The world’s first-ever postage stamp finally added to the UN agency’s stamp collection.
The world’s very first postage stamp, the Penny Black, is finally part of the Universal Postal Union’s large philatelic collection.
The UPU has acquired what is probably the world’s best-known stamp, which shows a profile image of Queen Victoria on a black background. The UN agency has also acquired two other Victorian stamps, the Penny Red and the Two Pence Blue, as well as an envelope bearing the Penny Black and cancelled on 22 July 1840, only two months after the famous stamp was officially issued on 6 May 1840.
As an intergovernmental organization and the specialized agency of the United Nations for postal services, the UPU decided it was time to add the Penny Black to its vast philatelic collection, which contains more than 800,000 stamps. The organization purchased the philatelic items for 1,800 Swiss francs, or 1,965 US dollars.
The Penny Black shows a profile image of Queen Victoria looking to the left. Although it is known as the world’s first postage stamp, the Penny Black is not considered rare. More than 70 million copies of the stamp were issued and it can easily be purchased. The other particular feature of the famous Penny Black are the roman letters that are printed in the bottom two corners to identify the stamp’s line and column position on the printed sheet. The technique was also designed to discourage counterfeiters.
“The Penny Black is unique and its creation is one of the great moments in world postal history,” says Edouard Dayan, director general of the UPU. “The postage stamp has a certain magic; each stamp is a tiny ambassador that informs about the history, the art, the culture and the national heritage of our member countries. In addition to covering the mailing cost of a letter, postage stamps are cherished by millions of collectors all over the world.”
Jean-François Logette, manager of the philatelic programme at the International Bureau, suggested the UPU acquire the Penny Black. He explained: “We thought it was time to add this important stamp to the UPU’s immense collection. The stamps in the collection are a testimony to great moments in the history of our member countries and the world and constitute an important philatelic heritage.”
The postage stamp’s introduction in the middle of the 19th century revolutionized the postal service. Before the stamp existed, the recipient of a letter paid for the delivery cost, based on a complex tariff scheme. The postage-paid letter bearing a stamp was the brainchild of Rowland Hill, who later became secretary to the Post Office and was knighted for his services. He apparently proposed the postage stamp’s creation after noticing that the postal service was losing significant mailing revenues because recipients could refuse to take delivery of an item.
Switzerland and Brazil followed in the United Kingdom’s footsteps by issuing their own stamps in 1843. Stamps then appeared in the United States in 1847 and in France and Belgium in 1849. Today, all countries issue their own. Even the United Nations Postal Administration issues stamps; 80% are sold to collectors, while the rest are used on mail leaving the United Nations offices in New York, Geneva and Vienna.
Prior to this acquisition, the first stamps obtained by the UPU date back to its creation, on 9 October 1874. UPU member countries are expected to send a copy of each postage stamp they issue to the International Bureau in Berne. As it was issued 35 years before the organization’s birth, the Penny Black was missing from the UPU’s collection.
The newly acquired stamps and envelope have been framed and will be displayed in the International Bureau conference room named after Sir Rowland Hill. The philatelic items will be officially unveiled today in a ceremony held during the joint 2012 session of the UPU’s Postal Operations Council and Council of Administration.