Great Britain 1840 Penny Black Great Britain 1840 Penny Black 0 0 The Great Britain 1840 Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system. It was issued by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on 1 May 1840, for official use from 6 May of that year. Prior to the Penny Black's existence, post was paid for by the recipient, a process which was slow, expensive and inefficient. Teacher and educational reformer, Rowland Hill had a new idea whereby postage was prepaid, which he claimed could reduce costs of the arduous handling involved in the old method. Hill's work inspired the Penny Black, a postage stamp which was paid for in advance and attached to the letter. History and Design The idea of a stamp to indicate pre-payment of postage (instead of the cost being paid on delivery) was that of the teacher and social reformer Sir Rowland Hill , as part of his plans to reform the British postal system. He described it as "a bit of paper… covered at the back with a glutinous wash which the user might, by applying a little moisture, attach to the back of a letter".

His proposals led him to be awarded a two-year contract to run the new system, and he launched the service in 1840 with a stamp bearing a representation of the easily recognisable profile of the reigning British monarch, Queen Victoria . This design, taken from a Commemorative Coins when she was a 15-year-old princess, was submitted in a competition by an engineer named Mr Cheverton. It was endorsed by Rowland Hill, who thought the design would prove difficult to forge. The image, printed in black, was based on a sketch provided by Henry Corbould and engraved by the father and son team of Charles and Fredrick Heath. The design showing Queen Victoria, without country name, laid the foundations for British stamps. From then on, British stamps, known as definitives, were issued with a portrait - often in profile or semi profile - of the reigning sovereign. Together with the image, the word ‘postage’ appeared at the top of the stamp with its value ‘one penny’ at the bottom. The original printing press for the Penny Black, the D cylinder press, was invented by Jacob Perkins and patented in 1819. It was printed with the line engraved printing method using 11 numbered plates.

However, the first plate suffered much deterioration and was repaired to such an extent that it is generally thought of as two separate plates, making a total of 12. In an attempt to prevent forgery the stamps had small crown watermarks on the back and letters in the bottom corners, which were impressed by hand. The letters were marked 'A' through 'T' horizontally on the plate and 'A' through 'L' vertically so 'AA' was found at the top left of the sheet and the final stamp position at the bottom right was 'TL'. The stamps were printed in un-perforated sheets consisted of 240 stamps in 20 rows and 12 columns, to be cut with scissors for sale and use. Social impact The Penny Black had an enormous impact on British society, bringing an affordable postal service to the masses which in turn lead to the spread of information. In this way it can be easily compared to innovations such as the telegraph and the internet as a vital tool for mass communication. By 1860 85 countries around the world had issued their own postage stamps, leading Prime Minister Gladstone to describe the reform as having "run like wildfire throughout the civilised world".

Dates Although May 6 was the official date that the Penny Black became available, many postmasters sold the stamps from the date they were issued, May 1. It was in use for only a little over a year, and replaced by the Penny Red in 1841. This was an attempt to prevent re-use of the stamps, as it was found that a red cancellation mark was hard to see on a black background and the ink was easily removed. The Penny Red had a black cancellation mark which proved both much easier to see and harder to remove. Rarity The supposed rarity of the Penny Black is a common misconception. Its total print run was 286,700 sheets with 68,808,000 stamps, and a substantial number of these have survived, largely because envelopes were not normally used: letters in the form of letter sheets were folded and sealed, with the stamp and the address on the obverse. If the letter was kept, the stamp survived. The 2010 Stanley Gibbons Great Britain Concise Stamp Catalogue lists the price of a mint penny black at £6,500 with a used example listed at £275.

