Great Britain Queen Victoria Penny Red

Great Britain · 1841 · 1d (Penny)

This stamp features the left-facing profile of Queen Victoria, based on the Wyon City Medal of 1837. Known as the 'Penny Red', it replaced the Penny Black and was the primary letter-rate stamp in Great Britain for nearly four decades. The design includes Maltese cross cancellations, characteristic of its early usage.

Issued in 1841, the Penny Red improved upon the world's first postage stamp, the Penny Black, by using a more visible black cancellation ink against its red-brown color. This stamp was a workhorse of the Victorian postal system.