Penny Black

The World's First Postage Stamp - 1st May 1840

How a teacher’s idea stuck - Britain’s first stamp changes the way we post forever!

In 1840, something happened that would change the way people sent letters forever. On 1 May 1840, the world’s very first postage stamp was issued in the United Kingdom. It was called the Penny Black, and it showed a picture of Queen Victoria.

Before stamps were invented, the person receiving the letter usually had to pay for it - not the sender! This was confusing and often unfair. A man named Sir Rowland Hill came up with a better idea. He suggested that the person sending the letter should pay a small fee by sticking a stamp on the envelope. His plan made the postal system simpler, faster, and more affordable for everyone.

Although the Penny Black became valid for use on 6 May 1840, it was officially issued on 1 May 1840. That date marks the beginning of modern postage, and it's one of the most important moments in postal history.

Did You Know?

  • Rowland Hill was not a postman - he was actually a schoolteacher and reformer! He cared about making things fair for everyone, which led him to invent the idea of prepaid postage.
  • The Penny Black stamp showed Queen Victoria when she was just 21 years old. Her portrait stayed on British stamps for more than 60 years!
  • Even though it was called the Penny Black, people quickly realised the black ink made it hard to see cancellation marks - so the next stamp, the Penny Red, was introduced in 1841.
  • The Penny Black was printed in sheets of 240 stamps, and each stamp had a tiny pair of letters in the corners to show its position on the sheet.
  • The first stamps didn’t have the country’s name on them. In fact, British stamps still don’t - they’re the only stamps in the world without a country name!
Penny Black Stamp

Issued 1st May 1840
1 Penny Black - Queen Victoria.
Unperforated, 21 x 24mm, Line Engraved.
Watermark: Crown Type 5.
Designers: Frederick & Charles Heath.
Printers: Perkins, Bacon & Petch.