Inverted Swan, 4 pence blue

Australia · 1855 · 4 pence

This classic stamp from the colony of Western Australia features a design of a black swan, the colony's emblem. It is famous for a rare printing error where the frame was printed upside down in relation to the central swan vignette. This 'Inverted Swan' is one of the world's most well-known and sought-after philatelic errors.

Issued during the British colonial period, this stamp was one of the first produced in the colony of Western Australia. The error occurred because the frame and the vignette were transferred to the lithographic stone in two separate steps.