King Leopold I with Epaulettes, Imperforate

Belgium · 1849 · 10c

This stamp, known as the 'Epaulettes' issue, features a portrait of King Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians. The design, engraved by Jacob Wiener, shows the monarch in military uniform with prominent epaulettes on his shoulders. It was Belgium's first postage stamp, printed in brown on handmade paper with a distinctive 'LL' monogram watermark.

Issued in 1849, this stamp marks Belgium's entry into the postal reform movement that began with Great Britain's Penny Black. It standardized postage rates and simplified the mailing system within the young kingdom.