Is the Penny Black the worlds rarest stamp?
No, but it’s the world’s most famous stamp. It heralded the greatest communication boom in history. Back before its introduction, postal services were very expensive with the recipient having to pay for the letter before the postman handed it over! A victorian social reformer ‘Roland Hill’ overheard a conversation between a postman & a lady who could not afford to receive a letter from her son – Mr Hill began a movement for a cheap postal service on the basis that the sender would pay for postage. How best to prove to the postman that delivery had already been paid for? “a gummed label” was the preffered method and the postage stamp was born! Penny Black’s with postmarks can be purchased for less than £100 – see our special offer by clicking here. Penny Black’s that have never been used and still have the gum on the back can be worth several £000,s depending on condition!
