Queen Victoria Penny Black

United Kingdom · 1840 · 1d

The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system. It features a profile of Queen Victoria, based on a sketch made when she was 15, against a finely engraved background. The design, chosen from over 2,600 competition entries, was created by Henry Corbould and engraved by Charles and Frederick Heath.

Issued as part of Sir Rowland Hill's postal reforms, the Penny Black revolutionized communication by introducing a uniform, prepaid postage rate, making mail accessible to the general public.