King Leopold I "Epaulettes" Issue

Belgium · 1849 · 10c

This stamp, known as the "Epaulettes" issue, is the first postage stamp issued by Belgium. It features a portrait of King Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians, in military uniform with prominent epaulettes, from which the stamp derives its popular name. The design was created by Jacob Wiener based on a portrait by Charles Baugniet.

Issued in 1849, this stamp marks Belgium's entry into the postal reform movement that began with Great Britain's Penny Black nine years earlier. It standardized and prepaid postage rates within the country.