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In 1840 the then GPO issued the world's first postage stamp - the famous Penny Black. Although red ink was used, the postmarks were not clearly visible - people were soaking off the stamps and re-using them - much to the GPO's horror.
To combat this state of affairs, the GPO decided to change the colour of the Penny Black to red. The earliest examples were imperforate, i.e. without perforations - the Post Clerks had to cut the stamps from the sheets with scissors! It was not until the 1850s that perforated stamps became generally available - this was after several trials.
Obviously most Victorian correspondence has long been lost, however, I was recently fortunate to acquire a small number of envelopes bearing the Penny Red stamp.
You will appreciate that these items are very old and this must be taken into account when ordering. Of course, all items are truly unique. The stamps on these envelopes are IMPERFORATE - these are much scarcer than the perforated stamps.
To combat this state of affairs, the GPO decided to change the colour of the Penny Black to red. The earliest examples were imperforate, i.e. without perforations - the Post Clerks had to cut the stamps from the sheets with scissors! It was not until the 1850s that perforated stamps became generally available - this was after several trials.
Obviously most Victorian correspondence has long been lost, however, I was recently fortunate to acquire a small number of envelopes bearing the Penny Red stamp.
You will appreciate that these items are very old and this must be taken into account when ordering. Of course, all items are truly unique. The stamps on these envelopes are IMPERFORATE - these are much scarcer than the perforated stamps.
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