Leopold I with 'Epaulettes' Medallion

Belgium · 1849 · 10c

This is the first postage stamp issued by Belgium, featuring a portrait of King Leopold I in military uniform with prominent epaulettes. The design, engraved by Jacob Wiener, is framed by an ornate border with the denomination 'DIX CENT.' at the bottom and 'POSTES' at the top. The stamp was printed in brown on handmade paper with a watermark of the King's monogram.

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 postal rates and facilitated communication within the young kingdom.