The prices quoted in the catalogue are the estimated selling prices of Stanley Gibbons Limited at the time of publication. Notable examples The only known complete sheets of the Penny Black are owned by the British Postal Museum and Archive . The largest block of Penny Blacks in existence is a block of 43 from plate 3 in the R M Phillips Collection. The second largest block is a block of 36 from plate 7 also in the R M Phillips Collection. The Kirkcudbright penny black first day cover is a first day cover with 10 penny blacks, mailed on 6 May 1840, the first day it was valid. Around 70 examples are known, but this is the only one with more than two stamps. The Kirkcudbright cover now forms part of The Royal Philatelic Collection of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II . Notable sales In June 2011 several important examples of the stamp were sold during a Spink auction as part of the Chartwell Collection of Great Britain and British Empire stamps . The most notable of these examples were: The 'TA' stamp from the original Penny Black Sheet One, Plate One registration sheet, sold for £216,000.

Other stamps from this sheet can be found in the Royal Philatelic Collection and the Postal Museum. A cover described as "the finest and most attractive one Penny Black cover in existance", dated May 13 1840 and featuring a single stamp with a reddish-orange Maltese Cross cancellation stamp, sold for £348,000. A rare mint condition plate block of four Penny Black stamps (the only plate block from Plate Seven known to exist), with the margin inscription "PRICE 1d. Per Label, 1/- Per Row", sold for £300,000. Stamp History Stamp History History of Stamps Stamps and Collectors - a little History The birth of the postage stamp dates back to May 6, 1840, when Britain issued its first stamp, the "Penny Black." But, how did people receive mail before this time, and what led to the idea of using stamps? Before the Envelope and the Stamp Primitive message systems have been in place as long as man has been in existence. Until 1840, however, regardless of how primitive or how elaborate, all these systems operated without the benefit of a postage stamp.

In the early days of the postal service, stamps and envelopes did not exist. (For the most part, envelopes were not used because they were considered to be an additional sheet of paper which cost more to send.) When you wanted to send a letter you would fold it up and seal it shut, and the person who received the letter had to pay for the delivery costs. Since rates at that time were very high, many people refused to accept letters. In fact, many people developed secret codes by which they could cheat the postal services. They would place secret marks on the outside of the letter that conveyed their message and all the addressee had to do was read the secret message, refuse to accept the letter, and thus not have to pay for it. Mainly for this reason, postal services turned to a means of prepaying postage. Post Office Reforms and the Stamp!

In 1837 Sir Rowland Hill, the British Postmaster General, introduced the "Post Office Reforms" whereby the mail could go anywhere in the British Isles at the same rate (a penny a half-ounce); the postage was to be paid by the sender -- not the addressee; and payment was receipted by placing a small piece of colored paper on the outside of the letter -- THE STAMP! Of course Hill's proposal was heavily debated for a few years, but after serious discussion the change was enacted and instituted in 1840. Thus on May 6, 1840 (first date of valid use) the first government-printed postage stamps were born. Sir Rowland Hill himself designed the first stamp which cost one penny and bore the profile of Queen Victoria. Because the stamp was printed in black, the 1-cent stamp soon became known as the "Penny Black" -- the world's most popular stamp. These first stamps were imperforate, meaning that people had to cut apart the sheets of stamps. The first perforated stamps did not appear until 1854 (1857 in the United States, 1854 in Great Britain).

The popularity of this new system of sending mail and collecting the fee in advance spread fast and it didn't take long for other countries to use similar systems. In 1847, the United States Post Office Department printed its first stamps, a 5-cent stamp picturing Benjamin Franklin and a 10-cent stamp picturing George Washington. Stamp Collectors With the birth of stamps came the birth of stamp collectors or philatelists as they have become known. Shortly after adhesive postage stamps were introduced by Great Britain in 1840, people began collecting them. In 1841, a women even placed an advertisement in the London Times in which she requested help in collecting stamps so that she could paper a bedroom wall. The two terms philately and philatelist, which refer to the collection and study of postage stamps, were derived from the Greek word phileo, meaning "I love" and ateleia, meaning "free of charges", in the sense that postage stamps replaced a cash postal charge. As people began to collect these interesting pieces of paper, no one realized how valuable stamps could become. The advent of special commemorative stamps greatly increased the popularity of the hobby. The first U.S.

