Flawed Nixon Stamp Auctioned for $16,675

A flawed Richard Nixon 32-cent stamp, one of 200 known to exist, sold for $16,675 at Christie’s auction house Thursday.

The stamp features Nixon’s name upside down and his image split in two, with his head from the mouth up at the bottom and the lower area on top. It had been estimated to sell for $8,000 to $10,000. Both the seller and buyer are anonymous.

A non-stamp collector from Virginia bought 200 Nixon stamps and used 40 before spotting the flaw, a Christie’s spokeswoman said. The person decided to sell one and has 159 left, she said. She said the sale price was not a record for stamps auctioned by Christie’s.