Belgium 10c King Leopold I 'Epaulettes'

Belgium · 1850 · 10c

This stamp features a left-facing portrait of King Leopold I, the first King of the Belgians. The design, known as the 'Epaulettes' issue, is framed by an ornate border with the denomination '10c' at the bottom and 'POSTES' at the top. This was part of Belgium's second series of postage stamps.

Issued in 1850, this stamp represents the early period of Belgian philately, following the world's first stamps by only a decade. It solidified the use of the monarch's portrait on postage, a common practice at the time.