stamps issued to specifically commemorate (remember and honor) our history were issued in 1893 to celebrate Christopher Columbus' discovery of the New World. A few of those 1893 Columbian stamps are now worth thousands of dollars! Stamps have undergone many changes since that first stamp in 1840. They have been perforated, coiled, and printed in many different colors. Stamps have been introduced in many types, formats, and designs. 100 Match Factory Place • Bellefonte, PA 16823, USA • 814-933-3803 • Fax: 814-933-6128 History of British stamps | Royal Mail Group Ltd Penny Black and Beyond History of British stamps Great Britain issued the world’s first adhesive postage stamp, resulting from reforms by Rowland Hill to simplify and reduce postage costs. The Penny Black came into use on 6 May, 1840. The design showing Queen Victoria, without country name, laid the foundations for British stamps. From then on, British stamps, known as definitives, were issued with a portrait - often in profile or semi profile - of the reigning sovereign.

The initial portrait of Queen Elizabeth II was by the photographer Dorothy Wilding, but in 1967 a portrait by Arnold Machin was adopted, the resulting design, still used today, is regarded a classic for its simplicity. Stamps for special events were introduced in 1924, for the British Empire Exhibition in Wembley. It was not until the 1960s that the potential of stamps was realised, when Postmaster General’s Reginald Bevins and Tony Benn encouraged the Post Office to issue sets of special stamps on a regular basis. Before 1961, just 12 commemorative issues had been released. Today, around 12 sets of Special Stamps are issued every year. With this upsurge came other items, such as Royal Mail’s own First Day Covers, Presentation Packs - which combined information and illustrations with the stamps - and ‘Stamp Cards’, (postcards with an enlarged reproduction of the stamp design). Small sheets combining one or more stamps from a set, known as Miniature Sheets, first appeared in 1978, and are now an established part of the Special Stamp Programme.

To overcome issues around withdrawal and replacement of stamps caused by postage rate changes, stamps inscribed for a service, such as ‘1st’, rather than with a specific value, were introduced in 1989. In 1993 the first self-adhesive stamp was issued in the UK, followed in 2000 by Britain’s first ever customised stamps service, called Smilers®. The first self-adhesive Special Stamp issue - Cats and Dogs - followed a year later, but it was in 2003 when stamps went ‘DIY’ with the amazing Fun Fruit and Veg stamps, complete with stick-on moustaches, hats, boots and more. Most recently, we have seen the introduction of two new ‘large’ size definitive stamps, introduced in August 2006 as part of Royal Mails new pricing structure which incorporates size as well as weight.

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This website uses the following targeting/advertising cookies: Google / DoubleClick Penny Black - World's First Prepaid Adhesive Stamp Penny Black May 1, 1840 (for use on May 6) Issuer United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Known For World's first prepaid adhesive postage stamp Approximate Value Used: $200 (as of 2000) $240 (as of 2007) Unused: $3000 (as of 2000) History Before the Penny Black was issued, post offices of the era had to take payments for mail delivery in cash. This was, of course, not very efficient as people had to wait in line much as we do at the post offices today to deliver every piece of mail. In addition, post offices had to handle cash and count the number of pages each person has. Postage was charged by the sheet and the amount of distance traveled. In 1837, Rowland Hill proposed to reform the British postal system by wrapping the letter in an extra piece of paper (envelopes) and attach an adhesive stamp to indicate the prepayment of postage. The picture in the stamp is that of Queen Victoria.

It is based on a sketch done by Henry Cole who based his work on that of William Wyon. Wyon orignially sketched a head for a medal that commemorated Queen Victoria's visit to London in 1837, the year she ascended the throne (she was 15 at the time). The stamps were printed by Perkins Bacon. The Penny Black Stamp was only used for one year because the red cancellation mark was hard to see on the black background. As a result of this, the Treasury reprinted the stamp as a red stamp so that the black cancellation marks that are later used are easier to see and harder to remove. The Penny Black Stamp was not perforated. In fact, perforation was not introdued until 1854. Because of wear and tear, eleven different plates were used during the life cycle of the Penny Black. Penny Black Stamps HISTORY OF PENNY BLACK STAMPS Pre 1840 In the year 1840, the United Kingdom introduced the Penny Black, the world’s first adhesive postage stamp. It was followed one day later by the 2d blue and at the beginning of 1841 the 1d red appeared.

