150th Anniversary of First Postage Stamp. The first adhesive postage stamp issued in Britain 150 years ago. It was a small, square piece of paper, black in colour and showing the Queen's head and postage of one penny. This stamp is popularly known as "Penny Black".
This stamp, which became a trend-setter, has an interesting background. In 1837, Sir Rowland Hill had published two pamphlets on Post Office Reforms and collection of postage by means of stamps. Though these pamphlets, he pleaded for the introduction of a uniform postage rate of one penny per half ounce weight regardless of the distance and prepayment of postage. In the context of payment of postage. Hill suggested the issue of 'small stamped labels". His idea of these lables was declared as "a bit of paper just large enough to bear a stamp". To obtain a suitable design for the adhesive stamp, the Treasury organised a competition. Even though 2600 entries were received, non was considered suitable for use. Ultimately, Hill decided to use the Queen's portrait in the size and format as shown on the Tax Tables. For the portrait he selected the design of the Queen's head as engraved on the commemorative City Medal of 1837 by William Wyon. Henry Corbould, a London artist, was commissioned to prepare the water colour based on Wyon's medal for the postage stamp. The design was printed in Black colour for the one penny stamps and in blue colour for the two pence stamps though the latter was not available till 8thMay, 1840.
The rest is History. And, so was born The King of Hobbies.
The stamp on the FDC depicts the Penny Black on a cover "cancelled as the first postage stamp." The First Day Cover reproduces an outline of the Mulready envelope.
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