Malta 'Half-Penny' Queen Victoria Definitive

Malta · 1860 · ½d

This stamp features the diademed head of Queen Victoria, facing left, within an octagonal frame. It is a key-type design, similar to those used in other British colonies, printed on unwatermarked paper. The denomination 'HALF-PENNY' is inscribed at the bottom.

Issued on December 1, 1860, this was the very first postage stamp of Malta. It was used for local mail for over two decades before Malta began issuing its own pictorial stamps.