The Penny Black: Birth of Modern Postage

On May 1, 1840, the British Post Office released the Penny Black, the worlds first adhesive postage stamp. Before stamps, postage was paid by the recipient, not the sender, and the cost was calculated by distance and sheets.

Rowland Hill proposed a uniform rate of one penny per half ounce, paid in advance by an adhesive stamp. The innovation revolutionized communications.

Within a decade, stamps were adopted by Brazil, the United States, Switzerland, and dozens of other countries. The Penny Black bears the profile of young Queen Victoria, engraved from a sketch by William Wyon..