A sheet of Chinese 1980 Year of the Monkey stamps realised a world record $194,615 at InterAsia Auctions in Hong Kong this week.

There are around 5m Golden Monkey stamps in existence 

It edged out the previous record, set at $192,251 in 2011.

The issue is one of the most sought after in the world.

While it’s not particularly rare, the combination of three Chinese symbols of good luck (the colour red, the monkey and the number 8) have made it popular with collectors and non-collectors alike.

We have a great selection of world stamps for sale.

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