But before 1840, the post service was prohibitively expensive for most people to use. In fact the cost of sending a single letter could cost of much as a working man’s daily wage. Postage was charged by the sheet and the distance travelled. (This led to the habit of writing a letter, then turning the page upside down and writing the second page of the letter between the lines of the original – thus saving sheets as four pages of letter could be written on one piece of paper.) But cost was not the only issue. There were many oddities. Certain items of post went free of charge, newspapers could be sent very cheaply and most mail was paid for by the person receiving the mail, not the sender. Postal reform ideas – James Chalmers It’s not surprising then that for many years prior to 1940, there were calls for reform of the postal system. As early as 1822, James Chalmers, a bookseller and printer from Dundee, was interested in postal reform. Some say that he was the actual inventor of the adhesive postage stamp.

He also advocated the introduction of standard prepaid letter folders, letter sheets or envelopes which were eventually introduced in 1840 using a design by William Mulready. He printed samples of his idea for printed gummed labels in August 1834. James Chalmers Inventor of the Adhesive Postage Stamp edited by W.J. Smith, and published in Dundee in 1970 gives an account of James Chalmers’ activities in the area of postal reform. Later reformers - Rowland Hill and Robert Wallace Rowland Hill and Robert Wallace (Member of Parliament for Greenock) were notable campaigners. In 1837, Rowland Hill proposed the radical reform of wapping a letter in an additional piece of paper (now known as the envelope) and attaching a ‘label’ (now known as a stamp) to indicate prepayment of the postage charge. Social reformer Rowland Hill 1839 Penny Postage Bill Eventually, on 17 August 1839, Penny Postage Bill was passed by Parliament. The act required that the basic postal rate for simple letters should be set at one penny.

It also required that prepayment should become the standard for sending letters and that prepayment should be indicated by ‘labels’. There labels were the Penny Black and the Twopence Blue. Like today, the stamps were cancelled by a cancellation stamp, although this mark was red rather than the black used today. Competition for design of new stamps In 1839, the British Treasury announced a competition to design the new stamps, but none of the submissions was considered suitable. Instead, Rowland Hill launched the service in 1840 with an envelope bearing a reproduction of a design created by the artist William Mulready and a predominetly black stamp bearing a reproduction of the profile of the reigning British monarch, Queen Victoria facing to the left. Hill believed this would be difficult to forge. The head of the reigning monanarch has featured on postage stamps eversince. Because Penny Blacks and Twopenny Blues were the world's first postage stamps, they did not show a country of origin. Brisitsh stamps today are still the only stamps in the world that do not name their country of origin.

Example of a Mulready lettersheet Design of Penny Blacks Queen Victoira’s head was engraved and based on a sketch done by Henry Corbould. who was influenced by the work of William Wyon. Wyon orignially drew a caneo-like head of Queen Victoira for a medal that commemorated her visit to London in 1837, the year that she was crowed queen at the age of 15. Penny Black stamps were printed by Perkins, Bacon & Petch.. The top of the stamp featured word "POSTAGE" intended to distinguish it from ‘revenue’ stamps that had long been used in the United Kindgom. The words "ONE PENNY" appeared at the bottom of the stamp, indicating the amount that had been pre-paid for the delivery of the letter to which it had been fixed. The background of the stamp featured finely engraved engine turnings. Positioned in the two upper corners were star-like designs. Positioned in the lower corners were letters indicating the position of the stamp in a sheet of 240 stamps. For example, "A A" indicates the stamp located on the top left position, and "T L" indicates the stamp on the bottom right position..

