The Top 10 rare Great British stamp investments of the last five years

According to expert research, the GB30 stamp Rarities index has risen 6,403% in the last 40 years...

It's an investment you may never have considered before - but according to new expert figures, the market for rare Great British stamps is (literally) safer than houses...

According to figures compiled by Stanley Gibbons, the leading stamp dealer, the GB30 Rarities index (listing the top 30 rare Great British stamps) has risen by an incredible 6,403% in the last 40 years.

This works out as a compound average annual increase of 11% - an annual return which beats inflation by an average 4.4% per annum.

Perhaps even more remarkably, the index has not dropped in value in any five-year period in the last four decades - prompting more and more financial experts to label stamps a "safe haven investment."

Here, we look at the Top Ten British Stamps which offered the highest value growth over a five-year period - and why now is the right time for you to consider investing in rare stamps...

Source: Stanley Gibbons

According to the above chart, even the worst performer appreciated by 55.6% over the past 5 years. The best performer, meanwhile, showed an increase of 172.7%.

What's more, the market should also look good in the future - with such factors as the growing population of the middle classes and diminishing supply of rare stamps ensuring that values continue to appreciate.

If you are a collector or investor looking to make your first foray into philately, we advise that you look out for true rarities - for instance, the Tyrian Plum, of which only 12 examples are known to exist.