New Zealand's first stamp, printed in 1855, to go under the hammer in Wellington

The 1855 1d stamp printed by Perkins Bacon in London. Photo / Supplied

What did the letter say to the stamp? Stick with me and you'll go places.

Well, it's not known what happened to the letter in this case but 164 years after it was printed, New Zealand's first stamp will be auctioned.

Only six are known to exist in the world and this copy of the stamp which will be auctioned by Mowbray Collectables in Wellington on Saturday, March 16.

How much will it go for? Auctioneer John Mowbray said the country's first stamp to go under the hammer for an estimated $30,000.

"It'll attract attention worldwide ... this particular stamp was sold by us about 10 years ago for $16,000 and it's doubled in price over that period," he said.

"Of the couple of thousand stamps printed, only six of them had this special obliterator on, it's a speciality within a speciality."

The 1855 1d stamp printed by Perkins Bacon in London is a presentation copy to the family of Sir Rowland Hill, the inventor of the 1d Black postage stamp.

Obliterators help identify the post office of origin by encoding postmarks featuring a number, letter or letters.

Mowbray said the stamp would likely generate interest worldwide. There are 850 lots in the auction, with estimates of $1 million in total value.