Own the Legendary Penny Black!
The world’s first-ever adhesive postage stamp was issued in Great Britain on May 1, 1840. As the world’s first postage stamp, the Penny Black is one of the most famous, desired, and historically significant stamps of all time. Get the full story here.
Imagine the excitement and pride of owning such a storied piece of history. This philatelic treasure comes inside a presentation folder with a beautifully designed album page. You’ll find a certificate of authenticity and the engaging history of the famous stamp. Don’t miss this chance to own a piece of postal history!
The Penny Black
3-4 Margins Intact
2-3 Margins Intact
1-2 Margins Intact
Closely Trimmed
Penny Blacks were printed in sheets with very narrow margins between the the stamps. When the sheets were cut, many stamps were left without margins. Few Penny Blacks survived with 3-4 margins intact!
Penny Black on Cover
3-4 Margins Intact
Penny Black Used on Piece
2-3 Margins Intact
Pair of Penny Blacks on Cover
3-4 Margins Intact
Get a Reproduction of a Complete Sheet
What makes each Penny Black particularly special is its distinctive lettering system, known as check letters. Printed in sheets of 240 stamps, every stamp received two hand-punched corner letters indicating its position on the sheet – “AA” for the upper left, continuing through the alphabet. The purpose of these letters was to deter counterfeiting, as each letter combination would have to be recreated by forgers. A large quantity of letters bearing stamps with only a few letter combinations would be suspicious.
Add a faithful reproduction of an entire sheet to your collection today.
Own the World’s Second Postage Stamp AND the Stamp that Replaced the Penny Black…
3-4 Margins Intact – Scarcer than the Penny Black!
World’s second postage stamp – issued two days after the Penny Black. Comes secured in a mount affixed to a specially designed page.
Less than $5 – Over 180 Years Old
A year after the Penny Black was issued, the ink was changed from black to red-brown, creating the Penny Red.
Option to Get Stamps with Matching Plate Positions
#3 & #4 were printed using the same plates as #1 and #2. The ink used to cancel covers didn’t show well on the Penny Black, so the color was changed to red to prevent re-use.
Own the First Four Stamps of Great Britain
Own the first four stamps ever issued by Great Britain in a single convenient order. This set includes presentation folders for the iconic One Penny Black and Two Penny Blue, with stamps #3 and #4 featuring matching plate positions. And, you’ll save $44 by buying the set!
This Document Was Signed by Rowland Hill, Creator of the Penny Black!
Before the Penny Black, sending mail in England was expensive and inefficient. Letters were priced by weight and distance, recipients paid the postage, and they could refuse delivery—leaving the Post Office with mounting losses.
Rowland Hill, an English educator and reformer, proposed a simple but revolutionary solution: a uniform penny rate paid in advance by the sender using an adhesive stamp. The design featured a profile of young Queen Victoria, and when it went on sale in May 1840, it transformed postal service forever.
The results were extraordinary. In just one year, British mail volume more than doubled from 82 million to 169 million pieces. For the first time, every citizen could afford to send a letter.
Queen Victoria Stamps From Across the Empire
After the Penny Black debuted in 1840, many British colonies soon followed with stamps of their own – often featuring Queen Victoria’s portrait as a symbol of authority and unity across the Empire. From India and New South Wales to Mauritius and Hong Kong, her image appeared on dozens of early issues, creating a visual thread that connected distant corners of the world through the mail. These early colonial stamps helped lay the foundation for the global postal system we know today – and remain treasured pieces of philatelic history. Quantities are extremely limited, act today to secure these hard to find stamps.
Shop all British Colony stamps here.
Compliment Your Penny Black with These Commemorative Stamps and Souvenir Sheets
