First Postel Stamp in the World

The First Modern Postage Stamp - Penny Black

The first issued postage stamp began with Great Britain's Penny Post. On May 6, 1840, the British Penny Black stamp was released. The Penny Black was engraved the profile of Queen Victoria's head, who remained on all British stamps for the next sixty years. Rowland Hill created the first stamp.

Rowland Hill Invents Adhesive Postage Stamps

A schoolmaster from England, Rowland Hill invented the adhesive postage stamp in 1837, an act for which he was knighted. Through his efforts the first stamp in the world was issued in England in 1840. Roland Hill also created the first uniform postage rates that were based on weight rather than size. Hill's stamps made the prepayment of mail postage possible and practical.

Penny Red

The first postage stamps were a great success. But like anything new, they were far from perfect. Some letter recipients were able to remove the red ink cancel and use the same stamp a second time. Others varnished new stamps with gelatin or other coatings so a cancel could later be wiped off. While such frauds were uncommon, they could not be ignored. 

One source of the problem was Rowland Hill's choice of black for the penny stamp. Black cancellation ink is so hard to see on black stamps that the Post Office directed the use of red cancels. But the red ink was neither as durable nor as consistent in color as black ink. 

Another difficulty, ironically, was that the ink used to print the stamps was too stable. Ideally, cancellation ink is more lasting than the stamp ink. That way, a stamp will be visibly damaged, or even destroyed, before any cancel can be removed. 

Hill soon set up experiments, or trials, to improve the stamps. The "rainbow trials" tested many colors and types of stamp inks, all meant to be less permanent than the original black. The "obliterating trials" tested different inks used to cancel, or "obliterate," the stamps to see whether they could be removed without harm to the stamp. Based on this research, Hill chose a particular black ink for the cancels, and a red ink for the penny stamp. The Penny Red was introduced on February 10, 1841. A better blue ink was also found for the Twopenny Blue. Together with the Penny Red, the 1841 Twopenny Blue would remain in use for the next 38 years. 

The Two Penny Blue

Just two days after the launch of the Penny Black, the world’s first postage stamp on 6th May 1840, Great Britain issued the world’s second postage stamp, the Two Penny Blue. The Two Penny Blue was intended for double rate letters, but because of the increased cost, it was printed in far fewer numbers – making it even rarer and more valuable than the Penny Black! Now you can own a genuine Two Penny Blue from over 160 years ago! The Two Penny Blue Stamp comes with a specially designed deluxe, genuine leather folio (small enough to fit in a safe deposit box), and a narrative detailing the fascinating story of this historic stamp. The stamp itself is protected to prevent damage from dust, dirt and fingerprints. Actual size of folio is 13½” (34¼ cm) x 4½” (11½ cm) when open.