Stamp Collecting – Where It All Began….
Ever wonder how philately – the study of stamps – and stamp
collecting actually started? It’s a really interesting story…..
Stamp collecting dates back to 1840 when the first postage
stamp – the British Penny Black – was issued.
Originally, when a letter was sent, it was the recipient
that had to pay the postage. More often than not, the letter was refused. This,
of course, was not a very profitable way to run the postal service. Sir Rowland
Hill, the Postmaster at that time, introduced reforms that would allow mail to
be sent for a penny for a ½ ounce and the sender would now have to pay the
postage. That first stamp, printed in black with Queen Victoria’s picture on
it, became known as the Penny Black. It is still one of the most sought after
stamps, even after all these years. It wasn’t long until the rest of the world
adopted this type of postal system, and stamp collecting was born!
Oh, how far this hobby has come since those early days! And
yet, it remains very much the same – people from all over the world collecting
those little pieces of paper, and enjoying all that philately has to offer.
To commemorate the 175th anniversary of that
first Penny Black stamp, Great Britain has issued a four stamp set – two stamps
showing the Penny Black, and two stamps showing the Twopenny Blue. The issue
date was May 6th. There are also mini sheets, presentation packs, Smiler sheets – all that Royal Mail offers with their commemorative stamps. The
first day covers will offer two different cancels – the traditional one from
Edinburgh and the alternate one from Bath.
Click here to see all the Penny Black stamps, both old and
new, that Herrick Stamp has to offer.
