page_title: Franking
section_title: Postage (stamps, etc)
hierarchical_section_title: Franking / Types and methods / Postage (stamps, etc)
caption_attribution_description: First world postal stamp ever issued&#160;: the Penny Black, Great Britain, 1840.
context_page_description: Franking comprises all devices, markings, or combinations thereof applied to mails of any class which qualifies them to be postally serviced. Types of franks include uncanceled and precanceled postage stamps, impressions applied via postage meter, official use "Penalty" franks, Business Reply Mail, and other permit Imprints, manuscript and facsimile "franking privilege" signatures, "soldier's mail" markings, and any other forms authorized by the 191 postal administrations that are members of the Universal Postal Union.
context_section_description: "Postage" franking is the physical application and presence of postage stamps, or any other markings recognized and accepted by the postal system or systems providing service, which indicate the payment of sufficient fees for the class of service which the item of mail is to be or had been afforded. Prior to the introduction to the world's first postage stamps in Britain in 1840 ("Penny Black") and 1841 ("Penny Red"), pre-paid franking was applied exclusively by a manuscript or handstamped "Paid" marking and the amount of the fee collected. The first US postage stamp was the red brown Five cent Franklin (SC-1) issued in 1847.
  In addition to stamps, postage franking can be in the form of printed or stamped impressions made in an authorized format and applied directly by a franking machine, postage meter, computer generated franking labels or other similar methods ("Postage Evidencing Systems"), any form of preprinted "postage paid" notice authorized by a postal service permit ("Indicia"), or any other marking method accepted by the postal service and specified by its regulations, as proof of the prepayment of the appropriate fees. Postal franking also includes "Postage Due" stamps or markings affixed by a postal service which designate any amount of  insufficient or omitted postage fees to be collected on delivery.
caption: 1840 (UK)
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