Penny Blacks were printed by Perkins Bacon. Design of the Penny Black Stamp Date of release The new Penny Black stamps first went on sale 1st May 1840 although they were only valid for postage from 6th May 1840 (some were used between the date of introduction and the official launch day on the 6th). All London post offices received ample supplies of the new Penny Black stamp, but provincial post offices throughout the United Kingdom did not. As result, post offices outside London continued to accept postage payments in cash only for some time. The Mulreadies (letter sheets) were issued at the same time as Penny Blacks. Public reaction to these new items not what Rowland Hill's expected. The Penny Black stamps were well-received and admired whereas the the Mulready letter sheet design was intensely disliked. Printing and perforations Eleven different plates were used during the short lived, one year long, production period of the Penny Black stamps. Unlike stamps of today, Penny Blacks were not perforated and the postmaster or mistress of the time had to use scissors to cut out the stamps.

Between 1848 and 1854 trials were carried out in order to find a better and more acceptable way of separating stamps than the scissors and in early 1854 the first ‘perforated’ penny red was issued. Demise of the Penny Black stamp Penny Black postage stamps were only in circulation for one year because the red cancellation mark was hard to see on the black background colour of the stamp and easily removed, making it possible to re-use stamps, even after they had been cancelled. In response, the Treasury decided to reprint the stamp as a red stamp. The cancellation mark was changed to black as they were easier to see and harder to remove. What is a Penny Black stamp? Google Doodle celebrates landmark British design | The Independent What is a Penny Black stamp? Google Doodle celebrates landmark British design Sir Rowland Hill decided on an easily-recognisable profile of 15-year-old Princess Victoria for the design Thursday 30 April 2015 22:16 BST Click to follow The Independent Online The Penny Black The world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system, the Penny Black, is being celebrated in a Google Doodle on its 175th anniversary.

Featuring a profile of Queen Victoria, the stamp was issued on 1 May 1840 for official use from 6 May that year. The idea of an adhesive stamp to indicate pre-payment of postage was part of Sir Rowland Hill’s proposal in 1837 to reform the British postal system. Hill was granted a two-year contact to run the new system after creating a design, finally deciding on an easily-recognisable profile of 15-year-old Princess Victoria, which he believed would be difficult to forge. Penny Blacks can be highly collectable, with one set of four unused 1840 stamps available on the market for a whopping £140,000, while used versions can still sell for around £870. Despite these prices, they are not know to collectors to be particularly rare. The total print run of Penny Blacks is believed to have reached 286,700 sheets, or a total of 68,808,000 stamps. The only known complete sheets are owned by the British Postal Museum. The late author Terry Pratchett made several allusions to the beginning of the adhesive stamp in his Discworld novel Going Postal.

Stamp Anniversary Miniature Sheet | New Zealand Post Stamps Stamp Anniversary Miniature Sheet 1855-1899 Stamp Anniversary Miniature Sheet 1990 was a landmark year - it marked the 150th anniversary of the first official adhesive postage stamp; now perhaps the most famous stamp of all time, the Penny Black. In honour of this special event, a miniature sheet was issued. This issue coincided with the World Stamp Exhibition 'New Zealand 1990' - held in Auckland. Tweet Issue information The introduction of the adhesive postage stamp back in 1840 vastly changed the method of paying for mail delivery in Britain. Initiated by the English schoolmaster Rowland Hill, pre-paid postage replaced the previous system of recipients having to pay upon delivery of their mail. An adhesive stamp was introduced as the receipt for pre-payment and complex and expensive postage rates were replaced by a flat rate of one penny for letters weighing up to half an ounce. The British Post Office did not initially approve of Rowland Hill's proposal - but public demand was in his favour.

Subsequently, an Act for the Penny Post was passed in the British Parliament, and on 1 May 1840, the now famous and coveted Penny Black became legal tender for postage in Great Britain. In New Zealand, the first official adhesive postage stamps were not introduced until some years later, in 1855, and depicted a full face portrait of Queen Victoria taken from a coronation portrait painted by Alfred Edward Chalon. Appropriately, the subjects of the six 40c stamps featured on the miniature sheet to commemorate the anniversary were British Monarchs who reigned during the 150 year history of postage stamps. All these monarchs have appeared at some stage over the past 150 years on New Zealand postage stamps. The miniature sheet design was engraved by British American Banknotes Inc, of Canada. Miniature Sheet - $2.40 Within a border of a Maori rafter patterns, six stamps depict the British Monarchs, Victoria, Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI and Elizabeth II. Technical information Great Britain 1840 Penny Black with 4 Full Margins / HipStamp ( 333 ) who had a total of 5 entries.

