The World's First Postage Stamps
A letter carrying a Penny Black and deliberately sent on May 5, 1840, the day before the stamp was valid for postage. The postage was paid in cash.
A mail piece bearing ten Penny Blacks, mailed on the stamp's first day of issue. More than 70 first-day Penny Black covers are known, but only this one, the “Kirkcudbright cover,” has more than two Penny Blacks.
Plate 1 imprimatur impressions, April 18, 1840 (pre-hardening)
Plate 1 imprimatur corner single, April 18, 1840 (pre-hardening)
Plate 1 imprimatur impression, April 27, 1840 (post-hardening)
A stamp from an “imprimatur” sheet, submitted for approval by an official, from the first Penny Black plate.
Plate 1 imprimatur corner single, April 27, 1840 (post-hardening)
Letter with Plate 1 Penny Black and official Post Office cancel, June 6, 1840
Plate 2 imprimatur impressions, April 22, 1840 (pre-hardening)
Plate 2 imprimatur impressions, April 27, 1840 (post-hardening)
Block of 6 Penny Blacks, Plate 2
Plate 3 imprimatur impressions, May 9, 1840
Plate 4 corner single, used
Letter with Plate 4 Penny Black, first known use of black-ink cancel
Plate 5 imprimatur impressions, June 1, 1840 (pre-hardening)
Plate 5 imprimatur impresssions, June 11, 1840 (post-hardening)
Plate 5 corner strip of 6 Penny Blacks
Plate 6 corner pair of Penny Blacks, unused
Trial printing, Plate 7 Penny Blacks, June 1840 (24-pound paper)
Trial printing, Plate 7 Penny Blacks, June 1840 (24 pound paper)
Trial printing, Plate 7 Penny Blacks, June 1840 (26 pound paper)
Trial printing, Plate 7 Penny Blacks, June 1840 (adhesion tests)
Samples of adhesive gums
Plate 8 imprimatur impressions, July 31, 1840
Plate 11 corner pair of Penny Blacks
