13/08/2023
Did you know that Great Britain was the first country to issue postage stamps?
In 1840, the world's first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black, was introduced in the United Kingdom.
This revolutionary invention changed the way people communicated and paved the way for the development of postal systems around the world.
But why did Great Britain need postage stamps?
The Penny Black was a simple yet elegant design. It featured a profile of Queen Victoria on a black background, with the words "Postage" and "One Penny" on the top and bottom.
The stamp was printed on sheets of 240, with each stamp having a unique combination of letters in the corners to identify its position.
The stamp had to be cut out by hand and affixed to the envelope with glue.
The Penny Black was a result of a postal reform led by Sir Rowland Hill, who proposed a uniform rate of one penny per letter, regardless of distance or weight.
This was a radical change from the previous system, where the recipient had to pay for the mail based on the number of pages and the distance traveled. The new system was cheaper, faster, and more convenient for both senders and receivers.
It also encouraged literacy and social interaction among people from different classes and regions.