Belgium King Leopold I 'Epaulettes' First Issue

Belgium · 1849 · 10c

This stamp, known as the 'Epaulettes' issue, is the first postage stamp of Belgium. It features a portrait of King Leopold I in military uniform, notable for the prominent epaulettes on his shoulders. The design was engraved by Jacob Wiener based on a painting 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 postage rates and simplified mail delivery within the young kingdom.