The value of the world's 100 most commonly traded stamps grew by 5.16% in the 12 months to January 2012, according to Stanley Gibbons' SG 100 Rare Stamp Index.

The figures confirm that the strong historical gains witnessed by the rare stamps sector continued in the past year. The index has enjoyed a cumulative increase of 103.3% since its inception in 2000 - providing investors with growth of 5.02% pa.

The index tracks postage stamps across a range of regions, including Britain, the Commonwealth and several other nations - indicating that there are gains to be had no matter where your interest lies.