Inverted Swan 4d Blue

Australia · 1855 · 4d

This classic stamp from the colony of Western Australia features a black swan, the colony's emblem, within an ornate blue frame. It is famous for a rare printing error where the frame was accidentally printed upside down, creating the 'Inverted Swan'. This is one of the world's first invert errors and a celebrated philatelic rarity.

Issued during the British colonial era, the stamp's design symbolized the unique identity of the Swan River Colony (Western Australia). The error occurred during the lithographic printing process when a single cliché was reinserted upside down into the printing plate.