The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system. It first was issued in Great Britain on 1 May 1840, for official use from 6 May of that year. It features a profile of Queen Victoria. In 1837, British postal rates were high, complex and anomalous. To simplify matters, Sir Rowland Hill proposed an adhesive stamp to indicate pre-payment of postage. At the time it was normal for the recipient to pay postage on delivery, charged by the sheet and on distance traveled. By contrast, the Penny Black allowed letters of up to half an ounce (14g) to be delivered at a flat rate of one penny, regardless of distance. Postal delivery systems using what may have been adhesive stamps existed before the Penny Black. The idea had at least been suggested earlier in the Austrian Empire, Sweden, and possibly Greece. Treasury Competition On 13 February 1837, Sir Rowland Hill proposed to a government enquiry both the idea of a pre-paid stamp and a pre-paid envelope, a separate sheet folded to form an enclosure for carrying letters.

Hill was given a two-year contract to run the new system, and together with Henry Cole he announced a competition to design the new stamps. There were some 2,600 entries, but none was considered suitable; instead a rough design endorsed by Hill was chosen, featuring an easily recognisable profile of the former Princess Victoria. Hill believed this would be difficult to forge. An envelope bearing a reproduction of a design created by the artist William Mulready was also issued. Design The portrait of Victoria was engraved by Charles Heath and his son Frederick, based on a sketch provided by Henry Corbould. Corbould's sketch was in turn based on the 1834 cameo-like head by William Wyon, which was used on a medal to commemorate the Queen's visit to the City of London in 1837. This portrait of Victoria remained on British stamps until her death in 1901, although by then she was 81 years old. All British stamps still bear a portrait or silhouette of the monarch somewhere on the design. They are the only postage stamps in the world that do not indicate a country of origin; the monarch's image symbolises the United Kingdom.

Initially, Hill specified that the stamps should be 3/4 inch square, but altered the dimensions to 3/4 inch wide by 7/8 inch tall (approx 19 x 22 mm) to accommodate the writing at the bottom. The word "POSTAGE" at the top of the design distinguishes it from a revenue stamp, which had long been used in the UK; "ONE PENNY." at the bottom shows the amount pre-paid for postage of the stamped letter. The background to the portrait consists of finely engraved engine turnings. The two upper corners hold Maltese crosses with radiant solar discs at their centres; the lower corner letters show the position of the stamp in the printed sheet, from "A A" at top left to "T L" at bottom right. The sheets, printed by Perkins Bacon, consisted of 240 stamps in 20 rows of 12 columns. One full sheet cost 240 pence or one pound; one row of 12 stamps cost a shilling. As the name suggests, the stamp was printed in black ink.

A two penny stamp printed in blue and covering the double-letter rate (up to an ounce) was issued on 8 May 1840. Issue Although the stamps were not officially issued for sale until 6 May 1840, some offices such as those in Bath sold the stamps unofficially before that date. There are covers postmarked 2 May, and a single example is known on cover dated 1 May 1840. All London post offices received official supplies of the new stamps but other offices throughout the United Kingdom did not, continuing to accept payments for postage in cash for a period. The Penny Black lasted less than a year. A red cancellation was hard to see on the black design and the red ink was easy to remove; both made it possible to re-use cancelled stamps. In February 1841, the Treasury switched to the Penny Red and began using black ink for cancellations instead, which was more effective and harder to remove. However, people still reused stamps by combining the uncancelled parts of two stamps to form an unused whole, so in 1864 as a further safeguard the top corner stars on the Penny Red were replaced by the lower corner check letters in reverse order.

