{"product_id":"the-one-cent-magenta-james-barron-9781616205188","title":"The One-Cent Magenta: Inside the Quest to Own the Most Valuable Stamp in the World","description":"\u003cb\u003eAn inside look at the obsessive, secretive, and often bizarre world of high-profile stamp collecting, told through the journey of the world's most sought-after stamp.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e When it was issued in 1856, it cost a penny. In 2014, this tiny square of faded red paper sold at Sotheby's for nearly $9.5 million, the largest amount ever paid for a postage stamp at auction. Through the stories of the eccentric characters who have bought, owned, and sold the one-cent magenta in the years in between, James Barron delivers a fascinating tale of global history and immense wealth, and of the human desire to collect. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e One-cent magentas were provisional stamps, printed quickly in what was then British Guiana when a shipment of official stamps from London did not arrive. They were intended for periodicals, and most were thrown out with the newspapers. But one stamp survived. The singular one-cent magenta has had only nine owners since a twelve-year-old boy discovered it in 1873 as he sorted through papers in his uncle's house. He soon sold it for what would be $17 today. (That's been called the worst stamp deal in history.) Among later owners was a fabulously wealthy Frenchman who hid the stamp from almost everyone (even King George V of England couldn't get a peek); a businessman who traveled with the stamp in a briefcase he handcuffed to his wrist; and John E. du Pont, an heir to the chemical fortune, who died while serving a thirty-year sentence for the murder of Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Recommended for fans of Nicholas A. Basbanes, Susan Orlean, and Simon Winchester, \u003ci\u003eThe One-Cent Magenta\u003c\/i\u003e explores the intersection of obsessive pursuits and great affluence and asks why we want most what is most rare. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e James Barron\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1616205180\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781616205188\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Algonquin Books\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/07\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 224\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.65lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.10h x 5.10w x 1.10d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 12\/19\/2016\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/01\/2017\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 01\/01\/2017 pg. 108\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/15\/2017 pg. 15","brand":"James Barron","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44051830964479,"sku":"9781616205188","price":23.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_c8a9388b-65dc-472c-aa4a-a97ba97fc23c.jpg?v=1685015427","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-one-cent-magenta-james-barron-9781616205188","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}