Belgium 1849 10c & 20c "Epaulettes" Medallion

Belgium · 1849 · 10c & 20c

This stamp, known as the "Epaulettes" issue, features a portrait of King Leopold I in military uniform, framed within a medallion. It was Belgium's first postage stamp, issued in two denominations: 10 centimes (brown) and 20 centimes (blue). The design is notable for the prominent epaulettes on the King's shoulders, which give the stamp its popular nickname.

Issued in 1849, this stamp marks Belgium's entry into the postal reform movement that began with Great Britain's Penny Black. It replaced a complex system of distance-based postal rates with a simplified, prepaid system.