Imprimatur Sheet Imprimaturs sheets are from among the first sheets of stamps printed from a finished printing plate. The actual imprimatur (Let it be printed) refers to the written permission of the Inland Revenue officials entered on the back of the sheet of stamps. In the 19th century, it was common for officials to remove some stamps from each sheet to present as gifts to dignitaries and other important people. Inpidual stamps from an Imprimatur sheet can thus be found for sale on the open market. A complete sheet of the Penny Black without check letters is held by the British Postal Museum. This unique item is in fact a plate proof, and by definition not an imprimatur sheet. Printing A mint block of six, plate 11. Main article: Penny Black printing plates The Penny Black was printed from 11 plates, but as Plate 1 was completely overhauled due to excessive wear, it is generally considered to be two separate plates, 1a and 1b. Plate 11 was originally intended solely for the printing of new red stamps, but a small number were printed in black. These are scarce.

The stamps were printed in unperforated sheets, to be cut with scissors for sale and use. An original printing press for the Penny Black, the "D" cylinder press invented by Jacob Perkins and patented in 1819, is on display at the British Library in London. Rarity The total print run was 286,700 sheets, containing a total of 68,808,000 stamps. Many were saved, and in used condition they remain readily available to stamp collectors. The only known complete sheets of the Penny Black are owned by the British Postal Museum. Source: Wikipedia No Purchase Necessary OFFER VOID WHERE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW. The following promotion is open to current legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Canada (excluding the province of Quebec), Australia, and the United Kingdom. This promotion is governed by and is subject to all applicable United States federal, state and local laws.

ANY ENTRANT WHO IS UNDER 18 AND/OR A MINOR IN HIS/HER STATE OF RESIDENCE MUST HAVE PERMISSION OF PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN TO ENTER Employees of Sponsor, Sponsor's parent company, affiliates and subsidiaries, and advertising and promotion agencies directly involved in this giveaway, and members of the immediate families or households of any of the foregoing, are NOT eligible to participate in this giveaway. Companies which created and/or manufactured the item in this giveaway are not a sponsor of this Giveaway, unless otherwise noted, and is not involved in this Giveaway in any manner. All product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. How to Enter To enter online, visit the specified URL, or visit our website, and append /giveaways/browse to the URL. You will be required to complete fully the official entry form and provide all required information, which may include your first name, last name, complete address (no P.O. boxes), daytime phone number, email address and birth date. A person can participate in the giveaway by completing any of the specified actions on the giveaway page, which may change throughout the course of the giveaway.

Limit one (1) entry per person and/or email address per day, per method of entry listed on the giveaway page. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of any entrant, the entry in question will be deemed to have been submitted by the authorized account holder of the e-mail address submitted at the time of entry (i.e., the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, on-line service provider or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address). Entries must be received before the indicated time in which the giveaway ends, as noted on the giveaway page. This Giveaway may be presented in conjunction with different offers sponsored or co-sponsored by Sponsor, its affiliates, and partners, and may be presented in conjunction with offers sponsored by different organizations. Giveaway may be presented in different creative presentations by different organizations and under different creative titles.

Sponsor is not responsible for incomplete, lost, late, damaged, illegible, delayed, corrupted, non-delivered or misdirected entries or e-mail, or for any technical problems, malfunctions of any telephone lines, computer systems, servers, providers, hardware or software, lost or unavailable network connections, incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry information or loss of entry information, failed, incomplete, garbled or delayed computer transmissions, or any other human or technical errors of any kind, or any combination of any of the foregoing. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for undeliverable e-mails resulting from any form of active or passive e-mail filtering by a user's Internet service provider and/or e-mail client or for insufficient space in user's e-mail account to receive e-mail. Sponsor is not responsible for any liability for damage to any computer system resulting from participation in or accessing or downloading information in connection with this promotion. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS GIVEAWAY IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAW.

SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW. Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, modify or suspend this giveaway should a virus, bugs, entrant fraud or misconduct, or other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor, in Sponsor's determination, corrupt the administration, integrity, security or proper operation of the giveaway. In the event of termination of the giveaway, a notice will be posted on-line and a random drawing to award the prize will be conducted from among all eligible entries received prior to the time of termination. Entry times will be determined using the website’s server (the website on which this giveaway is hosted), which will be the official clock for the giveaway. No automatic, programmed, robotic or similar means of entry are permitted, and individuals engaging in such practices will be disqualified. Incomplete entry forms will be disqualified. Odds of Winning Odds of winning will depend on the total number of eligible entries received.

Prize(s) The prize consists of the item which is specified on the relevant giveaway page. All prize details will be determined by Sponsor in its discretion. Prizes may vary, in color, size and other respects, from items shown on website. All expenses and costs associated with the acceptance or use of the prize are the responsibility of the winner. If winner is an eligible minor, prize will be awarded in the name of his/her parent or legal guardian, who must sign and return all required documents. Sponsor may, at its sole discretion and for any reason, substitute a prize of equal or greater value, including a cash award. Winner is solely responsible for all applicable Federal, State and local taxes on the prize. An IRS form 1099 will be issued if required by law. No substitution, cash redemption or transfer of right to receive prize is permitted, except in the discretion of Sponsor. To receive prize, winner (and/or his/her parent or legal guardian if the winner is below the age of 18) must execute an affidavit of eligibility, publicity release, and release of liability within 10 days of notification, if required by Sponsor.

Noncompliance or return of any form as undeliverable will result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. Drawing Methodology and Winner Notification Winner will be selected by a random drawing held within 5 days after the conclusion of the entry period set forth herein from among all eligible entries received. The drawing will be conducted by or under the supervision of Sponsor, whose decisions will be final in all matters concerning the giveaway. Winner is subject to verification. Winner will be notified by e-mail within fourteen (14) days after the drawing. If winner cannot be contacted or does not respond within 5 days of being contacted, if any prize is returned as undeliverable, or in the event a potential winner does not accept the prize or fails to comply with these rules and requirements, the prize will be forfeited. Upon prize forfeiture, no compensation will be given. General Terms By entering, entrants agree to release and hold Sponsor, its parent company, affiliates, subsidiaries, distributors and agents, and each of their directors, officers, employees and assigns, harmless from and against any and all claims and liability arising out of participation in the giveaway or use of prize.

Winner assumes all liability for any injury or damage caused, or claimed to be caused, by participation in this giveaway or use or redemption of any prize. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for the Sponsor and its parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, agents and licensees to use winner's name and/or likeness for purposes of advertising and trade without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. All entries become the sole property of Sponsor and will not be returned. By participating in this promotion, entrants agree to be bound by the Official Rules and the decisions of Sponsor and the judges, which are final and binding in all respects. Sponsor is not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the giveaway or in the announcement of any prize. In no event will more than the stated number of prizes be awarded. Sponsor may offer multiple giveaway simultaneously on their website. Sponsor (unless otherwise noted) 175th Ann of The Penny Black | Stamps | 2015 | Gibraltar Philatelic Bureau 175th Ann of The Penny Black Buy whole issue for £11.50 (view technical specs) The Penny Black was the world's first adhesive postage stamp used in a public postal system.

It was issued in Britain on 1 May 1840, for official use from 6 May of that year and features a profile of the Queen Victoria. All London post offices received official issues of the new stamps but other offices throughout the United Kingdom did not, continuing to accept postage payments in cash only for a period. Post offices such as those in Bath began offering the stamp unofficially after 2 May 1840. The idea of an adhesive stamp to indicate pre-payment of postage was part of Sir Rowland Hill's 1837 proposals to reform the British postal system; it was normal then for the recipient to pay postage on delivery. A companion idea, which Hill disclosed on 13 February 1837 at a government enquiry, was that of a separate sheet that folded to form an enclosure or envelope for carrying letters. At that time postage was charged by the sheet and on the distance travelled. Postal delivery systems using what may have been adhesive stamps existed before the Penny Black. Apparently the idea had at least been suggested earlier in Austria, Sweden, and possibly Greece. (wikipedia)

Question: In which year was Britain's first adhesive postage stamp the Penny Black issued?
Answer: 1840