Orbis Collecta
SearchContribute

Great Britain — Penny Black — 1840

Also known as: One Penny Black

VerifiedSupported by authoritative primary or institutional sources.

Period

1840

Issuing entity

United Kingdom

The first adhesive postage stamp issued for public use, placed on sale in May 1840 as part of the Uniform Penny Post reform.

Historical context

Introduced following Rowland Hill's postal reforms. The black printing made cancellations hard to see, and the denomination was replaced by the Penny Red in 1841.

Physical characteristics

Material
Paper
Printing
Line-engraved (recess)
Perforation
Imperforate

Technical characteristics

Gum
Original gum where present
Watermark
Small Crown

Design

Design
Profile of Queen Victoria after the William Wyon City Medal portrait
Corner letters
Check letters in the lower corners indicate the position in the printing sheet

Identification

Key diagnostics
Plate identification relies on corner check letters and plate characteristics
Common confusions
Reprints, forgeries and the 1841 Penny Red are frequently mistaken for genuine 1840 black printings

Catalogue references

  • Scott1
  • Stanley GibbonsSG 1 / SG 2 (numbering varies by shade and plate)

Varieties

  • Plates 1–11

    Eleven plates were used; individual plate attribution is a specialist study.

Conflicting sources

  • Stanley Gibbons, Scott and Michel divide the issue differently by shade and plate, producing non-equivalent numbers.

Research required

  • Per-plate diagnostics not yet transcribed from a specialist plating study.
Can you source one of these? Submit a reference