a few key sets, the early souvenir sheets and classic stamps in fine condition. Ordinary used definitives and later commemoratives are worth little.

How to identify Belgian stamps

These checks narrow a stamp down to the exact issue. That matters because a rare variety and a common one often share the same design.

For a broader walkthrough, see the Belgian stamp identification guide and the checklist on how to identify rare stamps.

Fakes, reprints and forged overprints

Forgeries and falsifications of Belgian stamps are documented in M. Tolli's 1943 reference, Monographie des Faux et Falsifications des Timbres-Poste de Belgique, cited by French Wikipedia.

With only 17 Inverted Dendermondes known, a newly offered copy should come with a certificate from a recognized expert. For Tin Hat high values and souvenir sheets, check gum and margins closely and buy better items with a certificate.